CA
US
Call 
Picture, if you will: It's a hazy summer afternoon and you're relaxing in your beautiful backyard. Margarita in hand, you wonder if it's time to start the BBQ while you chuckle as you watch the kids run through the sprinkler. Ahhh... summer at its best. Except... there's now a pair of Canada geese in your yard. The kids aren't happily screeching anymore, they're terrified of the large and aggressive birds. The lawn you just mowed this morning is being 'fertilized' heavily and frequently. Suddenly, the idyllic summer day doesn't seem quite so perfect anymore. In this article, we'll have a look at what you can do to get rid of geese and make your lawn less attractive.
Homeowners all across the GTA take pride and joy in their backyards and lawns. Much time, effort, and money goes into creating the oasis we want to come home to during the oh-so-short summer months. It is heart breaking to see those efforts and our lawns destroyed by protective and aggressive geese and their excessive daily droppings.
Why Is My Lawn a Goose Magnet?
- Short Cut Grass
The shorter you keep your grass, the better geese like it! Geese (and especially goslings) adore the tiny fresh green shoots when they first come up. A short lawn allows geese to easily get at those. - Open Space
Geese prefer their surroundings to be open and with unobstructed views. It aids with spotting predators early enough to escape. - Water Features
Your lawn will be even more popular with Canada geese, if you have any sort of water feature or little pond.
Lawn-Specific Problems Geese Cause
- Droppings Everywhere
A single adult Canada goose can produce about 1 to 2 pounds of droppings every day. This makes walking barefoot or playing on the grass unsafe and unhygienic. - Ruined Grass
Because geese go after brand new green shoots, your grass never has the chance to properly regenerate. Even a pair of geese can cause root damage and excessive goose poop leaves burnt and bald patches in the grass. - Nesting Geese
A nesting pair of geese will not only ruin your lawn this year, but return next year, bringing along their now year old offspring. In no time at all, you will have your very own flock of Canada geese in your backyard - and the damage to your lawn will quickly multiply. - Increased Costs
All of your lawn care is likely costly - and in vain. No amount of fertilizing and/or reseeding is going to fix the damage caused by squatting geese.
What Doesn’t Work – Avoid Wasting Time and Money
- Audio Devices (Noise Makers, Ultrasonic Sounds)
Auditory deterrents are largely ineffective - geese are smart and adapt quickly. They'll soon realize that there is no actual physical danger and ignore the sounds. - Visual Deterrents (Owl Decoys, Shiny Objects, Predator Kites)
While you may see an immediate reaction, these strategies don’t fool geese for long. If there's any success to be had with visual geese deterrents for lawns, they need to be moved around daily so that geese cannot become habituated. - Motion-Activated Sprinklers
Unsurprisingly, geese (water fowl) aren't terribly concerned with sprinklers. They may startle a goose or two the first couple of times they turn on but will have no effect thereafter.
The above methods do not have any long-term value when it comes to getting rid of geese on your lawn. Geese are very intelligent birds and become habituated quickly. Once they realize that they are not in any actual danger, they'll quickly learn to ignore your efforts.
So, How Do I Keep Geese Off My Lawn?
Birds of Prey (Falconry)
- Falconry for Goose Control requires a licensed professional falconer to use trained eagles to fly over your lawn.
- Large birds of prey trigger geese’s natural survival instincts - your lawn will no longer appear safe or suitable.
- After the initial frequent deployment of raptors, even periodic visits can create long-lasting avoidance behaviour.
Trained Dogs
- Dogs can be trained to chase but not harm geese - even your own dog strolling across the backyard can have a significant impact.
- Because dogs are predatory animals, geese instinctively move away.
- Having dogs patrol open yards and grassy areas where geese frequently gather is highly effective. Dogs can even chase geese out of small ponds.
Habitat Modification for Your Lawn
- Longer Grass
Geese love short grass - it makes reaching young shoots easy. By allowing grass to grow longer (4-6 inches), your lawn becomes less appealing. - Disrupt Sight Lines
Install low, decorative fencing around parts of your lawn to block landing/walking paths and plant small shrubs or create raised flower beds to break up the open space. The focus here should be on disrupting sight lines and access, not aesthetics.
Laser Deterrents
- Handheld lasers are effective at dawn and dusk; low light makes lasers more visible and geese are on higher alert and more vulnerable at night time.
- Lasers should always be pointed in front of geese in zig-zag patterns. It is believed that geese interpret this as snakes coming towards them.
- Lasers should never be pointed at the birds directly; they merely serve to make the environment appear unstable or unpredictable - hence, unsafe.
Relocation (An Option for Large Flocks)
In the midst of summer (late June and July) geese molt. During this time, they shed their primary flight feathers and become flightless for a period of 4-5 weeks. This is when they can be rounded up and transported to a pre-approved site. Geese relocation requires extensive permits and is not a DYI project. This is a fairly costly undertaking and probably not an option for the average homeowner.
Integrating Goose Control Techniques for Lasting Results
Why Does it Take More than One Goose Control Technique?
- Why a Single Method Falls Short
Geese are intelligent and observant. Since the goal is never to injure the birds, they'll quickly learn to recognize any one goose control method as not a danger and simply ignore it. - The Synergistic Approach
By combining two or more goose control methods, we focus on making the environment unsuitable, undesirable, and unsafe. As long as the environment remains unpredictable, geese will rather move elsewhere.
Example: Pairing habitat modification (e.g., taller grass or obstructed views) with regular bird of prey visits or hazing by trained dogs creates an environment that geese consistently perceive as unsafe, leading to permanent deterrence.
Do I Need to Consult a Geese Control Professional?
Yes, you should. Every property in the GTA is unique and will have different strong points and vulnerabilities. An effective goose control solution requires a thorough assessment, a tailored management plan, and the expertise and resources to carry out such plan.
What Do I Do If There’s Already a Goose Nest on My Lawn?
- Get Your Permits
Geese are protected under federal law in Canada, and disturbing nests or eggs without proper permits is illegal. In fact, ALL geese control efforts require permits. You, as a homeowner, are responsible for procuring those permits before work commences. Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control can help get you the correct permits. - Approach with Caution
Nesting geese are extremely aggressive and may chase or attack anyone who comes close, especially kids or pets. - Avoid Egg Oiling or Addling
Geese don't realize that the eggs are no longer viable and won't hatch; the female will continue sitting on the nest and you will have to deal with her for the entire summer and until it's time to head south for the winter. Read more here: https://www.hawkeye.ca/chemical-oiling - Consider Full Nest Removal
Nest Removal must be done legally and by licensed professionals. Learn more here: https://www.hawkeye.ca/blog/geese-nest-removal-in-brampton
Hawkeye has licensed technicians who can safely and legally get rid of goose nests and stop the cycle of geese returning to your lawns. Together with habitat modification (longer grass, shrubs and other obstructions), geese are less likely to return to your lawn.
Get Your GTA Lawn Back: Partner with the Local Experts
Don't let Canada geese ruin your beautiful lawn any longer - CALL Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control today.
Hawkeye has been in the business of scaring off and removing geese from GTA lawns, parks, golf courses, and airports for over 35 years. As an industry leader in North America, we are implementing ethical, humane, and effective goose management plans all across the Greater Toronto Area with an emphasis on understanding goose behavior and local regulations (Migratory Birds Convention Act).
Next Steps - Contact Hawkeye
Contact Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control for a comprehensive assessment and a customized goose management plan designed to give you a permanently goose-free property. Our geese removal services are available across the GTA region and beyond.
Check out some of our other geese removal service pages: Toronto, Aurora, Scarborough, Newmarket, Brampton.
Related Articles: https://www.hawkeye.ca/blog/trained-dogs-and-falconry-for-goose-control
