We know why you love living on Martha’s Vineyard. For the same reasons we do: the breathtaking ocean views, the picturesque homes and gardens, the friendliness of your neighbors coupled with enough privacy to let you relax. What’s not to love? Well, there is that one problem that has gotten to be such a nuisance over the past few years…
Geese.
Geese can be good in their own way. If you want to keep your grass short or get rid of weeds, one goose (or gander) can eat up to three pounds of grass in one day. In fact, geese primarily eat grass, so when you see one foraging on your beautiful lawn, it isn’t eating bugs; it is eating your sod or turf.
One or two geese swimming on a pond or walking across your lawn may not seem to be a huge problem. Until it is.
That same goose eating your grass can leave up to two pounds of droppings. Also, since geese mate for life and typically live in gaggles – yes, that really is what a group of geese on land is called – it is highly unusual to see only one. This means the problem can quickly become overwhelming and cause significant damage to your lawn and landscaping.
You’ll find many suggestions for deterring geese: from flashing strobe lights to motion sensor water sprinklers to coyote decoys to broadcasting goose distress calls. While these options may work to a certain extent, they aren’t optimal for adding the relaxing ambiance you want on your property and they aren’t typically long-lasting.
Other suggestions are less intrusive and can enhance your property. For example, some plants are natural repellants. Geese do not like English ivy or Japanese pachysandra. They also do not like dense bushes or trees. Thus, you might consider adding some of these to your landscaping. Instead of a smooth rolling lawn, you might break up your turf with plantings that invite other wildlife or birds. Planting tight groupings of flowers, shrubs and small trees of varying sizes will provide a canopy that butterflies and birds love but that will not be attractive to geese. One problem with this solution is that you are not likely to add such plantings to your entire property.
The best way to preserve and care for your Martha’s Vineyard property is to partner with us, Geese Partners.
Our goal is to help repel Canadian Geese from your yard and help you take back your turf. One other interesting fact about geese is that they can see ultraviolet light. This is important because our safe and effective recurring goose repellent spray solution is visible to geese under ultraviolet light, which helps them learn not to feed on treated areas. You can learn more about GEESE-X by Geese Partners here. Contact us with questions or for a free estimate.