In the summertime, the obnoxious honking of Canadian geese can be heard for what seems to be miles away from the ponds they inhabit. Not only this, but your yard may be slick with the feces of these feathery fiends.
They can be a nuisance during the warmer months and can be quite aggressive when they are nesting. One might wonder how to eradicate your pond of geese short of blowing them away with a 12 gauge shotgun. Geese can be deterred in several manners with varying success.
- Have tall grass or brush around your natural edged pond
- Place decoys such as dogs or swans around the pond
- Exhibit loud noises such as air horns or gunshots
- Situate a real swan in your pond
- Place a wire or fishing line about 6 inches high around the perimeter of your pond
- Apply liquid bird repellent
- DO NOT FEED THEM
As an aquatic chemical applicator, I have observed that some methods work better than others. Tall grasses seem to really discourage geese from going in and out of the water but may look distasteful to some customers. Decoys do not appear to work unless you continue to move them to new locations. Real swans seem to discourage geese but sometimes the two species can be compatible.
A perimeter wire works until it is broken, as long as it is surrounding the pond completely. I have never seen the effects of liquid goose repellent and cannot attest to whether it is an effective treatment or not. Nevertheless, if geese prove to be a nuisance for you, consider trying one of these methods.