Goose problems

Canada & Egyptian Goose Problems

In Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and London

Have a goose problem?

Call us today on 01525 863 951 for help & advice.

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)

were Introduced in UK in the late 17th century as ornamental birds
They have steadily increased their population, up to 62,000 breeding
Up to 190,000 birds over wintering
With minimal predators in the UK they can live up to 10 to 24 years
Often seen at waterside parks, golf clubs and sports pitches
They can become quite tame, but aggressive defending nests & young
With well meaning humans feeding them, thereby keeping them in peek breeding condition

Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)

Another ornamental bird gone feral
Will nest in trees
Becomes aggressive in the breeding season to other birds
Female lays up to 9 eggs and hatches after 4 weeks in spring
UK breeding 1,100 pairs
UK wintering 3,400 birds

Canada Geese

Goose dropping on sports pitch

Canada Geese

Egyptian Geese

Public Health issues with goose problems

Grass areas frequented by geese are often heavily contaminated by goose droppings. As geese are susceptible to H5N1 Avian bird flu along with Salmonella in the gut, makes it a public health risk. We have had many calls to solve the problem, as it can make sports pitches and unusable due to the contamination. One option is to cut the grass, but this just spreads it about and contaminated the machinery with guano. This green slime is very acidic (you see what bird poo does to a car!) so can damage the mower blades and put staff at risk working or cleaning the machinery.

Call BTP today to discuss your requirement or advice on 01525 863 951

Goose Control

To deter troublesome geese from an area, various methods can be used:

Scaring with visuals e.g live hawks
Scaring with noise e.g distress calls, pyrotechnics
Fencing certain areas e.g water edges
Population control e.g egg oiling
Stop human feeders to reduce attractant

Canada and Egyptian geese can be controlled under then General licence, but all the conditions must be adhered to.

Access can be tricky on water, as boats are required in most cases.