What Every Property Owner/Manager Needs to Know About Geese

If you own or manage any type of structure or property, there are some facts you need to know about geese to prevent these large birds from damaging your property. Geese love to gather around lakeshores, ponds, golf courses, sports fields, and any dwellings near water, preferring elevated, secluded nesting sites. Because they return to the area of their birth each year to mate and nest—with nesting season running from mid-March to May—the time to implement proactive deterrents and repellents is now.

Property Damage and Health Risks

Most geese have a wide wingspan (up to 75 inches) allowing them to fly up to 1,500 miles in a single day, "pond hopping" and foraging for food during migration. This can be very destructive; mature Canada geese can weigh up to 14 pounds, quickly denuding and trampling green vegetation, grasses, and aquatic plants while leaving large amounts of droppings in their wake. In urban areas, geese pick food off streets and out of garbage cans, damage crops, and foul pastures with waste. Furthermore, a study combining GPS tracking, outbreak records, and genetic analyses revealed that wild geese may carry the H5N1 bird flu virus on their wings, showing how the highly pathogenic influenza virus has migrated globally.

Aggressive Behavior and Legal Protections

Canada geese live an average of 10 to 25 years in the wild. Goslings will follow virtually anything that moves—dogs, ducks, and humans—which can create problems for small children and pets who are naturally attracted to them, as adult geese will violently attack anything perceived as a threat to their young. Importantly, Canada geese are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, making it illegal to intentionally capture, kill, or disrupt these birds, their nests, or their eggs under penalty of law. Fortunately, property owners and managers can avoid these problems by installing humane bird deterrents before geese arrive.

Bird B Gone is the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of bird control products, providing effective and humane solutions for a bird-free environment. The company provides advice, training, and installation services for those who need help with these and other bird control measures. For the complete line of products from Bird B Gone, call 800-392-6915, fax us at 949-472-3116, visit our website at www.birdbgone.com, or email us at nobirds@birdbgone.com.