How Do I Keep Geese Off My Lawn
Introduction:
Gardens are beautiful, but they’re also a magnet for some of the most uninvited guests you could imagine. Geese! They can be aggressive and noisy. And if there are babies in your yard, geese droppings will wreck your garden beds and lawns.
But there is good news; with just a few steps, you can keep these pests off your property without harming them or resorting to expensive measures like fences or traps that don’t always work well. This article will discuss “How Do I Keep Geese Off My Lawn.” So let us get started.
Stepwsie Guide on How Do I Keep Geese Off My Lawn:
Step 1.
Geese are easily frightened by human presence; therefore, approach geese with an air horn or other loud noise-making device.
Step 2.
If you’re looking for a natural way to keep birds away from your property, consider befriending a local farmer with geese for sale. Offer to take them off his hands (for free) in exchange for the fowl’s release on your property. Geese can be domesticated like many other pets but do not make good guard animals because they trust humans too much.
Step 3.
Using an inexpensive motion-activated sprinkler can help keep geese away from lawns, gardens, pools, and ponds without harming the goose itself. This method should only be used in the early morning or evening hours when the birds are least active.
Step 4.
Provide an alternative food source on your property by planting some nectar-producing plants (such as dill, parsley, and fruit trees). These plants will attract geese away from your lawn while providing them with nutritional sustenance that will keep them satisfied.
Step 5.
Put up a fence to keep geese off your lawn; however, it must be at least 6 feet high and sunk into the ground 4 inches to deter these wandering creatures effectively. Make sure there are no gaps between fencing sections so that any trapped goose can escape through another area if needed.
Step 6.
Use fake coyotes or scarecrows to chase geese away. These fake animals are sold at many garden centers, but they must be placed somewhere visible to the birds for them to work correctly.
Step 7.
Sprinkle cayenne pepper or chili powder on your lawn and around your property’s perimeter to deter geese from crossing it. While this method may not harm the animal, it will make them want to go elsewhere because of the burning sensation left behind after they have sampled your yard.
Step 8.
Float some helium balloons above areas under attack by geese; however, these inflatable spheres should be tethered with string, so they do not blow away in a breeze or break free from their anchors altogether. Another option is to tie up several small Mylar helium balloons, but these may break free and threaten animals who try to eat them.
Step 9.
Keep geese off of your lawn by scaring them with loud noises. Firecrackers or cannons will work well for this purpose, especially if you set up some barrier (such as the fence as mentioned earlier) that prevents the birds from getting close to your property’s boundaries.
Step 10.
Use a border collie as an unlikely guard animal against Canada geese; however, this breed does not do well in isolation or away from its owner, so care must be taken when using it for this purpose on public lands. Train the dog early on to ensure that it is comfortable chasing after geese independently without needing further guidance or instruction.
Step 11.
Make your lawn less attractive to geese by not leaving any grass clippings on it after mowing, fertilizing regularly (but without over-fertilizing), and watering just enough so that the soil is damp but not wet every day.
Step 12.
Spray an onion solution onto plants prone to damage by geese; this method will also act as a repellent, causing the birds to stay away from the area while the plant recovers. However, do not use this option if you have pets who may go near these plants since they may become sick or injured if they ingest even small quantities of the onions’ sulfuric content.
Step 13.
Fog or haze geese with water from a hose every few days to keep them from returning to your lawn. This method can be used in conjunction with any other deterrence methods since the water will help mask the scent of these animals, making it less likely that they will return or become habituated to a particular area.
Step 14.
Install a pond on your property and fill it with goldfish instead of fish native to North America; geese quickly learn that ponds occupied by these foreign fish are not worth their time because they offer no nutritional benefits, so you can effectively use this alternative food source as a way to attract predators who want to eat those specific fish.
Step 15.
Purchase some seeds from your local nursery and plant them near areas where geese have been known to congregate or leave droppings. These plants include:
c. Plant radishes, catnip, and other plants that geese tend to dislike in and around the areas where they have been most troublesome; these options can be used alone or combined for increased effectiveness.
Step 16.
Spray a firm garlic oil mixture onto the grass and any other plants prone to damage by geese once every few weeks to make them less tasty and thus less attractive to Canadian geese. Use this option only if you are willing to regularly reapply it since rain will wash away its smell after a short period.
Precautions While Performing How Do I Keep Geese Off My Lawn:
Keeping geese off your lawn is a topic of great importance to many property owners in Wisconsin. The following are some precautions you may consider when trying to make your yard less inviting to geese:
Don’t feed the geese
The most effective way of keeping geese from visiting your area is not feeding them. If there is no reason for them to come to your yard, they have no reason to be there. Some people will scatter bread crumbs or other foodstuffs on their lawns to attract ducks and other waterfowl, believing their property appears more natural and inviting.
Unfortunately, this only serves as a beacon for hungry waterfowl who quickly recognize that they can come relying on humans for food.
Ducks and geese quickly learn to associate the sound of lawnmowers, weed trimmers, and other yard maintenance equipment with a free meal. Lawn care professionals repeat this association when they visit homes weekly to maintain lawns. However, it usually means you are trying to keep them off your property on your property, so always be aware of what sounds like regular yard maintenance may signal that food is available.
Don’t add feeders or birdbaths:
Another way people try to make their lawn more attractive to waterfowl is by adding birdbaths and feeders for songbirds in hopes that the geese will eat grass instead of grain if there isn’t anything else; unfortunately, this. This is not the case.
Geese are persistent and will search for food relentlessly, which is why they can quickly become a nuisance if they identify your yard as an easy meal. Don’t contribute to the problem by adding feeders or birdbaths that will only bring more geese around.
Hang wind chimes:
Adding wind chimes, bright shiny objects, or other things that move in the breeze may initially appear like an excellent way to frighten geese away, but this is not typically effective. While it may startle them at first, they’ll soon get used to anything you add outside of their typical habitat that hasn’t been there before.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why Are Geese Attracted to Lawns?
Geese are attracted to lawns for food, safety, and sex. Geese will not congregate around a property that does not offer all three of these elements. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but this simply explains much of the goose behavior you may encounter in your yard.
Food:
Geese feed on grasses and other plants found in yards, making it much easier for them to survive during the winter months when their natural habitat becomes scarce. If you want geese off your property, then simply stop feeding them!
A typical fed goose diet includes wheat, oats, rye, corn, and barley. Fruits that geese also enjoy include berries and cherries. Geese also enjoy munching on many types of aquatic plants, such as cattails and reeds.
Safety:
Geese feel safe in yards that provide shelter from the weather, hiding places to avoid predators and open water or mud for feeding. If you want geese off your property, then simply stop providing them with these elements!
Mating:
During mating season (usually March through June), males will fiercely defend their territory, including the females. This behavior often leads to ganders chasing after anything they perceive as a threat, people or other animals. If you want geese off your property, then simply stop attracting them during this time of year when they are most territorial!
Is There Such a Thing as a “Friendly” Goose?
Geese are typically friendly during the first two weeks of their lives. However, they become less familiar at around ten weeks old when they become territorial because it is mating season. You will need to remove the goose’s food source to get rid of geese.Â
Geese typically eat grasses and grains, so this should be done by changing your lawn to a less grassy type of lawn or removing all possible food sources.
Conclusion:
I hope this article has benefited from learning “How Do I Keep Geese Off My Lawn.” It would help if you never harmed the geese. Thank you, and have a nice day!
