Over the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed the spring migration of ducks in the Green Hills area. It seems like every pond has a flock of ducks on them. Most of these ducks will continue north in order to nest and reproduce. However, not all waterfowl will go north in order to nest. Another member of the waterfowl family is the Canada goose, many of which may stop in Missouri to raise their young. As many Grundy County residents know, once these geese nest in an area, they will continue to return year after year.
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In spring, geese are looking for a place to live, feed, and reproduce. In some parks, golf courses and residential areas, concentrations of geese are not welcome. Although they are beautiful birds to watch, they can become nuisances when they “fowl” up sidewalks, docks and lawns. Also, in the spring, when wheat and grass are most vulnerable, geese are notorious for pulling up young shoots and literally destroying a yard or field. Other problems can occur when geese are nesting, as they become very aggressive when protecting their territory.
Waterfowl are federally protected, so killing them or destroying their nests without a permit is illegal. Troublesome birds must be controlled by discouraging them, physically excluding them, or scaring them away.
The first step in controlling geese is to avoid feeding them. Wild Canada geese do not need free handouts in order to survive. By feeding geese, you are only attracting a problem, as the birds will linger in an area where they are fed. In time, an entire flock of geese will be hanging around, waiting to be fed. Not only are you attracting a nuisance, you are also wasting your money on feed.
The next step in controlling geese is to remove all available nesting habitat. In some of the area’s ponds and lakes, I see several nesting tubs being used to attract geese. These tubs can be very effective if you want a pair of geese to raise their family close to your house. Some people may use this experience to feel “one with nature.” However, once a goose is imprinted on an area, it will return year after year in order to nest. In a short time, the original pair of geese can become a flock of 40 to 50 geese as the family members bring new mates to the area in order to reproduce. Needless to say, the flock will grow exponentially and rapidly. Be sure you really want geese before putting up a nesting tub.
Frightening geese early in the year with loud noises or dogs may encourage them to nest somewhere else. This will help in the long run, because the geese will eventually lose their imprinting on the area.
If you live on the edge of a body of water, and continually have geese feeding in your yard, you may want to build a fence of monofilament fishing line. These fences need to be six to 12 inches above the ground along the entire shoreline. This will keep geese from walking out of the water and into your yard. By simply making the geese fly in order to get to your yard, you will discourage them and cause them to go elsewhere to find a meal.
Another way to create a barrier is to leave tall, dense vegetation along the shoreline, thus restricting the geese from moving through it. If you live in a residential neighborhood and cannot let the vegetation get out of control, consider planting a dense growth of shrubs along the edge of the water.
If you are the type of person that does not mind dodging goose piles in your yard and continue to feed and attract the geese, please consider your neighbors. Although you enjoy geese, many others may not. This will make for poor relations in the neighborhood. If this is the situation, you may opt to not feed the geese and admire them from afar.