Environment
A Matter Of Taste: Geese From Canada, Not Italy
April 24, 2013 
Hoping the geese which have become pests at local parks are purebred Canada geese and not of Italian descent, tests are underway at Sandy Point below Lucky Peak to see if garlic spray works to deter geese at the swimming area.
Following a tip from reader Dave Ellis of Homedale, the GUARDIAN cut a deal with a California pest repellant manufacturer to test a spray of 99% pure garlic extract which is supposed to chase off everything from mosquitoes to armadillos. We gave the concentrate to the Idaho State Park at Lucky Peak where geese have been a persistent problem.
The grassy area near the concession stand has been a favorite for the geese and it was treated Wednesday with the garlic oil mixture. If you care to offer any observations or pictures in the next few weeks, we will report the results. Meanwhile Boise Parks will be monitoring the results of the State Park experiment as well as the Idaho Fish and Game Dept.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Apr 24, 2013, 3:02 pm
How about treating the geese themselves with a garlic mixture? And maybe a little red wine? And then about an hour in a 350-degree oven?
Apr 25, 2013, 4:33 am
Slfisher. Tasty!
Apr 25, 2013, 8:10 am
SL.. I didn’t realize geese were that rare. Yuch. Yuch.
Apr 25, 2013, 8:32 am
A piece of lead dispensed in the proper form would also make a good repellent.
Does this mean Geese are related to Dracula?
Apr 25, 2013, 9:53 am
The pessimist in me just knows that some humans will complain about the terrible smell. The environmentalist in me applauds this very eco-friendly experiment and hopes that it works. The Community spirit in me thanks you, Guardian, for putting some money up for betterment.
But, really, what’s the scoop on the poop!
Apr 25, 2013, 10:00 am
Right. These honkers are no longer “wild” birds, they have self-domesticated, to the detriment of our parks. Why not stage a goose shoot twice a year for bow hunters?
Apr 25, 2013, 11:50 am
I’m grateful to the Parks people for letting dogs run loose at Morrison Park…..went for a walk there recently and only a handful of honkers to be seen, none of them on the wide greensward used for soccer games etc.
Apr 25, 2013, 9:48 pm
Why Boise Parks? Isn’t this a State of Idaho Parks & Rec facility?
EDITOR NOTE–We invited anyone with a goose problem to check out the product, application method, and results.