Get Ready – The Geese are coming
When you think of Canada Geese you probably envision the geese with the black head and neck, light cream or tan breast, brown back and white chinstrap. There are over 10 subspecies of Canada Geese. The geese get smaller as you move northward, and darker as you go westward. In recent years there has been an increase of these geese in urban and suburban areas according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Spring and summer is when geese concentrate their feeding and graze on hedges and grasses. They gravitate towards land where there is a water source. This includes many golf courses and parks.
Spring is when the pairs break free from the flocks and begin defending their territories. Geese may appear aggressive and have been known to chase children and adults. This can be quite concerting when the geese are in an area that is populated by the public. The threat displays of the Canada Geese could involve head pumping, hissing, honking and the geese may fight each other and even injuries can occur.
Along with the nuisance of their behaviors in populated places, their droppings create a hazard. Their feces can be hazardous to the health of humans. One single goose defecates every twenty minutes which adds up to 1.5 pounds of feces per day. You can imagine the magnitude of a flock of geese. The feces of geese contain a wide range of pathogens capable of infecting humans. The droppings contain a microscopic parasite called Cryptosporidium. This parasite is one of the most common known diseases that infects the water, both drinking water and recreational water.
Getting ready for goose season does not need to be expensive or time consuming. Migrate Goose Repellent is an excellent choice for golf courses and parks as well as many other places such as cemeteries, yards, shorelines and just about any place where the geese gather. The repellent is a non-toxic substance that is sprayed onto the area using a standard hand held sprayer. It is best to apply this goose repellent when the surface is freshly mowed and dry. You want to make sure that it is not freezing and also not apply it when the sun is hottest during the day. The repellent can be applied, and the second application should be done one week later. Rain, mist and sprinklers will not wash off the repellent. There is no run-off contaminates to the environment to worry about.
The goose deterrent works by irritating their trigeminal nerve and mucous membranes. The substance that does this is simply a non-toxic grape extract that is registered with the EPA. The extract is called Methyl Anthranilate and has proven to deter geese and other pest birds from the area where it is applied. Apply the repellent before the geese begin to nest or they will return to protect their eggs and care for their young.
One gallon of the repellent treats approximately 16,000 square feet. The ratio of repellent to water is 20 parts water and one part of the concentrate. The goose repellent is available in one-gallon bottles, or one case which contains 4 one-gallon bottles. It is one of the most cost effect bird control products on the market.
Golfers and park goers will not even realize there is goose control going on. Methyl Anthranilate is not harmful to humans or other domestic animals. It will keep the geese away so that the golfers and the children in the park can play.