How To Scare Geese Away

Having any wild creature come visit your yard can be interesting, but too much of a good thing becomes a nuisance. Wild geese are fun to watch, but if they decide that your yard is their yard, they can become a problem. Their droppings are messy, they can be noisy, and they can be aggressive. If you are having trouble with geese, here are a few pointers on serving them an eviction notice.



Don’t Feed The Geese
First and foremost, don’t feed the geese. As with any creature, they will stay for dinner and invite their family and friends. If you have chickens or turkeys that you must feed, place their feed troughs where the geese can’t get to them. The same applies to dog and/or cat food. Keep garbage in secure cans. Don’t allow fruit to drop from trees and lie on the ground.

A bigger problem will be your lawn. Geese will eat grass, and they seem to really enjoy Kentucky Bluegrass. They prefer their grass short, so you may try growing your grass longer. Geese tend to avoid taller grass because they can’t see around themselves as well and can’t watch for predators. You can also spray your lawn with a goose repellent that contains methyl anthranilate, which is a chemical that gives the grass a bad taste.

Get A Dog Or Fake One
A barking dog will scare the geese away. Herding breeds such as border collies can be trained to chase the geese off your property. Don’t allow the dog to catch and hurt or kill the geese, though. Even a plastic dog or a cutout of one may work to scare away the geese, particularly if it moves. Change the location every few days so the geese don’t become accustomed to it and realize it poses no threat to them.

Use Sounds
A sonic, or sound, repellent that operates with a recording of a goose “alarm” cry can be effective, at least temporarily. Or try one of those motion-sensor imitation dogs that bark when triggered by movement.

A Note About Goslings
If a goose has nested on your property, wait until the goslings have grown and left the nest. Then destroy the nest so that the mother doesn’t come back to it again next year. Be very careful in approaching a nesting goose as she can be very aggressive. You should check with your local state or federal wildlife department to see if it is legal for you to rob the nest and destroy newly laid eggs before doing so.

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