Shoreline FAQ #2: Won’t a beach attract more geese to my yard?

Just ask the goose. Sebastian the Talking Goose says geese prefer your lovely manicured lawn over a beach and natural plantings. Taking out part of your lawn to add a beach will likely mean fewer geese stop in to graze.

I’m sure you enjoy the birds and other wildlife that visit your shoreline property. That’s a major benefit of living on the water.

But Canada geese are another matter for most homeowners. They’re noisy, aggressive and messy. They’re often unwelcome guests.

A natural shoreline can actually decrease the number of visiting geese. A lawn extending to the lakeshore is a goose’s equivalent of a 24-hour salad bar. Geese eat turf grass and snails, and they prefer open areas with no shrubs and trees for predators to hide behind.

There are two effective strategies to deter geese. They can be used separately or together.

1. Separate the beach from your yard by a few steps. This makes the ascent too much of a hassle for most geese.
2. Plant native plants between your yard and the water. This creates a visual and physical barrier that separates the geese from your grass. You can add a path for beach access. But geese are reluctant to walk through taller vegetation.

“Our old yard was a landing strip for geese. Since we shrank the lawn area and added plants, the geese almost never come here anymore,” reports a Bellevue homeowner.

Diverse plantings are also likely to increase visits by songbirds and other desirable wildlife.

How do you deal with geese on the shoreline?

Adapted from City of Seattle, Green shorelines: Bulkhead alternatives for a healthier Lake Washington

Video created by Bret Shaw, Travis Balinas and Elizabeth Ryan from the Life Sciences Communication department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Find photos, examples and details about green shorelines here.

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