Geese and especially goslings can be fun to admire if they visit your home, but sometimes they overstay their welcome. They can leave a big mess too.

Here are some simple ways to encourage geese to find a new place to enjoy if they are spending too much time on your property.

Hard to believe that Canada geese were once a rare site in West Michigan. They can be found everywhere and in big numbers too. The Michigan DNR says they were nearly extinct in the 1950s because of unregulated overhunting and wetland habitat loss.

In Michigan today, the number of giant Canada geese counted each spring is well over 300,000. They nest in every Michigan county, but are most common in the southern third of the state, where 78 percent of the goose population is found.

Geese are herbivores and prefer grass shoots, aquatic vegetation, seed heads and various grains. Adult Canada geese have very few predators.

The Michigan DNR shares five ways to keep geese out of your yard.

  1. GRAPE CONCENTRATE - Repellents on the lawn deter geese from feeding on the grass. Grape concentrate works especially well. Who knew?
  2. SCARE THEM - Bird-scare balloons, loud noises and mylar tape will make your yard seem like a haunted house to Canada geese.
  3. STOP TAKING CARE OF YOUR GRASS - Allow the grass to grow long and don't fertilize or water it. Your neighbors won't like it and neither will geese.
  4. BUILD A WALL - In June and July, Canada geese are unable to fly because they are shedding feathers. Construct a temporary barrier between your yard and water to keep flightless geese out. Good luck getting Canada to pay for your wall.
  5. DON'T FEED THEM - If you're feeding them and you don't want them in your yard we feel like you haven't really thought this through.

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