Geese are starting to become aggressive in April

As the Canada Geese begin to lay their eggs, they will do anything to protect them. If the nest happens to be near an entrance to a building, or near the picnic table where employees have lunch, it is the start of trouble. Geese will become aggressive and begin to hiss at anyone coming too close, they will defend their territory by attacking people they think are threatening their eggs.

As a facility manager, consider fencing off the area around the nest so geese cannot cross the barrier where employees are walking. Make sure you have signs posted warning people while they are coming in and out of the building. Also, make it a priority to ensure that the Canada geese are not fed. That will only draw more geese, so "Do Not Feed The Geese" signs would be valuable.

Most importantly, do not touch the eggs. The best thing you can do at this point is contact the wildlife division in your area and apply for a permit to destroy the eggs if you are inclined to do so. We offer this service to our clients, and typically do it after working hours.

Continue with your regular Canada geese control tactics, such as the use of border collies to get rid of the geese. This will deter other geese from nesting on your property.

If you need more information about our services to help manage the Canada geese population on your property, please contact us at http://www.ohiogeesecontrol.com/.

Love is in the air

Now is the time for aggressive tactics, that is why starting your geese control services as soon as you start to see them on your property is essential (typically in February). Spring is the season when they will begin to pair up and mate. Once they drop an egg, we are federally regulated to not disturb the nest without going through the proper authorities for permits.

If you see geese pairing up?

You have to get aggressive and make the geese uncomfortable at your property before they nest. There are many tactics, but we have found that it is the combination of tactics and timing of those tactics that work best. Border Collies prove the most effective, but even then, you need to be a little creative with your timing, persistence and aggressiveness. Contact Ohio Geese Control for more information.

If you see a nest?

The best thing to do if you see an empty nest, is to break it up. Don't let the geese get too comfortable on your property. It doesn't take long for a goose to drop an egg (and then it is hands-off.) Nests are hard to spot, because they are not very elaborate at the beginning, maybe just a clearing of the grass.

Canada Geese Eggs

If you see eggs?

Once there is an egg in the nest, it cannot be touched. And the parents are not going anywhere. Typically, a Canada goose will lay up to 6-10 eggs. If there is only one egg in the nest, then the rest will arrive over the next week or so. It is against regulations to disturb the nest at this point. If the eggs are disturbed, the goose will just lay more eggs, so don't even be tempted. The best thing to do is to call your Division of Wildlife and apply for a permit to addle the egg. In Ohio, permits will begin to be provided in May. I'll write more on this process in a later post.

Don't stop your Canada geese control tactics, even if you see a nest with an egg in it. Geese only attract more geese, so keep aggressive to try and limit the number that are nesting on your property.

Let me know if you have any questions (questions[at]ohiogeesecontrol.com), or would like a specific topic covered in this blog. It is only through education, that we can remain effective and humane in controlling Canada geese populations.

Canada Geese are Wild Animals

Canada geese were almost eradicated by hunting, egg gathering and the draining of wetlands in the early 1900s. However, since the 1960s they have made a huge comeback. Their preference for short, highly fertilized grass and ponds of golf courses and parks attract geese to these environments. Once they arrive on these pampered lawns, their numbers will quickly swell to a huge problem.

Canada geese are creatures whose lives are dominated by learned traditions and instinctive annual patterns of behavior. In migratory populations, goslings learn their migration and stopping points by flying the route with their parents. This means that the odds are great that the same geese will return year after year to your property. It is instinct to go back to where they hatched; nested; brooded young, or where they have successfully molted their feathers in past years. Such geese become more difficult to remove and keep away because you must break them of old traditions and help them establish new ones.

The difference between resident geese and migratory geese is that resident geese have chosen to live here year-round. The migratory geese pass through central North America during the fall and spring. Resident geese are not fazed by humans and can be aggressive. During nesting season a belligerent goose can easily knock down a small child.