What to do when Waterfowl becomes a problem ...
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Ducks, geese, swans and cranes can cause problems near rivers, ponds and lakes. They feed on crops, grass and other vegetation. During their summer molt, flightless birds may create more problems by trampling plants and leaving droppings. Whatever the problem with waterfowl, immediate action is crucial to successful control.
Farmers are encouraged to use early-ripening and damage-resistant plant varieties. Another strategy, delaying fall plowing, allows waterfowl to feed in harvested fields.
- Visual Bird Repellers: A combination of several frightening techniques may produce the best results, such as scarecrows, noisemakers, flags, balloons and dogs.
- Scarecrows should be of simple construction and move in the wind. Put one in every five acres and move them every two to five days.
- Old cars, farm machinery, pinwheels, streamers, fluorescent traffic cones and aluminum pie plates, if they move in the wind and make noise can also be effective waterfowl scares.
- Flags may be the most effective and least expensive control tool. Make two by three-foot black plastic flags on four-foot posts. Put one flag per acre in fields where waterfowl have been feeding, one per five acres in fields with no damage.
- Balloons, if properly maintained and frequently moved, can be effective waterfowl scares. Fill a two-foot diameter balloon with helium and anchor it with a 50 to 75 pound monofilament line.
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- Noisemakers:
- Sonic devices are a great choice if you have a lot of ducks and geese and a lot of property to protect.
- Contact your state animal damage control expert for advice on using explosives as noisemakers.
- Goose Repellant:
- Motion Detection & Sprinkler:
- Dogs: A free ranging dog, trained to chase birds as soon as they land, will discourage waterfowl. Please note that in many places it is illegal to allow dogs to make contact with or injure the ducks and geese.
Relevant Products:
- Sonic devices are a great choice if you have a lot of ducks and geese and a lot of property to protect. This solution is, however, the most expensive.
- Bird Barriers / Netting, etc..
- Bird Spikes & Bird-repellant Gels
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