News
Canada geese increasing in Ohio
Canada geese seem to like calling Ohio home. But the increasing numbers are causing more problems and generating more complaints.
Monday, March 9th 2015, 4:24 PM EDT
Updated:
Canada geese seem to like calling Ohio home. But the increasing numbers are causing more problems and generating more complaints.
Canada geese have become a familiar sight and sound around the Valley,
"The population has just been booming the last 5 to 10 years, it's grown so quickly it's become a real problem," said Steve Avery from Mill Creek MetroParks.
Laurie Graber with the Ohio Division of Wildlife says the problem is that many Canada geese have begun to alter their migrations and have become permanent residents.
"They're in safe places such as urban areas where they're not hunted and they know that they're safe there," Graber said.
Canada geese are happy anywhere there is open water and short grass.
"The Metro Parks offer the best habitat for them, which is open water, we have three lakes plus the lily pond and lots of mowed areas," said Avery.
At the Newport Lake wetlands, 25 birds were counted, apparently waiting for the ice to melt. Canada geese mate for life and each spring will produce between 2 and 10 eggs.
Since 20-11 the metro parks have needed to become more aggressive in geese management.
Egg addling is a wildlife approved method of terminating egg development. Permits for addling are granted for areas where geese numbers are a problem.
"In 2014 we did get a permit and we actually addled 268 eggs and located 52 nests," Avery said.
That was more than double the number from 2011. The park also uses trained dogs to chase the birds from recreation areas. One of biggest complaints about the geese is excrement.
Just 50 geese can produce two and half tons of droppings in a year. Ohio currently has an estimated 140,000 Canada geese.
Canada geese have become a familiar sight and sound around the Valley,
"The population has just been booming the last 5 to 10 years, it's grown so quickly it's become a real problem," said Steve Avery from Mill Creek MetroParks.
Laurie Graber with the Ohio Division of Wildlife says the problem is that many Canada geese have begun to alter their migrations and have become permanent residents.
"They're in safe places such as urban areas where they're not hunted and they know that they're safe there," Graber said.
Canada geese are happy anywhere there is open water and short grass.
"The Metro Parks offer the best habitat for them, which is open water, we have three lakes plus the lily pond and lots of mowed areas," said Avery.
At the Newport Lake wetlands, 25 birds were counted, apparently waiting for the ice to melt. Canada geese mate for life and each spring will produce between 2 and 10 eggs.
Since 20-11 the metro parks have needed to become more aggressive in geese management.
Egg addling is a wildlife approved method of terminating egg development. Permits for addling are granted for areas where geese numbers are a problem.
"In 2014 we did get a permit and we actually addled 268 eggs and located 52 nests," Avery said.
That was more than double the number from 2011. The park also uses trained dogs to chase the birds from recreation areas. One of biggest complaints about the geese is excrement.
Just 50 geese can produce two and half tons of droppings in a year. Ohio currently has an estimated 140,000 Canada geese.
