\u201cNot a popular opinion, I\u2019m sure, but I\u2019d like to see them culled somewhat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Find out what’s happening in Across Americafor free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/p>\n
Joe was responding to our informal survey for Block Talk<\/a>, Patch\u2019s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column. We asked readers if geese are a problem where they live, and what, if anything, was being done about it.<\/p>\n The comeback of the Canada goose, once on the brink of extinction, is due to a variety of protective measures, as well as the expansion of suburbs with suitable habitats. They leave a big mess behind, fouling ponds and lakes and littering trails and walkways with their droppings. These big birds eat about 4 pounds of grass a day, and eliminate about half of what they eat at various times throughout the day.<\/p>\n Find out what’s happening in Across Americafor free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/p>\n Canada geese are still federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918<\/a>. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sets hunting seasons, but hunting is generally restricted to rural areas.<\/p>\n \u2018One Big Goose Latrine\u2019 <\/p>\n Joe wasn\u2019t alone in thinking the goose population should be thinned and that special hunting allowances should be made.<\/p>\n \u201cA few years ago, they tried cardboard cutout coyotes, but it seems like the geese made friends with them, so that never worked,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s opinion that numbers should be culled was more popular than he may have thought.<\/p>\n \u201cCanada geese are a huge problem. They leave a terrible mess, and nothing is being done to cull their numbers in suburban areas \u2014 or at least in ours,\u201d said Michigan Patch<\/a> reader Marilyn, who lives in Oxford.<\/p>\n \u201cLike many other wild animals, their numbers need to be managed,\u201d Marilyn said. \u201cMy hope is that efforts to catch and euthanize them increase soon. There aren\u2019t enough predators to keep their numbers under control, and they multiply something fierce!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe they could be humanely culled and used to feed people,\u201d said Ray, an Alameda (California) Patch<\/a> reader. \u201cWhen I was a teacher in Alameda, kids would slip on goose poop on the field and get covered in feces. It was disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n Geneva (Illinois) Patch<\/a> reader KTBo feels that.<\/p>\n \u201cParts of the bike path along Route 25 in Geneva and St. Charles are absolutely disgusting,\u201d KTBo said. \u201cThe area across from Langum Park is one big goose latrine. For crying out loud, can\u2019t the city at least come clean it off?\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s A Conundrum\u2019 <\/p>\n The question is, what\u2019s the best method of control?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a conundrum,\u201d said Milwaukee Patch<\/a> reader Ellie.<\/p>\n \u201cWe enjoy watching the vees of geese honking above. Our local ponds are home to their nests. When my husband jogged (not since his knee replacement), the adult geese would scare him off with their aggressive 6-foot wingspan and hissing. He learned to give them wide berth,\u201d she said<\/p>\n \u201cThat some areas have problems relating to the birds is understood, especially in this age of bird illness. Our area is part of the birds\u2019 migration path. Disrupting that means that they could not find their way in spring and fall.\u201d<\/p>\n Whatever is done to manage populations, \u201cLet\u2019s refrain from going backwards by use of drastic measures, please,\u201d Ellie said.<\/p>\n Nashua (New Hampshire) Patch<\/a> reader Tb agrees.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we need more education on how to solve this problem without causing harm,\u201d Tb said.<\/p>\n \u2018The Pill\u2019 For Geese? \u201cI see them hanging out closer and closer to where I live. I don\u2019t like it,\u201d said Mem, a Norwood (Massachusetts) Patch<\/a> reader. \u201cPut them on some type of birth control to ease the goose population.\u201d<\/p>\n Mem wondered, \u201cIs there something safe for humans that could be sprayed on grass and foliage which contains a contraceptive for geese?\u201d<\/p>\n There is.<\/p>\n OvoControl, a bait the size and shape of a corn kernel that prevents eggs from hatching, can be broadcast in areas where geese feed, but it could have unintended consequences on other species and the environment in general, according to the Environmental Protection Agency<\/a>. <\/p>\n Also, the pesticide can be used only by certified applicators or those under their direct supervision, and its use is restricted to urban areas, such as office parks, recreational parks, airports, golf courses, schools, hospitals, restaurants, and commercial and industrial sites.<\/p>\n Addle The Eggs <\/p>\n A better solution, said Vienna (Virginia) Patch<\/a> reader JB, is allowing geese to lay eggs as normal, and then implementing control measures.<\/p>\n \u201cEggs in nests around nuisance areas should be addled (shaken or oiled) so they don\u2019t develop,\u201d JB said, adding that federal permits are available for such measures and volunteers can carry them out under supervision by appropriate authorities.<\/p>\n \u201cThis way, only the non-migrating (permanent) populations are affected,\u201d JB said. \u201cAdult birds are not harmed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey used to put tar on the eggs and that helped. Something needs to be done,\u201d said Northport (New York) Patch<\/a> reader Angela. \u201cI live in Crab Meadow in Northport. They appear in March or April. They poop all over our lawn and scare our children as they walk down the street, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n Mount Pleasant-Sturtevant (Wisconsin) Patch<\/a> reader Mike said his homeowners association obtained the required permit to treat the eggs of the five families of geese nesting in the area.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also harass them to make them find another home,\u201d Mike said. \u201cWe have had issues with neighborhood pets ingesting their poo, and getting very sick, including one dog dying. It is now very hard to use your yard with their presence. And they no longer just remain near water but venture out far from it.\u201d<\/p>\n New York City Patch <\/a>reader Warren, who lives in Manhattan, suggested giving the geese a tummy ache.<\/p>\n \u201cFind a way to dissuade the geese from making themselves a home \u2014 maybe some high-frequency sound that humans can\u2019t hear, maybe feed that makes their digestion uncomfortable and makes them not want to be in the area,\u201d Warren said. \u201cI\u2019m not a scientist, but I believe there are nonviolent ways to get rid of these obnoxious geese.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Cook And Eat \u2019Em\u2019 <\/p>\n Several readers recommended controlled hunting events, similar to those some jurisdictions organize with state wildlife agencies to thin urban deer populations. Canada geese were taken off the endangered and threatened species list<\/a> in 2001.<\/p>\n \u201cStop protecting the geese; they are no longer endangered,\u201d said Patty, a Wisconsin Patch<\/a> reader who lives in Lake Tomahawk. \u201cBut our children are playing in the yard or beach with goose poop every one to four inches \u2014 after intensive clean up the day before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet us hunt them to cut down the population, and offer money,\u201d said Oswego (Illinois) Patch<\/a> reader Brian, citing a $100 bounty on invasive black carp<\/a> in his state. \u201cMaybe $10 a goose?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCook and eat \u2019em,\u201d said Mission Viejo (California) Patch<\/a> reader Jimbo.<\/p>\n \u201cRound them up, kill them and give the meat to a food shelf,\u201d said Grandma, an Oakdale (Minnesota) Patch<\/a> reader.<\/p>\n \u201cFair game. They either should be shot lethally on sight, or people should carry golf clubs for driving practice on them,\u201d said Bob, a Parisppany (New Jersey) Patch<\/a> reader.<\/p>\n Humans Created The Problem <\/p>\n The challenge stems from human decisions and actions, Rye (New York) Patch<\/a> reader Nature Kate said.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople should stop feeding the geese directly and indirectly,\u201d Nature Kate said. \u201cMost municipalities and homeowners with geese alter the habitat, creating huge monoculture lawns usually fenced in with limited biodiversity and a lack of natural predators. This is inviting them to move in by offering an ideal habitat and an open buffet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStop building,\u201d said Sarasota (Florida) Patch<\/a> reader Ian. \u201cNot one more nail used.\u201d<\/p>\n Concord (New Hampshire) Patch<\/a> reader Tess said fencing around has been installed round water in some places to discourage geese \u201cfrom pooping on the pavement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut they still do,\u201d she said, advocating for \u201cmore fencing to prevent dogs and people from walking in the goose poop.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStop mowing right next to the water,\u201d said St. Charles (Illinois) Patch<\/a> reader Roz. \u201cLeave a three-foot-wide strip. Plant more vegetation. Geese prefer open spaces so they can look out for predators, so you can take that away by getting more plants and bushes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHumans are the problem,\u201d said Cumming (Georgia) Patch<\/a> reader Kim. \u201cBan humans.\u201d<\/p>\n Geese are a problem where Farmington-Farmington Hills (Michigan) Patch<\/a> reader Frankie lives, but nothing is being done about it, the reader said.<\/p>\n \u201cSome people are buying feed to keep them around. Make it illegal t feed them. Advertise \u2018don\u2019t feed them,\u2019 \u201d Frankie said. \u201cRelocate them. Kill them and feed them to animals at zoos or wherever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet people to stop feeding them,\u201d Brick (New Jersey) Patch<\/a> reader Pj said. \u201cWe\u2019ve tried the dog This Calls For A Border Collie Try real dogs, Media (Pennsylvania) Patch<\/a> reader said. \u201cAllow dogs to exercise in open spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n Joni, a Burke (Virginia) Patch<\/a> reader, pointed out that some companies use highly trained border collies, which have natural herding instincts, to keep geese away.<\/p>\n \u201cOur daughter went to Wheaton College in Massachusetts in the late 1990s. They had an awful problem with the geese. They finally got a border collie that moved them along every morning. In time, they quit returning,\u201d said Lee, a Connecticut Patch<\/a> reader.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe you can rent one,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n Some companies also use \u201cpredator drones\u201d to harass geese and encourage them to relocate, Berwyn (Pennsylvania) Patch<\/a> reader Carol said. Also, because they are no longer endangered, \u201callow hunting and egg rattling,\u201d Carol said.<\/p>\n New Canaan (Connecticut) Patch<\/a> reader Henrietta isn\u2019t particular about the remedy. Geese are a \u201chuge problem\u201d in her town, Henrietta said. Her home, directly across a pond from a golf course, had become a sanctuary for the geese the club was actively trying to repel from their greens.<\/p>\n \u201cThey s- – t on everything and honk 24\/7. We were unable to sleep for three solid months last year. It\u2019s a disgrace,\u201d Henrietta said. <\/p>\n \u201cRemoval, thinning, anything to protect the elderly and children who live here from avian flu, and the fumes and toxins that come from these massive birds who are not afraid of humans,\u201d Henrietta said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had 600 at a time on our property, and it\u2019s horrendous!\u201d<\/p>\n Live And Let (Geese) Live Woodbury (Minnesota) Patch<\/a> reader Junie is a live-and-let-geese-live kind of person.<\/p>\n \u201cI grew up around a pretty healthy population of Canada geese. Let\u2019s just say I grew up dodging goose poop on sidewalks and parking lots because I spent a lot of time near water. Yes, they snarl traffic (not a psychopath, I do stop). Yes, it\u2019s annoying dodging goose poop on trails near water. I don\u2019t see them as much of a problem because they have always been where I am,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact of the matter is, WE are impacting their environment,\u201d Junie continued. \u201cThey are crossing our busy roads in search of bodies of water because we keep building neighborhoods and roads. They were here before we had trails and sidewalks for them to poop on. Unless you\u2019re willing to drain your neighborhood pond or lake, we are going to have to coexist.\u201d<\/p>\n Junie wasn\u2019t alone in expressing that sentiment.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave them alone,\u201d said Aqua, a Massachusetts Patch<\/a> reader who lives on Cape Cod.<\/p>\n \u201cThey come into my yard with their goslings, and I enjoy their intelligence and how they care for their young. The father lets the mother and children eat first,\u201d said Branford (Connecticut) Patch<\/a> reader Mae. \u201cTreat them with respect. Spray goose repellent if you don\u2019t want them in your yard. We humans have over developed the shoreline, etc., so these animals have nowhere else to go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAsk them to come to my house,\u201d said Star, a Framingham (Massachusetts) Patch<\/a> reader. \u201cGeese, unfortunately, are not around my yard. <\/p>\n \u201cI would love them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n About Block Talk <\/p>\n Block Talk is a regular Patch feature offering real-world advice from readers on how to resolve everyday neighborhood problems. If you have a neighborhood etiquette question or problem you’d like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com, with Block Talk as the subject line.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/canada-goose-nesting_shutterstock_1966587151.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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statues, ribbons in the wind, whirligigs. Nothing works.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/canada-geese-border-collie_shutterstock_2459902601.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
(Shutterstock)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/canada-geese-goslings_shutterstock_413105935.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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