Geese are social birds that are nice to admire on an afternoon stroll through your neighborhood or local park. However, that sentiment quickly changes when you find they have made your front yard their new home. As natural scavengers, geese forage for seeds and grasses wherever they can—even on your lawn. This is especially true in early spring, when nutrient-rich grass shoots first appear. So, what can you do to deter geese from moving into your green spaces permanently? Ahead, we share the best advice from pest professionals for how to humanely keep geese away from your garden and grass this spring.
Meet the Experts
Nicole Carpenter, a pest control professional and the president of Black Pest Prevention
David Joles, chief operating officer of PURCOR Pest Solutions
Related: How to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Garden
Use Motion-Activated Sprinklers
Geese feel safest in predictable environments. So, anything that seems random or unexpected scares them. «They never get used to motion-activated sprinklers and stay sensitive to them,» says Nicole Carpenter, a pest control professional and the president at Black Pest Prevention. For the best results, she recommends placing sprinklers where you’ve seen geese first enter your yard, as the sprinklers will make them feel unsure of their safety and want to leave right away.
Plant Tall Grass
Geese love wide open spaces where they can easily spot predators. Hence, you’ll often find these birds roaming sprawling golf courses or parks, says David Joles, chief operating officer of PURCOR Pest Solutions. «If your lawn is big, with short grass and water sources nearby, that can be the perfect concoction for attracting geese,» he warns. To keep geese away from your yard, mow the grass less often. Let your grass grow 6 to 10 inches tall along the edges of the lawn to make geese feel unsafe on your property. This method can take longer than others, but it’s extremely reliable, especially when combined with motion-activated sprinklers.
Install a Physical Barrier
Installing a physical barrier, such as garden fencing or tightly strung fishing line, is very effective at keeping geese at bay. «Geese don’t usually step over obstacles and choose open lawns,» Carpenter says. To add low fencing to your yard, buy short plastic garden fencing or strong fishing line and string it at least 12 inches off the ground, she says. Then run it across the whole lawn or along the areas where geese usually walk into your yard. This will keep geese out of your yard without affecting its aesthetics.
Use Visual Deterrents
Geese are selective when it comes to choosing a place to call home, and anything that feels out of the ordinary will make them want to pack up and leave. Case in point, overly reflective items—things like metallic-colored ribbons tied to garden plants—or moving objects like pinwheels stuck in the ground will make geese view your yard with suspicion, says Joles.
Play Predator Sounds
Sound systems that emit predator noises are another easy way to keep these garden pests out of your yard. “These systems scare geese by making the place feel dangerous,” Carpenter says. They work much better than regular noise or ultrasonic devices because they emit real predator sounds, such as those made by wild boar, coyotes, or foxes. For the best results, Carpenter suggests adding two to three different sound programs and changing the sounds every two weeks. This way, the geese won’t get used to the noises.