Good job so far!

By Richard D. Gainar, CEBS – Lake Management Committee

The Canada Goose goslings began hatching out around May 1^st.  We did a pretty good job neutralizing the goose nests that were located earlier thanks to your support and reports we received from concerned residents.  Now and through June is the time to be vigilant in watching for goslings and begin harassing them the day they show up.

According to Geoffery Westerfield of the ODNR, harassing the goslings is very important for limiting the number of resident geese on our lake during the rest of the year.  Separating the goslings from their parents even for a short time is an effective form of harassment.  Geoffery advises that whenever you can, try to separate goslings from the adult geese by stepping between them shooing the goslings away from the adults by waving your arms and making loud noises (do not make contact).  “Don’t stop anywhere short of the geese leaving your property”, says Geoffery.  Keep up the consistent and persistent harassment. Your goal is to send the message to the adult geese that your property is not a safe place to raise their young and to the goslings that Lake Roaming Rock can be a scary place.

June 1^st is an important date.  Geese will begin to molt (i.e. lose their flight feathers) around June 1^st.  If you don’t harass them off the property by that date, it becomes very difficult to remove them and you will likely be stuck with the geese till mid-July.

Geese excrement is a contributor to the E. coli levels in our lake.  In addition, it provides excess nutrients that feed the algae and weeds.  We love our geese, but a few less wouldn’t hurt either. 

Thanks for being lake responsible!