If you live in Minnesota, you’re no stranger to Canada goose sightings. The high population of geese in the state becomes most obvious each spring when they begin to migrate north to our lakes and parks to build nests and lay their eggs. Generally, we are able to coexist with geese without problems. However, geese can quickly become a nuisance for golf courses, corporate campuses, county parks and beaches, and other organizations.
The goose-related complaints we hear from our clients here at Driven Wild Goose Control often concern property damage. Here are some of the most popular types of property damage we help local businesses prevent with our Minnesota goose mitigation services.
Landscaping Damages Caused By Geese
When we are asked to visit a location to provide a free consultation, one of the first things we usually notice is the amount of damage geese cause to the landscape.
Generally, companies, golf courses, housing complexes, and city parks invest a considerable amount of money into their landscaping maintenance. A large goose can consume more than 2.2 pounds of grass in a day, which makes it very difficult to keep lush grass on any property. When evaluating clients’ properties, we’ve noticed artificial damage such as chunks of grass missing from golf course greens, destroyed sod that was recently laid down in a new construction project, and even established lawns with patches of grass missing.
The best way that we have found to decrease the chances of property damage at your site is to create a comprehensive goose control plan using dogs as a form of harassment.
Getting Rid of Goose Droppings in Minnesota
Another way geese can contribute to property damage is by contaminating the land and water. Driven Wild Goose control has worked with city parks and recreation departments to help mitigate water issues that are the direct result of a large goose population.
Goose feces can contain the parasites cryptosporidium, giardia, coliform, and campylobacter. These parasites can pose serious health risks to the public if the goose population is not managed.
According to the CDC, symptoms of cryptosporidiosis generally begin 2 to 10 days after becoming infected with the parasite. Symptoms can include:
- Diarrhea
- Stomach cramps or pain
- Dehydration
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Weight loss
Giardia is an intestinal infection caused by a parasite often found in most bodies of freshwater. Giardia is one of the most frequently diagnosed intestinal parasites in the United States. Symptoms of giardia can last up to 1-2 weeks or longer, are similar to cryptosporidiosis, and can include:
- Diarrhea
- Gas
- Stomach or abdominal cramps
- Upset stomach or nausea/vomiting
- Dehydration (loss of fluids)
Giardiasis can also cause weight loss and failure to absorb fat, lactose, vitamin A and vitamin B12.
The illnesses caused by goose droppings generally affect children more severely than adults, so it’s very important to promptly remove the source of the droppings around playgrounds and beaches.
Aggressive Nesting Geese in Minnesota
Many of our clients finally reach their breaking point when geese become aggressive. This issue is especially prevalent during their nesting season in the spring. Geese will generally nest in the same place year after year, causing serious safety concerns among businesses.
Females generally lay 2-12 eggs, but they average around 5 eggs/season. During the 28 day incubation period, the male and female will aggressively defend their nest. This is generally when we hear about employees getting attacked at their places of work. We once heard of a company who had to add “goose safety” to their employee handbook due to the amount of employees getting attacked coming in and out of their office building.
The best way to mitigate this issue is to prevent the geese from nesting in the first place. We generally recommend starting goose control services as soon as you start seeing geese in the spring. If you find yourself in a situation where there is already a nest with eggs, we can also assist in egg addling. Egg addling is a humane method of population control that consists of coating the eggs in oil and placing them back in the nest to prevent re-nesting.