More than 4.1 million migratory geese take up residence in the Northern half of the United States from spring through fall. Unfortunately, Canada geese often find a home on or near golf courses, which provide abundant food, water and nesting opportunities with few predators. These geese, creatures of habit, will congregate, nest, and raise their young near ideal food sources and once they move in, they won't move out. Sure, they eventually migrate but are likely to return to the same spot next year qualifying them as virtual residents, not visitors.
For golf course superintendents, these geese present a number of hazards. Outside of the potential for aggressive behavior toward players and club members, each goose can eat up to three pounds of grass per day and a small flock can quickly render grassy spaces unusable, leaving them stripped bare, prone to erosion, and covered with feces in the "drop zone."
"A year ago we had up to a thousand Canada geese visiting our course," says Mark Williams, superintendent of Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester, Pa. "The birds pulled up turf, fouled our ponds and the droppings were a nuisance."
The challenge, then, is to find a means to evict these pests from the course using non-lethal methods since Canada geese are protected by federal and state laws under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The costs of repairing overgrazed areas and the cleanup of goose droppings (each can leave up to two pounds per day) can be substantial and the nitrogen content in the droppings can contribute to excessive algae growth in course water hazards. Direct contact with droppings also poses health risks.
So how can the flock be effectively managed without harming the geese? There have been many attempts from fake coyotes and real dogs to strobe lights, sirens and noisemakers. But all fail to be truly effective because they're either too costly, unable to present a continuous deterrent, or offer a threat without consequence, which Canada geese soon learn to ignore.
To protect golf courses from the problems of unwelcome Canada geese, a growing number of golf course superintendents are working to evict the flock before spring nesting with an EPA-approved goose repellent called FlightControl Plus, the product’s manufacturer says.
Williams didn't want to hurt the geese, but couldn't let them stay. To protect his golf course and club members, he sprayed FlightControl Plus near ponds and favored gathering places.
"The geese won't go into areas you spray," says Williams. "If you spray during the nesting period, they'll move on since they're looking for a safe place to nest. From up to 1,000 geese a year ago, we're down to virtually none this year."
Odorless and weatherproof, FlightControl Plus uses a naturally occurring, environmentally safe compound called anthranquinone (AQ) formulated by Arkion Life Sciences. It works first by giving geese that feed on treated turf a harmless digestive irritation, delivering the message that something is wrong with the food source. The applied compound also absorbs ultraviolet light, which only geese can see. This creates a visual signal geese will immediately associate with the stomach irritation brought on by feeding in the area.
The combined effect teaches geese to recognize and avoid grassy areas treated with FlightControl Plus. The Canada geese "move out" in search of a better food source.
"The spot spraying is very effective," concludes Williams. "We're saving in turf repair and clean up. The course is cleaner, the members are happier, and the program is much more cost effective than you'd think."
Grassy areas are typically treated several times a year with FlightControl Plus to warn off Canada geese familiar with it and to teach new ones to stay away.