Category Archives: Canada geese nesting

The Good News and the Bad News

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A Mild Start to Winter is Good News for Geese, and Bad News for Property Managers

You may be seeing more geese this winter on your property than usual. The mild weather keeps the water flowing and the grass accessible, which keeps the geese here longer. If you are having issues, please feel free to call us at 1-877-914-3373.

Resident Canada geese are non-migrating geese; you will see them on your property year-round. The geese that stay in our area were never taught the migration patterns, nor will they teach following generations. Over the past 10 years, their populations increase about 1-5% per year, particularly in urban areas where there are few predators, prohibitions on hunting, and a dependable year-round supply of food and water.

Feel free to give us a call if you see geese on site this winter. Ohio Geese Control will continue our efforts to control the geese population in a safe and humane manner.

It’s not too early to think about Spring

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to control the Canada geese population at Ohio Geese Control this year. Spring is just around the corner and it is a critical time of year for Canada geese management. To begin chasing off the resident geese and be there for the migrating geese we need to be in service in February to ensure relocating the geese before they nest. Starting later in the season will increase the chances of goslings at your property.

Call us for a free site visit and demonstration of our skilled handlers and dogs
at 877-914-3373.

Molting geese are unable to fly in July

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It is the molting season for Canada geese. Geese rejuvenate their flight feathers for their Fall migration beginning in mid-June throughout the month of July. Unlike other birds which will loose one feather at a time and still be able to fly, geese will loose all of their flight feathers (or molt) and not be able to fly during this stage. You will begin to see lots of feathers on your property when the molt is happening.

Ohio Geese Control has continued to do extensive harassment to keep the geese away before the molt happens. We do not work with our border collies during the molt, as the geese will be unable to fly off. Habitat modification efforts and fencing off areas will help reduce geese walking onto your property. If you are having issues, you can certainly call us and we will develop a custom plan for your property during this time.

Call us at 877-914-3373 for a free site demonstration, you will see a great decrease in the number of geese on site.

How to handle baby Canada geese in your goose deterrent efforts

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Now that the Canada geese nesting season is rounding the end, you will start to see many goslings (baby Canada geese) running around chasing their parents, especially if you have not been able to get rid of the geese prior to their nesting. This is why it is so important to start your Canada geese control program in February to deter nesting in urban areas as much as possible.

The goslings are protected under the Migratory Bird Act, so no harm may come to them on your property. The biggest obstacle you will need to face during this time is to stop people from feeding the goslings. It is tempting to feed these adorable creatures when they are young. However, it is doing more harm than good. Feeding the baby Canada geese will not allow them to naturally seek out their own food in nature, being taught to rely on humans for food is neither good for the goose or for humans. Geese are grazers and need to forage for their own food.

Harassment techniques can still be implemented during this time, however great care must be given as to not harm the goslings. We want to encourage them to be fearful of the area without hurting them. Instilling the fear of a natural predator is a humane and natural course, and will only give the goslings greater skill sets when they are in the wild, out of the urban setting.

The longer the goslings are on your property, the harder it will be to move them elsewhere. If they are left to fly away from your property when they are ready for Fall migration, you will increase the chance of them coming back next year. And increase the chance of them nesting at your property in years to come.

Choosing to continue a goose deterrent program during Canada gosling season is fine, as long as it is done with care.

Canada Geese Egg Depredation Tactics

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Canada geese will typically lay 6-12 eggsOhio Geese Control works with the Division of Wildlife to ensure the overall population of Canada geese is in balance when implementing egg depredation. It is always necessary to implement other harassment techniques to try and remove the Canada geese naturally from a location before egg depredation is incorporated into your Canada geese control program.

If non-lethal tactics have been used in the past, without success, the Division of Wildlife may issue a lethal permit to allow the landowner to manage egg depredation.  These permits can only be used March 11 through August 31.

There are three ways to properly manage egg depredation:

  1. Oiling eggs prevents gases from diffusing through an egg’s outer membranes and pores in the shell, thereby causing the embryo to die of asphyxiation. Typically, the eggs are taken out of the nest, covered with an oily substance by brushing, dunking, or spraying, and then replaced in the nest.
  2. Addling (or shaking) involves vigorously shaking the eggs until sloshing is heard, thus destroying the embryo.
  3. Puncturing is done by pushing a thin, strong pin through the shell, which introduces bacteria. The pin can be rotated inside the egg to ensure that the embryo is destroyed. The eggs are treated and replaced so that the female goose continues to incubate in a futile attempt to hatch the eggs.

It is suggested that, in the interest of humane treatment, these techniques be performed as early in incubation as possible. If eggs are simply removed, geese generally re-nest and produce another clutch.

Ohio Geese Control will work with our clients when, proper permits are obtained, to manage and record eggs. If you need assistance with your Canada geese pest control methods, contact us for a free site visit at 1-877-91GEESE.

When Geese Attack

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The Aggressive Nature of Canada Geese

Canada geese are very territorial in the Spring. When they are nesting or have goslings running about they become extremely aggressive if they think they are being threatened. Walk too close to their territory and they will charge. They do not stop until they feel there is no longer a threat. This should not be taken lightly, we have had reports of broken noses, broken ribs and even deaths caused by Canada geese attacks. One day you can be feeding the geese, and then find yourself being attacked walking to your car in the parking lot the next day. This behavior is showing up earlier this year with the warmer winter we have been having.

Also, it is important to note, that Canada geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Act. It is against the law to bring harm to any Canada goose, gosling or egg. Which is why it is important to understand the behaviors of the geese and implement a program to help control the population in urban environments as early as possible in the Spring.

How do you stop a goose attack?

  1. Alert the public or local residents that they should not feed the geese. Do not let the geese become comfortable in your area or around people.
  2. Fence off any area the geese feel is their territory to limit the chance of interactions between the geese and the public
  3. If the geese have already nested and the nest is located in a very public spot, work with the Division of Wildlife to see if the nest can be moved.
  4. Start a Canada geese management program as early as possible in the Spring. It is important to get rid of the geese before they lay their eggs. Once they lay their eggs, they will not relocate. If you apply harassment techniques in February, you have a greater chance of success. If the geese have already laid their eggs, do not wait until next year to start your harassment program! Do not let them feel comfortable on your property, or the pair you have today will be a gaggle of geese next year with bigger problems.

Know a location in that is a hazard to the public due to the urban Canada geese population? Report it to Ohio Geese Control, and we will help resolve the issue proactively.

Canada Geese are Back for Nesting Season

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Spring is in the air in Northeast Ohio, and that means Canada geese are migrating back to the area for their nesting season. Although if you have resident geese on your property (geese that do not migrate in the winter), you have probably seen the geese beginning to pair up even earlier due to the mild winter we have been having.

It is important to start your Canada geese control program to get rid of the geese prior to nesting season. As soon as you see the first pair back, it is time to start a harassment program. Geese are creatures of habit, and will come back to the same location year after year for nesting. So what starts off as a lovely couple of Canada geese on your pond, quickly swells into 50 to 100. And with geese come geese droppings. Here are some tips you can take this spring to help alleviate the geese problems.

Do not feed the geese signageStep 1: Do not feed the geese. Feeding waterfowl and other birds is a popular pastime for many people, but it is also a major cause of high urban bird populations. Feeding waterfowl encourages them to congregate in an area and may make geese more aggressive toward people.It is also not healthy for the geese. Put up signs to educate and discourage feeding. Ohio Geese Control can supply your property with outdoor signs, just contact us.

Step 2: Modify landscape. People enjoy well manicured lawns, and unfortunately, so do the geese. Modifying the landscape around ponds and grassy areas can make the property less attractive to the geese. Limiting the use of fertilizer and watering less is a good start, but letting grassy areas grow up around the ponds and planting tall shrubs will make the geese feel less secure. Our experts at Ohio Geese Control, can provide you tips on landscape modification that can meet your properties needs.

Step 3: Begin harassment programs. It is important to start harassment programs as early as possible in the Spring, preferably February when the geese are just starting to pair up and migratory ones are coming back. Border collies are the most effective way to instill the fear of a predator at your location. You may combine this with other visual scare devices, but the skilled border collie will still have the biggest impact.

For more information and a free site visit for initial consultation and dog demonstration, contact us or call 1-877-914-3373. We want to create a healthier and happier environment by humanely managing migratory bird populations.