I've found two great sites which should provide you with many options
for geese repelling. Both sites are broken down into a couple methods,
and they are:
1. Harassment
2. Habitat modification
3. Chemical and natural repellents
4. Direct population control
The first sounds like it is. Just get on their nerves, buy a dog to
bark at them, or actively chase them when they come around. This will
only work for a small number of geese, and only when they're in their
migrating periods, but is free, and relatively low maintainence. Also,
they suggest using scarecrows, or scare balloons which are huge
balloons which frighten the geese.
Habitat modification requires you to do as you suggested, either
gating in the area, or planting shrubs or wild flowers near the water
line. That or letting the grass grow a bit wild, so that it's not the
most comfortable place to eat and hang out. This requires you to
actively take a part in maintaining your lake area, but probably is
the most natural, and has the least upkeep after the initial
investment. The negative is that you are blocking your own access to
the water. There's also the option of running wires or lines over the
water to interfere with the landing/takeoff of the geese, but this
just looks horrible to the aesthetics of your lake/pond area.
I think the option of chemical and natural repellents is your best
bet. This is of course only possible if the geese are feeding on the
grass around the water, and may not be possible to use if your lake is
big and you have a lot of grass to cover. Methyl-Anthranilate is a
chemical found in fruits that the geese seem to dislike, and special
mixes are sold which you can dilute with water and then spray on the
grass. It washes away with the rain, so it's necessary to reapply but
some report that only 6 or 7 applications are necessary a season. If
you're unlucky though you may get a bunch of determined geese who are
willing to take a short flight to eat, then back to the water to
relax.
Since all geese are Federally protected under the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act, you may have your hands tied about killing geese directly
as some of the commenters have suggested. You may be able to apply for
a permit to oil eggs, or poach eggs, if your local branch allows it,
and if you're on your own sizable chunk of land, you could probably
get away with whatever you decided on regardless but I can't outright
suggest it.
I think your best bet is a combination of some habitat modification to
corral the geese into an area which is easy maintained by chemical
sprays and the like. You however will have to size up your own
situation and find out what works best for you. I suggest calling pest
control in your area especially if you're in a subarb with many
private lake/pond owners, they probably could give you an estimate of
all the expenses you'd have, and could offer even more tips. Below are
the links which describe these methods in detail, and a link to one of
the geese spray deterrents.
http://darwin.wcupa.edu:16080/ponds/Canada%20Goose%20Management.htm
http://www.api4animals.org/64.htm
http://www.nixalite.com/ag-36.htm
Thank you for your question and it was a pleasure for me to answer it.
skermit-ga |
