Cindy Hagley, Minnesota Sea Grant, 218-726-8713

Adult geese and goslings can cause problems for lawns.

People who work in natural resources or water quality disciplines and interact with the public get a lot of questions every year related to geese problems. Knowing a little bit about Canada geese can help make it easier for us to live with each other.

Those of us who grew up in the 1960s and 70s got very excited by the rare sound of Canada geese migrating overhead in spring and fall. Nowadays the much more routine sight of geese is just as likely to trigger very different emotions because they have become a nuisance in many areas. What has changed? The geese that migrate through the state are actually a different subspecies of Canada goose than the ones that have adopted our urban lakes and lawns and often remain throughout the winter. Populations of the pesky giant Canada goose, nearly eliminated from the region by the 1930s through wetland drainage and uncontrolled hunting and egg collection, have recovered and found everything they need to survive right in our backyards, including public parks, golf courses, beaches, playgrounds, and lawns.

The problem is that too many geese can result in significant concerns** including:

• fecal contamination;
• water quality problems, including nutrient and bacteria additions;
• aggressive bird behavior, especially during breeding seasons;
• interference with human activities like picnics and swimming;
• aircraft collisions and airport approach safety;
• disease transmission among birds;
• erosion and grazing damage where waterfowl congregate.

(**D.L. Sperling,Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine, December 1998.)

So what can you do if geese have moved in with you? Probably the simplest solution is to try and see the world from a goose’s viewpoint. Geese are often nuisances because they are looking for the same real estate as humans – nearby water, lots of grass (their preferred food source), and few places where predators can hide. As our shorelines become more developed and urbanized, we create more and more habitat for geese, but there is good news – some simple solutions not only reduce goose problems but also help protect the water quality of our lakes and streams. Reducing the size of your lawn and increasing the native shrubs and perennials near the water’s edge will make your property less attractive to geese, especially if there is dense, native vegetation along the shoreline. Doing this removes the feeding habitat and eliminates their “escape route” from predators. Shorelines that are allowed to grow over with tall grasses and shrubs are not only less attractive to geese but also help to reduce water quality impacts from erosion, sedimentation, and nutrients that can come from urban lawns. Not only that, but less lawn means less of your time at the lake is spent on lawn care!

Many more suggestions for goose control can be found at: www.wnrmag.com/stories/1998/dec98/geese.htm.

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