How to Control Canada Geese During Flightless Summer Months

Managing Canada geese populations on your property requires special processes in the summer when geese are shedding and replacing their flight feathers. This molting season keeps geese earthbound until their new feathers come in.

The process is part of their preparation for migration and even though the subspecies of Canada Goose that nests and resides in our area doesn’t migrate anymore, their bodies still prepare for it by replacing their old flight feathers with shiny new ones. Until the the new feathers come in, geese can’t get their heavy bodies off the ground.

Molted flight feathers

Goose Problems for Property Owners

The molting period coincides with the end of the season in which most geese are raising families, which in our area is mid-June through July. Since geese are excellent parents and stick around to care for and defend their goslings – who also cannot fly – it’s a convenient time to get molting out of the way.

It’s a lot less convenient for property owners. With rivers as their summer highways, geese find their way to property that has plenty of food and water and a safe place for molting and raising their young. If you’ve got a nice expanse of freshly mowed grass and a nearby waterfront, you can find yourself hosting dozens of geese all summer long, along with a steady accumulation of feathers and droppings. Encounters are not likely to go well, as geese can be aggressive in defending their families from perceived threats.

Accumulation of molted feathers and goose droppings.

An Effective Goose Control Strategy for Molting Season

The potential for conflicts are high. But molting season also imposes significant limits around goose management strategies. Geese are protected year-round, and even though our goose-chasing dogs are well trained, it isn’t humane to release a dog on birds that can’t fly. A goose that feels trapped or cornered will defend itself, which isn’t safe for either bird or dog. Geese that can’t fly could also be at risk of running into traffic or other hazards. And chase or no chase, geese are certain to return if there is no other source of water nearby. They will not abandon a pond that is their only safety while they can’t fly away from danger.

That’s why at Wild Goose Chase, our strategies are built around an understanding of bird biology. Safe and effective bird deterrent strategies are tailored by species, by location and by season.

We have decades of experience managing summer goose populations with a product that safely deters geese from your property. Flight Control Plus is a liquid goose repellant that is sprayed on turf grass. FCP reflects ultraviolet light, which geese, but not humans, can see. This makes the grass look different and gives the geese an upset stomach when they eat grass that has been sprayed. Geese learn quickly to avoid this weird looking grass. With grass off the menu, there is no reason for the geese to stay on the property. They will then leave on their own looking for (literally) greener pastures.

Get a Goose Property Assessment

To learn more about how we can help manage your summer goose issues, contact us us to arrange for an assessement of your property.

Our methods are biologist led, cost-effective and based on decades of experience helping property owners manage their bird conflicts safely and humanely.

Contact us to learn more about geese management and Flight Control Plus