Effects of Goose Poop on Your Pond

Did you ever wonder how all of the geese that are congregating in your backyard are affecting the ecology of your pond? Considering each goose can produce 1 to 2 pounds of droppings each day, and a typical Canada goose may poop 28 times a day, it doesn’t look good for homeowners.

In fact, Geese are major contributors of Phosphorus and Nitrogen in ponds. These nutrients come directly from goose excrement and cause pond eutrophication. Pond eutrophication is a natural process that all bodies of water experience. It is the gradual enrichment of nutrients over time. Goose excrement speeds up this process. Leaving extra nutrients for algae and weeds to grow rapidly. A rapid increase in algae can deplete the water of oxygen, damaging the aquatic environment and causing fish kills.

It only takes 1 goose on a 1 acre pond to overload the water with Phosphorus. 

Geese, Algae and weeds in a lake or pond can make it difficult to enjoy the water for fishing, swimming, or boating. We want you to enjoy the outdoors, particularly your ponds in this very hot weather we are having this summer. The best way to get rid of the geese is to use border collies to instill the fear of a predator on site.

Once algae and weeds have accumulated on your pond, our partners, AQUA DOC Lake and Pond Management can assist with pond management, they offer free consultations to identify your water’s needs and provide recommendations for management.

And of course, feel free to set up a free site demo with Ohio Geese Control if you want to understand our process in lowering your geese population for the long term.

Canada Geese are Back for Nesting Season

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.