The following was written and submitted by the Seven Lakes North Lakes & Dams Committee.
Have you noticed a spike in our resident geese population? How about an increase in the weeds and algae (and MUCK) in our lakes? Maybe you are tired of chasing those large and sometimes aggressive geese off your property? And even if you do scare them off immediately after they’ve landed on your lawn or dock, have they usually left a nasty surprise? Just how nasty ARE those droppings??
Goose feces harbor bacteria and parasites that are health hazards, including E.coli, listeria, giardia, salmonella, campylobacter, and cryptosporidium (which is most commonly spread by water.) Additionally, the feces contain nitrogen and phosphorus, which act as fertilizer to spur algae and weed growth.
Geese drop from 1.5-2 lbs of feces PER DAY. For one goose, that is 550-730 lbs every year. A one-day count of geese last June totaled 226 geese on the north and south sides of Seven Lakes. This would add up to approximately 70 TONS PER YEAR for our community.
If you have a child or grandchild who enjoys swimming in our lakes and playing in our parks, the explosion of the geese population should be of concern.
How can you help?
- Continue harassing the geese that invade your property. Dogs are good at chasing them off, and metallic tape (available on Amazon) helps to keep them away.
- Call the SLLA office (910.673.4931) to report nests. It would be helpful to also mark the nest with a landscape flag, available at the office.
- Sign up to help the dozen or so of your neighbors who have volunteered to reduce the number of eggs that hatch. This will be an on-going program.
In speaking with some West-side residents who have participated in that community’s egg-reduction program, their number of geese has declined from over 300 a few years ago to about 40; excellent results, but they were gearing up for this year’s nest search, as this needs to be done every spring. (It’s also a safe bet that many of the geese the West Side has scared off have landed on the north and south sides’ lakes and golf course!)
Let’s keep this beautiful place we call ‘home’, beautiful – and healthy!
P.S. PETA approves of egg addling in order to reduce Canada geese populations.
