GOOSE CONTROL

Quick Facts About Geese | Goose Grid | Flight Control Plus

ABI offers inexpensive alternatives and systems for goose control on ponds and lake shores. The systems were developed in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Damage Control Section.We also have repellents that irritate ducks and geese. After several exposures, the birds generally leave the area and do not return for the season.

Tip: A properly designed aeration system can help maintain the quality of your water Find out more here

Remember!! ABI Bio-Boost bacteria, enzymes and aeration work well for digesting the nutrients in goose manure.

CAUTION HAND FEEDING WATERFOWL IS HARMFUL!

Feeding our Geese & ducks can cause dependency on people for food. When large numbers of birds compete for limited food supplies it results in over crowding. This can cause damage to our environment & increases their susceptibility to life threatening diseases.* Often it creates big messes we don't want to STEP IN! BE SMARTER THAN OUR GEESE AND DUCKS! Appreciate them from a distance...AND DON'T FEED THEM!!! LET THEM LIVE NATURALLY!! *Avian Cholera, Duck Plaque and Avian Botulism

GOOSE BEHAVIOR CALENDAR

QUICK FACTS ABOUT GEESE

The Canada Goose is under Federal protection through the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. This Act makes it unlawful to disturb nests, hunt, kill, sell, purchase or possess migratory birds, except as permitted by regulations adopted by the Secretary of the Interior


Scientific Name: Branta Canadensis Maxima


Average weight is 15 to 17 pounds, but they may weigh as much as 24 pounds


Black bill, white chin strap


Male and Female are similar in appearance


Male (Gander) may be slightly larger


Normally, a goose will eat up to 3 pounds of grass a day and leave behind 2 pounds of droppings


Nests are built from twigs, bark, grasses and lined with soft feathers usually on the ground near water - in large cities geese can be commonly found on top of cities.


Reproduction begins at 2 to 3 years of age


Eggs are laid in March/ or early April - a group of eggs are called a clutch.


Average clutch size is 2 to 5 eggs, may be as many as 12


Incubation period is 25 to 30 days


Egg Addling is endorsed by the Humane Society


Baby Geese are called Goslings


Each year Adult Geese lose their Flight Feathers (called molting)-this occurs about 8 weeks after their young are hatched. Molting birds are unable to fly.


Life span is 7 to 25 years of age


Pairs of Geese mate for life


Geese usually return to where they have nested or learned how to fly

Goose Grid

Once Goose Grid is installed, Goose Grid will stop geese from landing and taking up residence on your pond. We have been working with Goose Grid for over ten years. It works year after year. If geese have been a problem at various times of the year you are aware that the resulting mess can be very distracting to the overall appearance and the surrounding areas. When geese are feeding, a quick access to water provides added protection for them, with Goose Grid in place, it changes their habits. Large numbers of geese can also greatly increase the nutrient loading of lakes and ponds, resulting in added weed and algae problems and reduced water clarity and quality. A goose can produce up to three pounds of manure per day.

What is Goose Grid? Goose Grid is a fine, black, plastic line that is placed around the perimeter of a pond or along a lake’s shoreline. It can also be strung across pond surfaces using a checkerboard pattern. The geese from the air can see this pattern and perceive it as some type of unknown and do not land.

Where can goose grid be used? Goose Grid may be installed around a pond’s perimeter or along a lake’s shoreline without a permit. It is not necessary to run the lines continuous and openings can be left for fishing, swimming, and/or boat mooring. Goose Grid can also be used as a temporary installation in spring and fall. Goose Grid does not appear to frighten ducks.

How is Goose Grid installed? Goose Grid is sold by the pound (780’/lb). The line is positioned approximately 8”, 18” & 24" around the perimeter and 18” over the surface of the pond. The line that goes around the perimeter is staked approximately every 50 feet. We have found that ½” Rebar stakes work well for this purpose, 4-5 foot lengths. Once the perimeter of the pond is staked out, the line is then looped or tied to each stake. The line is then tied across the pond to the stakes to create a checkerboard effect. The distance between the lines running across the pond is approximately 25 to 35 feet apart.

Advantages: Goose Grid is made of a plastic non-reflective line and although it can be seen clearly from the air looking down, from the shore Goose Grid is practically invisible and doesn’t detract from the appearance of the pond. Goose Grid has also been fairly successful where we have used three perimeter lines (8”, 18” & 24") around the ponds and along lake shorelines and not used the grid pattern. This arrangement does not limit pond usage. Goose Grid is environmentally safe and economical to use.

FlightControl® Plus

The resurgence of the Canada goose is one of wildlife preservation's greatest success stories. With the enactment of the migratory Bird Treaty Act, population have rebounded to over 3 million and continue to grow yearly. Another reason for this increase is the creation of ideal habitats; large, open, grassy areas often surrounding ponds and lakes. As a result, heavy concentrations of geese feed and nest in playgrounds, corporate campuses, recreational areas, golf courses and residential areas. The geese and their droppings can render these areas almost unusable.

Integration of effective goose management techniques is the best way to solve the problem. FjightControl Plus denys the goose the ability to feed. The effectiveness of the product assists other control techniques.

Flichtcontrol Plus - Spray applied to deny geese their food source, both as an anti-feedant and a visual warning creats a "No Tolerance Zone".

Eating up to 3 pounds of grass per day, geese leave behind about 2 pounds of potentially "hazardous waste" droppings, not to mention leaving the area stripped of vegetation. The area they prefer to feed on is well marked by their droppings, or the "drop zone", often rendering the area unusable. Costs associated with repairing overgrazed lawns and cleanup of goose dropping can be substantial. Furthermore, the nitrogen content in the droppings can contribute to excessive algae growth in ponds and lakes, causing local health authorities to close them. In additon, goose droppings are perceived as a health concern by many people. Goose droppings may contain parasites which can cause gastrointestinal illness. These parasites can be transmitted primarily through hand to mouth contact. Excessive goose droppings also pose a slipping hazard.

Yes, COMPARED TO…
Ongoing lawn maintenance costs for continually repairing goose damaged turf. Manpower costs for raking or powerwashing goose droppings from "no tolerance areas". Potential liability associated with slipping and falling on goose droppings. Lakes and ponds that may be closed due to excessive fecal coliform levels associated with waterfowl droppings.

FlightControl Plus offers a threat and a consequence which conditions geese not to feed on your turf. During your first year of treatments. FlightControl Plus should be used as a program which is design according to your specific site needs. Once the geese are conditioned, FlightControl Plus is applied on an "as needed" basis.
Geese adapt very quickly to other goose control techniques which deliver a threat but no consequence.

The Product Is Spray-Applied on the grass. Once dry, it works in two ways.

2. Visual Warning-
Geese see the compound on the turf in ultraviolet light.

The UV Factor Warns The Geese To Stay Away

Geese have the unique ability to see in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of light in addition to the normal spectrum that humans see in. It is the UV spectrum in which they see the product on the turf. Combine the intestinal reaction they experience when they sample the turf, and the UV factor, geese are conditioned to stay away!

Treated Grass under normal light.

Treated Grass under ultraviolet light.

Where Do You Make The Application? Spray Strategy
For optimim control, we treat the entire "Drop Zone". This is the active feeding area, well marked by goose droppings.

If we don't cover the drop zone, the geese are likely to walk across the treated area to get to the untreated areas within their established feeding zone. We recommend follow-up treatments when geese return to the property.

Goose Control Seasons

Late Winter/Early Spring Treat before the geese select a nesting site. Apply before nesting to keep geese from raising young on the site.

Late Spring Treat to keep geese off no tolerance zones.

Summer Treat drop zones when geese try to return. Keep geese from becoming permanent residents.

Fall/Early Winter Treat to prevent feeding while grass is dormant.

FlightControl® Plus Techniques For Effective Applications Survey your site to determine where goose droppings are the heaviest. This is their feeding zone and where FlightControl Plus should be applied.

Do you have an area on-site where you could tolerate the geese? If so, then FlightControl Plus would be applied like a "biological fence" to herd geese to the tolerance zone. It's also possible they may just move to their second feeding site and off your property entirely.

How many geese do you have? Are they relatively new to your area or have they been there for years? Do they nest on your site?

If geese are nesting you can control where they feed, but they will not move off your site until the young have hatched and the adults are flying again. It's best to begin the conditioning process before they nest.

Always apply FlightControl Plus to dry turf. During mowing season, apply after mowing and clippings are removed. You can also apply FlightControl Plus with a Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) for longer coverage during the mowing season. When the grass is dormant, FlightControl Plus applications will last up to 3 months.

FlightControl Plus is weatherproof. After the application has had time to dry, you can irrigate and also not be concerned if it rains.

You need total surface coverage on the area you are spraying. To achieve this you need a fine droplet size which will give you coverage on the grass blades where the geese feed. If you use a coarse droplet or too much water, the active ingredient will run off the blades and you will not get the desired repellency to condition the geese. Application rates and timing are key elements for an effective goose control program. Please contact us at800-468-6324 and we will be happy to assist you in accordance with your particular situation.

You've Convinced Me That The Program Works, But I Have A Few Questions?

Will you need to spray my entire property?
Not necessarily. Treat only the area where the geese actively feed, known as the "Drop Zone" because it's well marked by goose droppings. However, it's important to Treat The Entire Drop Zone to keep geese off your property.

Won't the geese just move to another part of my property if you only treat the Drop Zones?
Typically they don't. Geese have a specific list of feeding areas. Most of the time they will relocate to their next favorite site rather than to an untested section of your property.

How often do I need to apply FlightControl® Plus?
During the first year of treatments, FlightControl® Plus should be uses as a program which is defined according to your specific site needs. Once the geese are conditioned, FlightControl® Plus is applied on an "as needed" basis.

Will you have to respray every time it rains?
Not once FlightControl® Plus drys on the turf. The active ingredient is a very fine solid particle that's insoluble in water so particles won't come off the grass blade when it rains or when irrigated.

How about after I cut the grass?
FlightControl® Plus will be removed as the grass blades are mowed. The length of time for effective goose control depends on how fast the grass blades grow. Your control program cound require several applications to condition the flock to stay away. Frequency of reapplication diminishes as the geese are conditioned.

Is FlightControl® Plus harmful?
No. The active ingredient has been proven to work without harm to humans, pets, wildlife, or vegetation. The geese experience a short-lived digestive irritation, convincing them to stop feeding. The product is approved by the USEPA for use on ornamental turf.

How quickly will the geese leave?
Experience shows they begin avoiding the treated area within 2 days after initial exposure. However, during nesting season you can only control where they feed until they are able to fly. Then you can take back your turf.