Don’t Let Uninvited Feathered Visitors ‘Fowl’ Your Outdoor Fun

NF Note: Feeding the ducks and geese are popular events at Lake Peachtree in Peachtree City. We certainly agree the droppings are less than desired results of the fowls' presence. Should Peachtree City get a "fake gator" for the lake? Wonder how many heart attacks that would cause?

(ARA) – It’s only human: You see a pair of Canada Geese waddling across your yard with half a dozen fuzzy goslings in tow and your heart melts; they’re so darn cute. Until you follow the same path the feathered family took, and realize they’ve left something decidedly unpleasant – and potentially hazardous – in their wake.

Goose feces can put a major damper on outdoor fun at this time of year, especially for properties near water. In fact, the birds can become such a nuisance at outdoor facilities like golf courses that it’s unlikely groundskeepers experience a rush of tender sentiment when they see little feathered fuzzballs hopping across the greens. Not only do bird droppings make an environment unpleasant, they pose a slip-and-fall hazard, and are a breeding ground for bacteria and disease.

“There’s no denying how cute families of geese are at this time of year, so it’s no surprise that most people faced with a goose problem don’t want to harm the birds,” says David Kogan, a technician with Bird-X, a company that has helped convince millions of Canada Geese and other winged intruders to move along during its 44 years of business. “People just want the birds to relocate somewhere that they will not be a nuisance. Plus, killing the birds doesn’t solve the problem, because more will just move in to fill the void left by the demise of the previous residents.”

At any given time, there are 3.5 million to 5.5 million Canada Geese living in the United States. Another 9 million to 11 million migrate through the country every spring and fall. “Many of those migratory birds gladly join their stay-put compatriots to raise families on U.S. soil at this time of year,” Kogan says.

Water, food, lush greens and a safe, easy location for rearing goslings are on the “must-have” list for every house-hunting Canada goose. The key to getting them to move along – safely and effectively – is to cross off one or more of those elements from the list of things that make your location desirable. “An approach that motivates the birds on three levels – sight, sound and taste – will be most effective,” Kogan says.

Sight aversions can include devices like a three-dimensional coyote replica or a Gator Guard - a life-size, lifelike replica of an alligator head – that make birds think a predator has moved into their territory. Actual goose distress calls, broadcast from a Goose Buster sonic device, make birds believe an area is unsafe for their kind. Finally, Goose Chase, a biodegradable food-grade agent made from the bitter-tasting, smelly part of concord grapes, makes food sources such as grass and ponds taste bad.

To learn more about effective goose removal products and techniques that are also environmentally conscious, visit www.bird-x.com/ARA or call (800) 662-5021.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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