The presence of geese in residential areas often creates frustrations for property owners due to the large volume of droppings, noise, and potential aggressive behavior, particularly during nesting season. These birds are highly adaptable and are increasingly drawn to human-modified landscapes that provide easy access to food and safety. Discouraging geese requires a comprehensive strategy that focuses on making the environment less appealing to them. This article provides practical, non-lethal, and legally compliant methods to encourage geese to move on from your property.
Landscape Modifications to Reduce Appeal
Geese are instinctively drawn to closely mowed grass because it offers clear sightlines to spot predators and allows them to efficiently clip tender grass shoots near the ground. Allowing the grass to grow taller, ideally between six and eight inches, can significantly reduce the appeal of a lawn as a primary feeding area. This increased height obscures their vision and makes the tender shoots less accessible, prompting them to graze elsewhere.
Property owners with water features, such as ponds or lake access, should implement a buffer zone of tall, dense native plants or shrubs along the shoreline. A dense, un-mowed strip of vegetation, approximately 20 to 30 inches tall and 20 feet wide, creates a natural barrier that geese are reluctant to walk through, cutting off access to the lawn.
Geese often prefer to rest on open water and then walk directly onto the lawn to feed. Modifying the shoreline to block easy access is important. If a small pond is present, a grid of monofilament lines strung 12 to 18 inches above the water can prevent them from landing or taking off from the surface.
Active Physical and Visual Deterrents
Physical barriers can be implemented. Low-level fencing is surprisingly effective because geese are reluctant to step over even minor obstacles when entering a feeding area. A simple, non-electric fence using two strands of heavy-test monofilament fishing line or thin wire, strung horizontally at heights of six and twelve inches above the ground, can be used to perimeter a lawn.
For a stronger deterrent, a physical barrier of mesh or wire at least 30 inches high can be installed to completely block access. These barriers work best to exclude walking geese, especially during the summer molting period when many geese temporarily lose the ability to fly.
Visual deterrents, such as Mylar tape, specialized flags, or predator decoys, can also be employed to startle the birds. Mylar tape reflects light and moves erratically in the breeze, creating a confusing visual disturbance. While predator decoys may work initially, they must be moved frequently, ideally every few days, to prevent the birds from learning that the object poses no real threat.
Applying Taste and Chemical Repellents
Chemical repellents offer a method to make the lawn itself undesirable as a food source. The most common and effective non-toxic option utilizes the compound Methyl Anthranilate (MA), which is naturally derived from grapes. It irritates the geese’s sensory receptors.
When geese ingest grass treated with MA, they experience irritation in their mouths and mucous membranes, which teaches them to avoid the treated area. The repellent is typically applied as a liquid spray and requires the grass to be dry at the time of application for proper adherence.
The product needs to be reapplied periodically to maintain its effectiveness, especially after heavy rain or mowing. Consistent reapplication is necessary to reinforce the aversive conditioning. While MA is a powerful repellent, it is recommended for smaller, high-value turf areas where the expense and reapplication effort are manageable.
Legal Restrictions and Humane Practices
Any attempt to deter or manage geese must comply with federal regulations, as Canada geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). This law makes it illegal to harm migratory birds, their eggs, or their nests, without a specific permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The non-lethal methods discussed are generally permitted, provided no attempt is made to confine or harm the birds.
Homeowners must not disturb an active nest or destroy eggs without proper authorization. For severe conflicts requiring population control, such as egg addling or oiling, federal regulations have established a Nest and Egg Depredation Order for resident Canada geese. This order allows landowners or homeowners’ associations to register with the USFWS to perform these actions, typically between March 1 and June 30, but adherence to specific protocols is mandatory.
Property owners should focus exclusively on deterrence and exclusion, using physical and chemical methods that cause no lasting injury. If lethal control or nest disturbance is considered necessary, the process must be coordinated through the appropriate government agencies to ensure compliance with all state and federal wildlife laws.