Lawns benefit from Canadian geese droppings as geese poop provides a significant amount of nitrogen. However, you’ll discover that the amount of poop with geese soon turns into a mess more than a benefit.
Each goose excretes 2 to 4 pounds of excrement every day, and you rarely get one or two geese. You can have a flock before you know it, and with poop and webbed feet, your lawn can be ruined.
Humans and even other animals can be ill from geese droppings as it contains a variety of parasites, including E.coli, a human pathogen. Geese pose health risks, and as lovely as geese are, you don’t want new birds coming in when they’re not welcome. In our guide, you can learn more about how to keep geese out of your yard.
By the end, you’ll have enough information to prevent goose poop from ruining your yard effectively. (Read Can Chickens Eat Bird Seed)
What Smell Do Geese Hate?
Because geese have an acute sense of smell, they cannot tolerate the pungent odor of garlic. They dislike the odor of methyl anthranilate on grass as well.
It’s tough to develop an effective goose deterrent for the problem when you don’t know what attracts geese to start with.
What keeps attracting geese to come back to your yard? The pesky birds return for food sources, and you may present them with food without realizing it.
Many people mistake feeding the few geese they see on their property, expecting that no others will follow.
If you don’t want geese to visit your yard frequently, stop feeding them. Keep in mind that all animals prefer conditions in which they can get food without having to struggle.
Another reason they can visit is for shelter. If they feel at home and safe, they may think it is suitable to nest after mating. The more they visit, the more comfortable they get as they build confidence and see anyone from your home won’t harm them.
The best geese repellent you can have is to make geese feel uneasy about being in your yard. You can scare geese and chase geese, yet you need to do this adequately, as you could find the geese chasing you. Ducks are easier to get rid of from your pond area as they scare easier. (Read Can Goats Eat Tomatoes)
What Keeps Geese Off Your Lawn?
Get rid of the geese, and you should cut down on the amount of goose poop on your grass. Here are some of the best ways to stop geese feeding in your yard in a humane manner.
Install Fence
One of the most efficient ways how to keep geese off your lawn is to use fencing. You’ll need to put up a four-foot-high fence so the geese can’t just stroll right through it.
Pets and little children may be fascinated by the prominent Canadian Geese and approach them too closely. However, they’ll be kept out by the fence. A DIY goose repellent fence is appealing as you can choose any fencing that suits your taste to stop Canada Geese from ruining your lawn.
Grow Taller Grass
Because geese prefer open green places, it’s critical to make your grass unappealing to them. Plant daffodils, kale, calendula, lavender, onions, and garlic, as well as other grasses and plants considered unappealing or harmful to birds.
You can allow perimeter grass to grow taller, but this will take some time to have an effect.
Stop Feeding Geese
Geese, like other wild animals, continue to hunt for more food wherever they can. If you have a bird feeder in your yard, geese will congregate on your lawn to grab a free meal.
Avoid feeding geese, or remove bird feeders from your yard and not feed the birds directly. They’ll be on their way to another location where they can grab lunch. With this, the messy birds have no reason to hang around, and there will be fewer goose droppings to deal with.
Loud Noises
If you want to prevent geese from coming into your yard, you can scare away geese humanely. It is simple to rig up an air horn, and the frightening sound will be enough to keep birds running.
Keep Dogs
The sight of a dangerous dog or other animal that can be seen as a threat will cause geese to flee in the opposite direction. A dog doesn’t have to be vicious, but it should be large enough to appear intimidating.
If you don’t have your dogs, consider hiring dogs for a few days or buying an inflatable scarecrow that looks like a vicious dog. Visual deterrents can be good until geese realize there is no longer food to be found in your yard. (Learn How Often Should You Feed Rabbits)
Liquid Geese Repellant
There are several liquid goose repellants that you can apply on the lawn to get rid of geese. The repellant works by creating an unpleasant smell or taste that the geese will not stand and stop pooping in your yard, and keep the geese away.
Fake coyote urine can work in the same way and keep geese away as they think predators.
Flight Control
You will discover this is the best way to keep geese away and stop them pooping in your yard. Flight control can be used as a near-permanent solution as it works all year round with few applications.
Geese will not adapt to Flight Control in grassy areas, unlike other goose control systems. When geese learn they aren’t posing a significant threat, they can overcome other sorts of harassment. Other methods may work for a few days, but Flight Control can provide year-round control to keep geese from your property and effectively preventing them from returning with 6-7 sprays. All you need to do is apply after grass cutting, so you’re good to go.
What Does Grape Kool-Aid Do To Geese?
ReJeX-iT is an effective repellent that contains methyl anthranilate, an artificial flavoring found in grape bubble gum, grape popsicles, and grape Kool-Aid that is not harmful to geese but repellent to them.
It doesn’t show you how to get rid of goose poop, but it is good to have tools in your arsenal if you don’t have dogs.
Here is a bit more about why geese are such an issue in your garden and why you need to keep geese away.
Damage
Messy droppings can cover sidewalks, paths, and grass, and unwieldy A single goose poops up to 2 lbs.
If you multiply that by the number of geese on your land, icky in a flash, geese also devour and damage your hard-earned vegetation.
Disease
Geese can spread bacteria, parasites, and viruses, causing a range of hygiene issues. Chlamydiosis, e-Coli, listeria, Pasteurella multocida, and salmonella are among the bacteria that can be spread through feces, nasal discharge, and biting.
The most common parasites are cryptosporidium, giardia, and toxoplasmosis, which can be spread by contaminated water or by eating an undercooked goose. In terms of viruses, Canada geese are susceptible to avian influenza, which causes severe respiratory sickness in birds.
Aggression
During the spring and summer months, geese can be aggressive and harass people on your property. Their behavior can become a significant liability issue and potentially hold the property owner liable for any injuries incurred.
When geese are nesting, you’ll find them at their most vicious. Should a small child walk toward the nest during these nesting times, a goose will run from the nesting site by the pond in attack mode.
How to Keep Geese Away
Keeping geese away can be time-consuming, yet with all the above and what you have here, you can scare Canada geese away and continue with your lawn care.
Remove food source
Residents should no longer feed the geese and should remove all bird and wildlife feeders from the property. When the geese return to the location, they’ll learn there’s no food, and they’ll cease returning to search for your bird feeders.
Cover the pond
Form a grid with 12-inch squares 8 inches above the water by running a wire across the pond. The grid will be too narrow and too low for geese to land or stroll in, but mallard ducks should be fine.
Goose Repellent Products
Try using a goose repellant or a grass treatment like Flight Control applied after each cutting. Keep in mind that most grape-based products will not work.
Make your own goose repellent
Take an empty laundry detergent bottle, fill it with rocks, tie a rope around it, then walk towards the geese while shaking the bottle to scare them away. The geese will link the laundry detergent bottle with dread. Remember not to shake your shaker at the geese.
Stop Geese Nesting
Place a large, heavy object or run wire across areas where geese have already nested by your pond to deter geese from breeding there again. Make sure the geese won’t be able to move the object, and you can solve your goose problem.
