Canada Geese: A Nuisance in Your Garden
Introduction
Canada geese are beautiful birds, but they can be a real nuisance in your garden. They eat your plants, leave droppings everywhere, and can even be aggressive. If you’re having problems with Canada geese, there are a few things you can do to get rid of them.
Why Canada Geese Are a Problem
Canada geese are herbivores, which means they eat plants. They are especially fond of嫩嫩的嫩芽, flowers, and fruits. A flock of geese can quickly devastate a garden, eating everything in sight.
In addition to eating your plants, Canada geese also leave behind a lot of droppings. Each goose produces about 14 pounds of droppings per week. This can quickly add up, making your garden a smelly, unsightly mess.
Canada geese can also be aggressive, especially during nesting season. They may attack people or pets who come too close to their nest.
What You Can’t Do About Canada Geese
There are some things you can’t do to get rid of Canada geese because they are protected by law. You can’t:
- Capture or kill Canada geese, except as outlined by your state’s hunting regulations.
- Disturb a goose that is sitting on a nest or remove or destroy the eggs.
- Harass geese once they begin nesting, but you can remove accumulated nesting material before they nest.
What You Can Do About Canada Geese
Even though there are some things you can’t do about Canada geese, there are still a number of things you can do to get rid of them. Here are a few tips:
- Erect a barrier. Geese prefer to walk from the water to their feeding area and back. One of the most effective ways to keep geese out of your garden is to erect some type of barrier, such as a 2-foot tall hedge or fence.
- Never feed the geese. Feeding geese will only encourage them to come back.
- Remove nesting material. In spring, geese begin collecting and stockpiling nesting material. Watch for piles of material on your property and remove them before the geese have a chance to build a nest.
- Scare them away. Use noisemakers, barking dogs, or other methods to scare geese away. Be persistent, and the geese will eventually get the message.
- Install staking. Place stakes every 20 to 25 feet around a pond and string wire between the stakes at a height of 10 to 12 inches. Canada geese will not nest in an area where they can’t easily walk in and out of the water.
Conclusion
Getting rid of Canada geese can be a challenge, but it’s possible. By following these tips, you can keep geese out of your garden and enjoy your outdoor space in peace.
