Have you ever experienced enjoying a quiet morning when suddenly the silence was broken by clucking geese? As if the clucking sound isn’t enough to ruin your peaceful morning, you accidentally stepped on goose poop. I’m sure this is not how you want to spend your days being bothered by geese. Seeing a single goose may be tolerable but if it’s a gaggle, these wild geese can become a nuisance and it might be time you learn how to get rid of geese.
While these birds may be a nice sight, they can be very bothersome. When dealing with geese, you need to be careful as they are known to show aggressive behavior when threatened. If you want to learn how to get rid of geese fast, we will show you how.
Different Types of Geese Found in North America
While there are several species of goose found all around the world, we will only discuss the most common breeds in North America. This will help you identify which type of goose you need to eliminate in your property.
Canada Geese or Canadian Geese
Canada geese have necks with white chinstrap and cheeks and black heads. Its back is brown with tan breasts. It is smaller than mute swans but bigger than mallard ducks. However, the size and color of Canadian geese can vary depending on the region. When feeding, the Canadian geese usually come in pairs or flocks in V formation. Canada Geese may feed on large lawns, water, or fields. A Canada goose can build a nest almost anywhere, such as near ponds, lakes, rivers, other bodies of water, lawns, parks, yards, and farm fields.
Snow Geese
Snow geese have white and black colors that can look like a blanket of snow on the ground while they feed on wetlands and cornfields. It is easy to know when a snow goose is around because of its loud honking sound. They love to feed on plants and live near ponds and lakes.
Ross’s Geese
A Ross’s goose is almost similar to a snow goose with white and black wingtips. However, its bill is stubbier and its neck is shorter. Ross’s geese can be spotted in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and California during winter. They are active during the day foraging at marshes and fields but in the evening, they go back to reservoirs to roost.
Greater White-fronted Goose
The greater white-fronted goose has white feathers, orange legs, a pinkish-orange bill, and a stocky body. Sometimes, the greater white-fronted geese are confused with Graylag geese, which are domesticated species that can be found in parks and farms across North America. They breed in winter in lakes, wetlands, and croplands in large flocks.
Getting Rid of Geese in Your Property
Put Up a Fence
One easy solution to keep geese away from your property is by putting up a fence. This will prevent them from entering your property. If you have pond or lake areas, you can also install a grid around them with mesh or wire. Geese love places with bodies of water, and removing their access to them will prevent them from invading your property.
Use Noise to Scare Geese
Geese are afraid of loud noises, and you can use a noisemaker or air horn to scare them away. You can find several options of noisemakers in the market, and there are those that emit goose distress calls. There are also models that emit ultrasounds. The great thing about most sonic repellents is that they can deter not only geese but other animals or pests, too.
When purchasing sonic repellents, check how big the area is so you can make sure the loud noises coming from them can cover your whole property. It is also practical to go for solar-powered noisemakers and those with timers so you can set how often the sound will be repeated.
Scare Them With Predator Decoy
Scaring geese with predator decoy is effective and requires less work and effort. All you need to do is think of the animals that they are afraid of and buy plastic geese predators. Put them in locations where they can easily be seen by the birds. Some people use a fake coyote or dog to scare geese away.
Since they love bodies of water, they have probably encountered an alligator and are probably scared of them. So, fake alligator heads will do the trick. If you have the time and you are artistic enough, you can make your own DIY goose decoys. You can also use fake swans to scare geese. Swans like to attack geese, and seeing swans on your pond will scare them away.
Another option you have is to place plastic geese that look like they are dead. You can also place some geese hanging on your trees or fences that looked like they were killed. This will give them an idea that they may be in danger if they continue spending time around your property.
Do Not Give Them Geese Food
If you keep feeding geese, they will keep coming back, so stop giving them geese food if you want to get rid of them. Aside from that, remove all other food sources. Geese control can be challenging because they tend to eat almost anything. They can eat grass, human food, seeds, legumes, and almost anything that they find edible.
So, keep their food source away. Make sure your garbage bins are sealed at all times and avoid placing leftover food in places they have access to. Keep your property clean at all times. If they can’t get any food from your yard, your place will no longer be inviting to them.
Keep Your Grass Taller
Geese tend to stay in open spaces. Keeping your grass at least 6 inches tall will help get rid of them. This is because they don’t like places with tall grasses as this prevents them from seeing their surroundings easily. They are afraid to stay in areas where they cannot easily see if predators are hiding somewhere.
If you have water sources nearby, you can keep the grass taller than 6 inches. You can also try planting other types of plants around them to keep geese from getting entering your property. Kentucky bluegrass, English Ivy, and tall fescue may do the trick.
Set up a Goose Deterrent Light
You can use light as a goose repellent and there are several options to choose from. A goose repellent lighthouse is one option. It is designed especially to get rid of geese. They are usually equipped with stakes so they can be installed above the ground. This will prevent other critters from knocking them down. This device works by flashing lights regularly making it impossible for geese to get some sleep.
Another light deterrent that works are the strobe lights. You can place them in your yard to prevent geese from coming to your lawn. It works almost the same as a lighthouse but they are mostly placed on the ground. The downside of using deterrent lights is that their lights can be very bright that can sometimes be annoying. Aside from that, they may attract insects and bugs. But if you are creative enough, you’ll think of ways on how you can prevent these things from happening.
Keep Them Away With a Motion-activated Sprinkler
While geese love water, they wouldn’t want to be splashed with it. You can use motion-activated sprinklers so that when a flock of geese pass by, the sprinkler will automatically activate and scare geese away.
Get Rid of Their Nesting Sites
If you have been dealing with goose problems for quite some time but are still unsuccessful, they probably have built nesting sites around your property and are tending flightless goslings already. Try to find them and get rid of their nesting areas immediately. You can also place some fox or bear decoys around the nesting areas as they are known to be predators of goose eggs.
Use Natural Goose Repellent
You can use homemade natural goose repellent sprays. One good example is by using an artificial flavoring that is commonly used on grape juice or grape-flavored candy. You can sprinkle your powdered grape juice on the grass and it will leave a nasty taste on the goose’s mouth. They are harmless to other animals but may cause irritation on a goose’s nose, throat, and eyes.
You can also make your DIY goose repellent by getting an empty laundry detergent bottle and filling it partially with rocks. Each time you see a flock, shake the laundry detergent bottle and the noise will get rid of geese. While this is a temporary solution, it can still somehow help you with your geese problem.
Scare Them with Dogs
Letting your dogs roam around your yard will help get rid of geese around your property. There are some dog breeds that are ideal as geese deterrents, like border collies. But of course, any breed of dog will do. The mere sight of them will already make geese afraid to set foot on your property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will keep geese away?
If you want to keep geese away, you have to stop feeding them. Remove all the foods that attract them to go to your yard. Get rid of the bird feeders on your property for some time. They will stop coming back to your yard once they realize they cannot find anything to eat anymore. Another effective way is to scare the geese away by allowing your dog to roam around your yard. It will scare the geese and won’t be returning to your yard any longer.
If you can no longer handle your geese problem, it is better to call a professional. A professional may use visual and motion deterrents, sound devices, or chemical repellents to permanently keep these birds away.
How do I get rid of Canadian geese in my yard?
One of the things you can do to get rid of Canadian geese in your yard is to put up decoys. Set up a swan decoy on your lawn to keep these geese away. Swans and geese do not get along well because they are both very protective of their chicks. Another thing is to remove all sources of water. One thing that attracts the geese to your yard is water. Removing water sources will stop them from coming back to your yard. You can also purchase Flight Control Plus and apply them to your grass. Flight Control Plus is not only effective but also safe for other birds and humans, too.
What is the best goose deterrent?
Visual deterrents such as dogs, balloons, flags, and scarecrows are some of the best goose deterrents that you can use to keep geese away. They work best if you also use noise and decoys. Using different types of deterrents at once will have a greater chance of keeping them away.
Does grape Koolaid keep the geese away?
An artificial flavoring called methyl anthranilate is known to be a successful repellent for geese and other waterfowls. You can find it in grape Kool-Aid. You can sprinkle powdered grape Kool-Aid on your yard, and you will notice that geese will not stay.
Conclusion
Have you found the right solution on how to get rid of geese on your property? While geese may not be a real threat, they can still do a lot of damage to your property. Aside from that, most geese leave some droppings behind that may contain parasites and diseases. As much as possible, try to use a method that will not harm or kill geese, especially those who are raising young geese. If you are dealing with a single goose, you can simply chase it away. If you have tried everything but still failed, you may need to seek help from a professional. They may also provide you with a permanent solution. Soon, your yard will be goose-free.
