If you are a pond owner, I'm sure you have seen your fair share of geese make themselves at home each year. Geese can be enjoyable to watch if their population stays to a minimum. Before you welcome them with open arms you should be aware of some of the problems they can bring.
First of all, geese can carry several potent diseases that affect humans everywhere. The first disease I’m going to discuss with you is called: swimmer’s itch. This is actually caused by parasites that live on geese; they infest the water and cling to the humans that happen to take a dip in their ecosystem. Each time an individual gets this severe itching syndrome, the symptoms increase in severity and become more and more intolerable each time it occurs. The next disease is called: Histoplasmosis, this is a fungal disease contracted through airborne spores in goose droppings; the symptoms include: mild influenza, blood abnormalities, fever, and even death. Then, there’s another separate disease called: Toxoplasmosis, this is an infection that invades the epidermal layers, spreading into the Central Nervous System and if it is given enough time, results in severe damage to the body and nerves as a whole (this is especially true in infants). Our next illness up for examination is called: Salmonella, it is yet another disease which is spread through contact with goose fecal matter; symptoms include: diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and chills. Finally, we have a disease simply known as: Giardia, this is spread through soil/water that has been tainted with goose droppings, symptoms for this illness include: cramps, bloating, diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss. If you exhibit symptoms of any of these illness contact your physician immediately.
Secondly, these water fowl are a transport system for several unappealing insects. Bed bugs are one of the passengers on this live airplane; they bite humans, causing itchy red welts to appear all over the body. The next two biters we have aboard this flight are mites and fleas, nasty buggers that are more of a nuisance to society. Next we have the bloodsucking parasites of this bird, Conenose Bugs and Ticks become more than a nuisance when they not only live off your blood source, but also spread their own diseases to you.
Finally, we have some other problems that happen with overpopulation. First off, goose droppings are prevalent and very aesthetically unpleasing to the eye when people are trying to enjoy the view of the landscape. Second, inappropriate nesting behavior may occur if there is an overabundance of geese in the area. And finally, agricultural damage can occur through consumption or trampling.
So, in the end you need to decide, are the geese worth all this hassle and disease? Or are your health, landscape, and crop yields worth more than these drab water fowl? Sanco has many tips to help
prevent geese from taking over your pond.
