keep geese awayToday’s geese are highly adaptable and settle in quickly to their surroundings. These large birds live long and produce many offspring. And they’ll soon be scouting for roosting and nesting sites for spring. Unless you prepare for their spring arrival with effective and humane goose deterrents/repellents, you can expect some costly headaches around your home and yard. Chief among these is large accumulations of goose droppings, which are not only unsightly and odorous, but can create a health risk, especially if you have a pool or spa.  Geese will also trample any small plants and flowerbeds you’ve been nurturing.

Preferred Ways to Get Rid or Geese

Geese need plenty of fresh water, succulent vegetation, safe nesting areas and freedom from predators. They prefer to nest within 100 feet of open water (lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, etc.) and near wide-open lawns. Chasing geese, disturbing their nests, or using lethal means against them are largely ineffective and can be illegal. The preferred way to get rid of geese is by using non-lethal goose control strategies. Some suggestions:

  1. Don’t Feed Geese. Kids love to feed them, but the more they do, the larger the flock. Once geese get the idea that your yard is a food source, it’s very hard to get rid of them.


  1. Remove Food Incentives. Keep trashcan lids closed. Promptly clean up any food scraps after a BBQ, party or other outdoor food event in your backyard.  Don’t leave cat or dog food bowls outside.


  1. Turn Off Your Aerator. Geese are naturally drawn to open water. The sounds and sights of splashing water on a water feature or pond are open invitations to geese.


  1. Plant Barriers. Block geese from your yard by planting some dense shrubbery around all entry/exit points.  Fence off pools, spas and water features to deny geese access.


  1. Install a Motion-Activated Sprinkler Device. These “smart” devices harmlessly blast any curious goose with water the second they enter a preset radius of protection. The devices connect to any standard water hose and cover an area large enough to protect most residential yards.


  1. Get a Sound Deterrent. These devices broadcast pre-recorded distress and predator calls that scare geese. The threatening birdcalls convince geese to move on. One device on the market is solar powered and features a built-in speaker that covers an entire acre, so your yard, pond and surrounding areas will be off limits to geese.


  1. Get a Sight/Sound Deterrent. These combo unitsfeature daytime and nighttime modes. During the day, flashing LED lights and loud barking dog sounds combine to create a powerful deterrent to scare geese. At night, only the flashing LED lights spring to life—ideal for densely populated neighborhoods where night noises would annoy neighbors. Compact and portable, these devices are battery powered and easily mounted wherever geese tend to gather.


  1. Spray Chemical Repellents. Cover your lawn and shrubbery with a non-toxic chemical that turns grass and shrubs into inedible food for geese. The active ingredient in these repellents is a harmless grape extract called methyl anthranilate that irritates a goose’s trigeminal nerves and mucous membranes.  The solution is easily applied using a standard sprayer.


  1. Set Up Some Geese Decoys. Today’s realistic looking coyote decoys convince geese that they’re in imminent danger by their dreaded natural enemy. Look for quality decoys constructed of a weather-resistant UV-resistant durable plastic. Periodically moving these decoys will convince geese that the decoys are a “live threat.”