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On March 25, 2010, Mr. Scott Peters of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife came to our Board meeting and spoke about what we could do as a community about nuisance Canadian geese. This page has been created for the Parker Lake Estates residents to act as a resource to assist in your efforts to discourage geese from nesting in our community. It contains information provided by Mr. Peters as well as web-links to other informational sites. The best tool for discouraging Canada geese from using your property is harassment. There are many methods of harassing geese, including using dogs, pyrotechnics and other scare devices. Geese are like us in that if you harass them enough and make them not like being here, they will alter their behavior and will leave. However, none of the harassment methods will be effective if not employed correctly or at the proper time of year. The appropriate harassment activities for your particular situation should be carefully chosen and timed based on the season of the year and type of groups of geese you are trying to discourage. Additionally, Mr. Peters told us that geese like short, mowed grasses. If we mow around the ponds, they will nest there. If we allow the grasses to grow to about a foot or more in height in a strip about 10-feet wide around the edge of the ponds, it will help to discourage the geese from nesting there because they don't feel safe in tall grasses. The Board will be implementing this recommendation when planning our common area maintenance schedule. If growing the foliage at the shore's edge is not feasible, putting up fencing or barriers within a foot of the water's edge can also discourage them. Some residents have purchased 2 or 3-foot wide silt fence from the local home improvement store and that works well. It comes with stakes built in, and a 100-foot roll can be purchased for between $25-$30. Remember, it needs to be placed close to the water's edge. In February, Geese begin to pair up and separate themselves from the flock. This is the time to begin to start EXTENSIVE harassment techniques and to fence off nesting areas. In March, Geese are paired and begin to set up nesting territories. Continue to use EXTENSIVE harassment techniques and begin to look for nest scrapes. In early April Geese start laying eggs and start incubating them. At this point, harassment is no longer an option and you may need to contact the ODNR for other options. Below you will find links to documents found on the ODNR website which Mr. Peters presented to the Board at the meeting. Please review these documents, and if you have any questions or concerns, contact Barnett Management or your Board of Directors.
Harassment Techniques Timeline
Human - Goose Conflict Overview
Mechanical Scare Devices (Hazing)
The complete series of Goose Conflict Sheets
For more information, you can also visit the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Nuisance Species website
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