How To Keep Ducks And Geese Off Your Dock?

Ducks and geese are attracted to bodies of water, so it is common to find them around docks.

They stay there to look for prey and rest.

However, this may prove to be a problem because they are a bit difficult to get rid of.

They can rest on your dock, start nesting there, and the next thing you know, your dock is filled with these birds.

Nobody wants this, and neither do you.

Of course, there are some measures you can take to keep ducks and geese off your dock.

And here I have listed down everything you need to know about it.

But before getting to the ways to keep these birds off, let’s check what attracts them most to your dock…

What Attracts Ducks and Geese?

Geese and ducks love nature and water. And for this reason, they love to nest and rest near a body of water.

Particularly during the migration season, you will see the flocks of geese (called gangs) flying and coming to your dock in groups.

While you can’t get rid of the water, you can make your dock area less attractive for them.

Either block the dock for such animals or make it look scary so they don’t come to your dock in the first place.

Various species of ducks and geese may also be attracted if there is some kind of food or prey on your dock.

So, be sure to always keep it neat and clean.

Certain aquatic and terrestrial plants are also responsible for attracting Canadian geese and ducks like redheads and canvasbacks.

Since these plants help in protecting them from potential predators, they keep coming back for shelter to your dock, pond, and lakes.

10 Ways to Deter Ducks and Geese from Your Dock

Getting rid of ducks and geese from your dock is a challenge.

However, it is not impossible. You just have to be smart about what you do and incorporate these tips.

Here are the many ways you can try to keep geese and ducks off your dock.

1. Loud Noises to Scare Them

The best way to get rid of any animal from your property is to make them think there is a danger.

The best way to make them think is by using loud noises to scare them away.

This also works best because ducks and geese are always looking for a consistent environment.

They don’t like change at all. So, if you suddenly start producing loud noises on your dock, they will get scared and go away.

There are many ways to do this.

For example, you can use an air horn, fire a hunting rifle, or keep a speaker around on which you can play these loud noises.

The aim is to produce loud noises in any way you can.

2. Trap the Geese with Drop Nets

This is the perfect solution if you have a lot of geese and ducks on your dock.

The net will trap many of them at one time, and then you can quickly relocate them somewhere else.

However, this is an extensive measure, and you will need a few days to prepare for this.

Drop nets are nets that are suspended using four poles above the ground.

You can tie them to the poles on your dock and then trap the geese and ducks whenever they show up.

You can even lure these birds by keeping some sort of food for them so that they can smell it from far and show up.

Once they show up, you can just drop the net on them, and they will be trapped.

After this, you can safely relocate them or call your local animal control to handle the situation if there are too many of them.

3. Make Use of a Sonic Repellent

Sonic repellers are devices that emit the cries of a predator.

For example, it will emit the hunting cry of an animal that preys on ducks and Canadian geese.

These ultrasonic repellents will instantly scare the geese and ducks away because they will think they are in danger.

And as a result, they will flee from your dock and try to hide somewhere else.

If you do this frequently enough, they will think that their predator also lives near your dock.

This may deter them for a long-time.

Sonic repellers come in a variety of sizes, so you need to figure out the one that will best suit the size of your dock.

It may be expensive, so try other methods before you try this one.

4. Try Making Your Dock Look Scary

A scary dock will make it unwelcoming for the ducks and geese, and they will stay away.

However, this is not a long-term solution because there will come the point where these animals will get used to the scary dock.

It doesn’t hurt to try. So, you can use some visual aids to scare the geese.

You can place a fake animal around the docks. Just make sure that these animals are predators of ducks and geese.

Remember to place them in different areas of the dock that will keep geese from pooping on your dock.

To increase the amount of time it takes the ducks to get used to this you can keep changing places of these fake animals every day or two.

Doing this will make the ducks think that these are real animals, and they will stay as far as possible.

5. Don’t Feed the Birds

The reason that many geese and ducks are attracted to your property may be that the visitors on your dock are feeding them with grains such as corn, sorghum, or wheat.

Whenever people see birds they are tempted to feed them and see this as a calming activity.

If you see this happening on your dock, you should stop it.

After all, you are the landowner and will have to deal with the nuisance and health risks that ducks and geese bring.

Put up a sign around your dock that deters people from feeding the gang of geese and ducks.

If that doesn’t work, you can patrol yourself or hire someone to patrol around the docks to stop people from feeding.

6. Hire a Professional

If you have tried to get rid of the ducks and geese pooping in your yard or dock areas but have failed, then it is time to call a professional to put your worries to rest.

Do remember that some states also have regulations against the trapping of geese.

If you live in such a state, you have no choice but to hire a professional.

They will expertly remove these animals from your dock and safely relocate them elsewhere.

It will save you the time and effort of trying all these methods.

7. Use an Ultrasonic Disruptor

This is a frequency that only bats and birds can hear, and it drives them crazy.

You will not be able to hear it, but installing it on your dock can drive the ducks and geese away.

It will emit frequencies that ducks and geese hate and will never want to return to your dock again.

They may be costly, so do consider your budget before using this method.

Also, you should only use it as a last resort when you are out of other options.

8. Place Dori Poles on Your Dock

These poles can easily discourage ducks and geese from stepping their feet on your dock.

This is because they don’t like being under the shadow of a pennant, which drives them crazy.

Dori poles with flowing pennants are the perfect scare tactic because the pennants cast an extremely big shadow on the dock, and the ducks will not want to be under them.

Do remember that these only work effectively if your property doesn’t have too much wind.

The more wind there is, the more ineffective the pennant will be.

A slight breeze is the perfect amount of wind needed to scare these birds away.

9. Lights and Beacons

You can use these two items and place them in the water to get rid of any geese, ducklings, or ducks near your dock.

The intense light mixed with noise scares away the birds from coming on your dock.

Make sure to find beacons and strobe lights that come with different sounds, as they have proven to be the most effective.

Ducks and geese love a calm environment; these noises can cause a lot of unwanted disruptions that will scare them away for good.

10. Use Swan Decoys

You can place these on your dock or inside the water to deter the geese and ducks away from your property.

Swans have aggressive behavior similar to geese and ducks, so they will avoid the swans as much as possible.

You don’t even have to keep these swan or owl decoys all year long, as you will only find them to be the most useful when the migration season is going on.

Also, remember that this tactic shouldn’t be relied on completely and you should make use of the other tips as well to get the best results.

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Are Ducks and Geese the Same Thing?

Ducks and geese (along with other aquatic birds such as swans, coots, grebes, and loons) are all considered to be waterfowl, in the United States.

While these birds share many similarities, ducks and geese have few differences.

First of all, geese have much longer necks than ducks.

Ducks also have a lesser number of neck bones than compared geese and swans.

Due to these distinctive neck features, when you see Canadian geese and ducks (like common goldeneyes, hooded mergansers, mallard ducks, wood ducks, blue-winged teals, etc.), you can quickly tell them apart.

While certain geese and ducks can be sometimes aggressive, they do not fight with other birds or attack one another.

Are Ducks and Geese Dangerous for Humans?

Not dangerous to kill you, but they can create many problems for a landowner if not controlled.

The few common issues that are associated with ducks and geese include:

1- Noise:

While a single bird isn’t that loud, if they are present in groups or in huge numbers, the sound they create amplifies and can be a huge problem.

You may suffer from sleepless nights as the sound made by these birds cannot be blocked easily.

2- Pooping:

Gangs of geese can easily make your dock a favorite toilet for them.

The feces of a goose or a duck is often very slick which tends to create a slimy, mud-like coating on the ground surface.

Their poop material can also prove hazardous to nearby plants, humans, and pets.

3- Damages:

Infestations of goose and duck not only prove to be damaging to your dock but can also damage your nearby lawn or garden.

Their droppings can damage crops, grass, plants, and flowers and can also leave ugly patches around your backyard that can be a nightmare to clean.

4- Diseases:

Various species of geese and ducks (like waterfowl) may carry health risks due to the harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites they host.

Some of the most common health risks may include bird flu, swimmer’s itch, E-coli, and Cryptosporidiosis.

These diseases and/or bacteria may be transmitted via contact, feces, or fouled water.

5- Aggressive:

While not over bellicose, these birds can be territorial and angry.

They may choose to chase animals and humans away if they find them dangerous for their nests.

To steal away food they may also chase small children and may cause severe injuries to them.

Other Related Questions:

Can a duck bite hurt you?

Ducks and geese can become aggressive and can often bite you when threatened.

Usually, the male ducks (called Drakes) bite more often than females.

Many times, ducklings, when fed with hands, think of your hand as food and can bite mistakenly.

Based on the severity of a bite, you may feel hurt, or just a slight pinch which is not so serious but could result in painful bruises.

Certain species (like Muscovy ducks) also have a ridge to their beak, due to which they can even tear your skin off.

Wings of the duck or a goose can also be much more powerful – they can break your nose.

Can you fight or trap a goose?

Confronting a wild goose can be fearful but easy.

Especially if it’s a single goose that entered your property or home, you can scare off or neutralize it using a stick or a broom.

If the hissing goose with flapping wings is in the mood to attack you, you can first back away and then try to approach it slowly.

Try to make him docile by throwing a large towel or a bedsheet. Then trap it in a large-sized cage you may have at home.

If the goose is hungry, you can bait the cage trap using corn or bird feed. This will help you trap the goose without fighting with them.

If you are very agile, you can even try to grab the goose by the beak, ensuring that you do not injure or harm it in any way.

Once trapped, you can then transport the goose safely away from your property.

Can you legally kill Canada geese?

Since Canadian geese are a federally protected species, it’s illegal to kill or harm these birds.

You are also not allowed to hunt, sell, or purchase their parts (like feathers, eggs, nests, etc.)

If, however, you need to repel them away from your property you can use frightening humane techniques like lasers, guard dogs, noisemakers, or others without physically harming them in any way.

The Conclusion

Apart from being a nuisance, ducks, ducklings, and geese can pose health risks to humans too.

They may be carriers of parasites and bacteria that can be transmitted through water or other sources.

As a property owner, your main aim should be to keep your property as hygienic as possible.

This is why ducks and geese should be dealt with, with the appropriate measures.

Once this is done, your docks will be free of these birds, and you can go back to enjoying a nice and clean dock.