Virginia Geese Removal Techniques

There are four techniques that can be effective in removing resident Canada geese, habitat modification, physical removal, repellants, and harassment.  A permit through U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services is needed in order for anybody to remove Canada geese because they are still considered a migratory bird.  Federal law prohibits individuals from possessing, transporting or handling migratory birds without a permit.  The most common technique used in physically removing geese is a round-up.  Round-ups are typically done in June or July when the geese are in their summer molt.  At this time the geese cannot fly and will congregate in large numbers close to water to easily escape danger.  Their inability to fly makes capture into funnel like traps easy.  The second and our most common method is repellants or harassment.  Harassment is the first method that must be tried before actual physical removal can be used.  There are a number of ways to harass geese, but the most effective is the repellant FlightControl® PLUS.  Habitat modification can be very effective if the end result makes the areas that the geese reside in less desirable to them for food and nesting.  For more information or a consultation on resident Canada goose removal, please Contact Us so that we can give you the information you need that best fits your problem.    

​CLICK HERE to find Your Wildlife Professional in Virginia.

Repellants

Save Money & Reduce Risk with FlightControl® PLUS

Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc. uses FlightControl® PLUS to humanely move geese to feeding and nesting grounds away from areas where human/goose interaction poses a hazard to either species.

Reduce costs of:

  • Unnecessary Labor for cleaning, sweeping, power washing and other means of removal of feces from commercial properties and golf courses
  • Turf Repair of overgrazed turf on golf courses, commercial properties, and residential properties, including repair due to unnecessary soil erosion
  • Lost Revenue from reduction in property value and/or rent derived from rented properties due to unsightliness and reduction of curb appeal

Reduce potential lawsuit liability from:

  • Accidental contamination to medical and laboratory facilities, food production facilities and restaurants, or other "sterile" industrial or research sites
  • Slipping on feces
  • Injuries from aggressive goose behavior while defending nests
  • Injuries and property damage from automobile and airplane strike hazards

Protect health of children and adults:

  • By removing feces which can create conditions that allow diseases, viruses, bacterial infections and parasites

Restore recreational areas which have been rendered less desirable or unusable:

  • Common areas
  • Walking paths
  • Theme park grounds
  • Corporate picnic areas
  • Golf Courses

"To be effective, a chemical repellent must affect the way that the bird perceives the crop."

-Michael L. Avery, National Wildlife Research Center, Gainesville, FL

FlightControl® PLUS works in two ways

  1. Anti-feedant (consequence): Geese experience a temporary but very effective digestive irritation, usually within 20 minutes, when they eat turf treated with FlightControl® PLUS.
  2. Visual Warning (threat): Geese have four retinal cones (unlike humans, who have three) and have the unique ability to recognize FlightControl® PLUS in the ultraviolet light spectrum in addition to the visible light spectrum in which humans see. The appearance of turf treated with FlightControl® PLUS is unnatural and, once conditioned to the digestive reaction, the visual signal of the treated turf provides a warning to the geese not to eat the turf.
    Studies have shown that birds will refuse to eat food treated with the active ingredient in FlightControl® PLUS once they are conditioned.

What will the geese do after I treat my turf with FlightControl® PLUS?

  • Geese will sample the area. They may react by shaking their heads, drinking water, pecking at their bellies and rubbing their necks. (20 minutes for response time).
  • As the geese sample, the conditioning process begins.
  • Geese will not die as a result of eating FlightControl® PLUS.
  • They may feed several times, drinking in between, while being conditioned to respond.
  • Geese will learn that a treated area is not a good place to feed.
  • Geese have no choice but to find an alternative food source. This conditioning usually takes one to two days.
  • New droppings should decrease, and existing droppings will continue to age if allowed to remain in the drop zone turf, turning white with age.

Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc., can design a geese control, geese removal, or get rid of geese by treating the turf area with FlightControl® PLUS to remove pest geese in the counties, cities and towns of Alexandria, Arlington, Bedford, Blacksburg, Bristol, Charlottesville, Covington, Chesapeake, Danville, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Hampton, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Loudon, Manassas, Martinsville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Smith Mountain Lake, Staunton, Virginia Beach, Waynesboro, Williamsburg, Winchester, Wytheville, and Yorktown Virginia.  For a FlightControl® PLUS treatment quote or other geese removal options, please contact Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc. for a bird consultation.

​CLICK HERE to find Your Wildlife Professional in Virginia.


Geese

FlightControl® PLUS Application

Goose On Her Nest




Virginia Geese Damage & Damaged Areas

Urban parks, residential landscapes, and golf courses offer the ideal habitat for the geese to reside.  The droppings from the geese become a problem when several geese are residing for a long period of time.  The droppings make use of the parks, yards, and golf courses less desirable to the individuals that use them.  The droppings are unsightly and will gather on the shoes of the individuals walking around these areas.

Health Concerns

While there is considerable debate over the health threat of resident Canada geese, as to the disease to human contact with goose droppings, it would be expected to increase with increased goose populations.

If Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc. can help prevent geese damage by providing geese removal or get rid of geese on your property in the counties, cities and towns of Alexandria, Arlington, Bedford, Blacksburg, Bristol, Charlottesville, Covington, Chesapeake, Danville, DC, District of Columbia, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Hampton, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Loudon, Manassas, Martinsville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Smith Mountain Lake, Staunton, Virginia Beach, Washington D.C., Waynesboro, Williamsburg, Winchester, Wytheville, and Yorktown Virginia, we are here to help you.

​CLICK HERE to find Your Wildlife Professional in Virginia.


Geese Poop

Virginia Geese Identification

Description:  Resident geese are non-migratory. They do not summer in the north

(Canada) and winter in the south (Mexico).

Body Size

  • Ave. Height (Adult):  35”-45”
  • Ave. Weight (Adult):  Up to 24 lbs.
  • Nest:  15”-44” in radius, 4” deep, 10” where eggs are laid, lined with downy feathers.  Found on the ground usually close to water.
  • Eggs:  Dull white to cream white.  Twice as large as a chicken egg.
  • Young at Birth:  3-4 oz.  Yellowish brown and slightly feathered.
  • 24 Hours:  Able to swim.
  • 8 Weeks:  7 lbs. adult colors in feathers noticeable.
  • 9-11 Weeks:  Able to fly.

Feather Color:  Long black neck and head with large white cheek patches, brown gray body, black tail, feet and bill.

Voice & Sounds

Musical Honking.  Hiss and will chase danger away.

Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc. has been providing geese identification in Virginia since 1998.  If you need geese description, goose body size, goose average adult length, goose tail length, goose average adult weight, goose young at birth, average goose weight, average goose length, or goose voice & sounds in Alexandria, Arlington, Bedford, Blacksburg, Bristol, Charlottesville, Covington, Chesapeake, Danville, DC, District of Columbia, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Hampton, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Loudon, Manassas, Martinsville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Smith Mountain Lake, Staunton, Virginia Beach, Waynesboro, Washington D.C., Williamsburg, Winchester, Wytheville, and Yorktown Virginia, Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc. is available to solve your goose problem.

​CLICK HERE to find Your Wildlife Professional in Virginia.


Adult geese with fledglings

Droppings on sidewalk

Virginia Geese Reproduction

Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc. considers both the time of year geese breed, when geese are born, geese gestation period, the number of geese born, geese weaning period, and the average reproductive age of geese within their respective geographic region of Virginia prior to controlling geese on your property in Alexandria, Arlington, Bedford, Blacksburg, Bristol, Charlottesville, Covington, Chesapeake, Danville, DC, District of Columbia, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Hampton, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Loudon, Manassas, Martinsville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Smith Mountain Lake, Staunton, Virginia Beach, Washington D.C., Waynesboro, Williamsburg, Winchester, Wytheville, or Yorktown Virginia.  

Time of Year:  Late winter.                     

Lay Eggs:  March – June               

Incubation:  25-28 Days                           

Young Born:  April – July

Average Reproductive Age:  1-2 Years                       

Weaning:  1 Year

Other:  Mates for Life  

​CLICK HERE to find Your Wildlife Professional in Virginia.


Other Information About Geese In Virginia

Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc. provides geese removal on residential and commercial properties in Virginia.  It is not always important to know everything about geese, but often clients need to know other information about geese in Virginia.  Below is some additional information about geese, such as geese habitat, where do geese live,  home range of a geese, geese food, geese habits, average life span of geese, and geese health concerns that you may want to know.  If you live in Alexandria, Arlington, Bedford, Blacksburg, Bristol, Charlottesville, Covington, Chesapeake, Danville, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Hampton, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Loudon, Manassas, Martinsville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Smith Mountain Lake, Staunton, Virginia Beach, Waynesboro, Williamsburg, Winchester, Wytheville, or Yorktown Virginia and would like to know more about geese, please give us a call.

​CLICK HERE to find Your Wildlife Professional in Virginia.

Habitat

Adaptable to any environment.  Usually any area with suitable food, water and cover. 

Home

Ponds, lakes, rivers, streams and agricultural areas.

Home Range

2-25 Miles

Food: 

Feed mostly in the early morning and late afternoon.  Graze on grasses, roots, seeds pond weeds, cattails, clovers, agricultural crops and leaves.

Ave. Life Span

Up to 23 years in the wild and 33 years in captivity.


Virginia Resident Geese Removal & Control Services

Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc. provide resident geese removal in Virginia.

Resident geese have established local, non-migratory populations throughout Virginia.  At one time geese were just a frequent visitor during the winter in their migratory route.  Now they have taken up permanent residence in local lakes and ponds, parks, and golf courses.  These local geese populations can damage and destroy agricultural crops and pose social problems in urban areas by nesting, feeding and defecating in the landscapes and lawns.  Their droppings become unacceptable to people that frequent local parks and golf courses.  There is a constant debate over the health issues with these droppings, in that there is not a direct link to any disease that can be contracted directly from them, but may lead to disease or parasite growth in the water where people swim.  The droppings are unsightly and will gather on the shoes of the individuals walking around the parks or golf course greens.  The defensive nature of nesting geese poses a threat to people that may get to close.  The geese will often defend their nest by chasing anybody away that may threaten it.  Some local lakes, parks, and golf courses have posted bans with fines on feeding the resident geese to help prevent people from being discouraged from using them.    

Your Wildlife Professional will design a geese control or removal program that best fits your needs and most importantly your budget. Understanding a geese biology or behavioral patterns, size, and reproductive rates is the most important factor in determining the proper bird control product to use. Some bird control products are species-specific, while others can deter a range of species. FlightControl® PLUS is our go to product that will deter geese, without having to physical remove the geese. Resident geese are protected in Virginia and by the federal government, which means that we cannot start your geese management program during the nesting period or while flightless young are on your property.  

Other Goose Removal Options

There are three other options that can be effective in removing resident Canada geese, habitat modification, physical removal, and harassment.  A permit through U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services is needed in order for anybody to remove Canada geese because they are still considered a migratory bird.  Federal law prohibits individuals from possessing, transporting or handling migratory birds without a permit.  The most common technique used in physically removing geese is a round-up.  Round-ups are typically performed in June or July when the geese are in their summer molt.  At this time the geese cannot fly and will congregate in large numbers close to water to easily escape danger.  Their inability to fly makes capture into funnel like traps easy.  The second method is harassment.  Harassment is the first method that must be tried before actual physical removal can be used.  There are a number of ways to harass geese, but the most effective is a trained dog that patrols the area and that will chase the geese away.  Habitat modification can be very effective if the end result makes the areas that the geese reside in less desirable to them for food and nesting.   

Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc., can design a geese control, geese removal, or get rid of geese by treating the turf area with FlightControl® PLUS to remove pest geese in the counties, cities and towns of Alexandria, Arlington, Bedford, Blacksburg, Bristol, Charlottesville, Covington, Chesapeake, Danville, DC, District of Columbia, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Hampton, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Loudon, Manassas, Martinsville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Smith Mountain Lake, Staunton, Virginia Beach, Washington D.C., Waynesboro, Williamsburg, Winchester, Wytheville, and Yorktown Virginia.  For a FlightControl® PLUS treatment quote or other geese removal options, please contact Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc. for a bird consultation.       

​CLICK HERE to find Your Wildlife Professional in Virginia.   


Canada Goose

Geese Round Up

Treating Turf With FlightControl® PLUS

Geese Protect Their Nest And Will Hiss At You When You Get Too Close

Southern & Southwest Virginia

Blue Ridge Wildlife & Pest Management
Wildlife & Fisheries Biologists on Staff
Roanoke, Bedford, Blacksburg, Covington, Radford, Smith Mountain Lake Areas
Martinsville, Danville, Lynchburg Areas
Bristol, Marion, Wytheville Areas

Central & Northern Virginia

Blue Ridge Wildlife & Pest Management
Wildlife & Fisheries Biologist on Staff
Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro Areas
Charlottesville, Richmond
Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Loudon, Manassas, 
Winchester, Washington D.C. Areas

Eastern Tidewater Virginia

Blue Ridge Wildlife & Pest Management
Wildlife & Fisheries Biologist on Staff
Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Sufolk, Virginia Beach,
Williamsburg, Yorktown Areas
 

Contact Us

Home Office
5131 Benois Rd. Roanoke, VA 24018
Toll-Free: 540-940-6489




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