By Carline Martin
Welcome to The Real Scoop. This monthly column is intended to help homeowners and potential homeowners in our community address a variety of home related and real estate issues.
Here is this month’s selected question:
Q: I recently purchased a new home at the end of January. Much of the appeal we found with this home was the large, level backyard where our kids could play and the beautiful deck, which overlooks a serene pond. Recently, however, our dreams of enjoying the summer in our backyard have been extinguished by an overwhelming presence of geese. This is not something we anticipated as they were not here over the winter. Do you have any advice for dealing with this problem?
A.: For many, the vision of geese landing in formation on the water is an image of nature at its finest. It is almost guaranteed, however, that geese are not nesting in their backyards. While geese can be a delight to observe from afar, for those who are forced to live with them, they can be nothing short of a nuisance. They can be noisy, messy and aggressive, especially during mating season or if they have goslings in tow. If you did not bargain on sharing your living space with these unhospitable neighbors, you may want to take action to reclaim your property.
There are many methods available to deter geese from nesting in your yard. It is most effective if you use a combination of methods. Fencing rarely has much impact because geese fly and can easily find their way over. A more effective approach is to place netting along the bank of your pond. Geese do not like the feel of the netting beneath their feet and will be deterred from landing or walking onto your property. This is an inexpensive approach that does not harm the geese.
Liquid goose repellents are another way to deter geese from your land. Geese will flock on your property in search of food. If you take away their food source or make it undesirable, the geese will seek out another location to graze. There are several products available that are non-toxic to pets, children and the geese. This has been reported to be a very effective method for addressing an issue with geese. You can purchase these products online or ask you local hardware store what they would recommend.
The addition of decoys can provide an additional deterrent for geese. Many homeowners will use visual deterrents, such as mock coyotes, with audio deterrents, such as pre-recorded predator bird calls. However, if you are finding the noise the geese are producing to be intolerable, the addition of further bird calls may only add to your upset. These tend to be widely used due to their versatility. They have the ability to cover a large area and can be moved to areas where geese begin to flock.
Many pesky geese issues can be solved with one or a combination of these remedies. However, there are some locations where geese have decided to really settle in and have no intention of parting with the real estate they think they have claimed as their own. In these cases, it may be time to call in a professional geese eradication company. Yes, they do exist!
I recently spoke with Michael Mallek, owner of Geese Chasers Southern Connecticut & Geese Chasers Long Island. Geese Chasers is a professional geese clearing company that uses trained dogs and humane methods to remove geese from private residences, parks, schools, corporate offices, golf courses and gated communities year-round. Their Border Collies are used to chase the geese away until the birds learn the property is no longer safe for them and will soon find other places to graze, roost and nest. Geese Chasers will visit your property 7 days a week, twice a day and offer free ON-CALL service. It will typically take 4-12 weeks clear out the current geese that are onsite, after that is daily maintenance, if needed.
Mating & Nesting Season lasts from March through June. The gestation period for Canada Goose Eggs is 28 days. In cases where a nest is present and egg removal/addling is required, Geese Chasers will apply for a permit to do so with the DEC/DEEP. They will only remove/addle eggs after performing a float test and determining that the egg is at a stage for legal removal/addling – under 14 days old. Once the eggs are deemed viable for legal removal and the nest has been destroyed, the parent geese will usually stay onsite for 24-48 hours before moving on to try nesting somewhere else.
If a Canada Goose nest hatches on your property, families of geese are federally protected and will potentially be stuck on land-locked properties until the goslings learn to fly, roughly 3 months later in August, early September.
Geese Chasers will never round-up, trap or kill geese or goslings. Michael Mallek said that he tries to separate his company from his competition by offering humane treatment options and providing the best and highest level of customer service. He is committed to educating his customers about the service he offers and is certain to be honest and transparent in his communication. Geese Chasers offers free, no obligation quotes. You may reach Michael Mallek at 609-410-5880 or toll free at 844-544-3373 or at mike.geesechasers@gmail.com. For more information you may reach out to Michael or visit www.geesechasers.com.
Canada Goose Facts:
Canada Geese are habitual nesters. If they are successful once, they will return to the same spot every spring, year after year. Geese can live for 30-35 years. They have great vision and memory. These birds are monogamous and choose a mate for life. On average a pair of geese will raise more than 60-70 goslings over their lifespan and courtship.
NOTE TO READERS – The spring market is here but with very limited inventory of homes for sale. Buyers are waiting on the sidelines for fresh listings but with interest rates rising, this may have future impact on our market. NOW is the time to prepare to list your home. Please use the link or QR code below to see what your home may sell for. Then, contact me to discuss the details of how we can sell your home quickly and for top dollar.
Buyers – Don’t miss out on purchasing the home of your dreams due to rising interest rates. I will put you in touch with skilled mortgage broker who can find you today’s best rates and lock you in. Contact me today to learn more.
https://bhhsne.findbuyers.com/carlinemartin@bhhsne.com?fbclid=IwAR0NxQ3j0tZYZuEpqD5zRv7F9jhsAIwGY9Ejwl2CDVkmLqSpTZh5CwFZn18
SEND ME YOUR QUESTIONS – If you have a real estate or home related question for which you would like a professional opinion, please email me at carlinemartin@bhhsne.com with “Sentinel” in the subject line. Each month, I will provide answers to one or two selected questions. Email me your Real questions. I look forward to hearing from you!
This article does not offer the opinions of Berkshire Hathaway/New England Properties and is not intended to provide legal or tax advice.
