Our Services
1What services do you provide?
We provide hazing patrols with seasonal egg addling and nest destruction. This ensures that resident geese on the property leave, and that goslings don’t become attached to your property. This stops the generational attachment to your property.
2Where do you operate?
We are located in the city of Detroit, and are happy to travel throughout the metro Detroit area including Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties
3What are your pricing terms?
Every property is unique, and we offer both short and long term contracts addressed to your specific needs and environment. Monthly plans start as low as $250/month.
4Is this a permanent solution to our goose problem?
We will do a heavy push in the first 30-60 days to thoroughly scare the goose population from their “home”. After that, we have to perform routine patrols because the geese will periodically return to check the grounds to see if they can safely return. The number of maintenance visits will vary on goose response, but it can be as little as once a week.
5Do you have to haze the geese all year?
This depends on your individual property. If geese are present all year and are raising goslings the hazing should be year round in order to control the population. If your property only experiences migratory geese then we will only have to make visits during a portion of the year or on an as-needed basis. Seasonally, it is less critical to haze the geese during the winter but patrols should still be maintained so there isn't a population build up in the Spring before nesting season.
Why Border Collies?
1What’s the difference between other goose control methods and using border collies?
Geese are curious and intelligent, and they quickly become attuned to empty scare tactics like balloons, loud noises and coyote decoys. Border collies resemble their natural predators and in the face of persistent harassment by a predator, the flock will simply relocate. According to researchers at Cornell University, Border Collies were by far the most successful goose control method, driving geese from bodies of water with a 94% success rate.
2Why do you use border collies and not another breed of dog?
Border collies have the same gaze and stalking stance as wolves, making geese instinctively fear them above other breeds. With a consistent application of hazing by the Border collie, geese will decide that the environment is too unsafe to continue living there.
3Are decoys effective?
Decoys are a great method to scare geese as long as the decoy is reinforced with a live threat. Geese continuously test out the safety of prime nesting sites, and will often approach potential threats to test danger levels. Once a goose approaches a decoy and nothing happens, the goose will call other geese in the area and they will settle in.
4Can I have my pet chase after geese?
Without proper training and handling your pet may harm or kill geese, which are federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Common Concerns
1Are your dogs friendly?
Our border collies are trained by award winning trainer and handler Barbara Ray of Big Bend Farm. She has trained Border Collies for over 30 years, and is a frequent contestant and judge at national Sheepdog Finals. Our dogs are socialized from an early age, respond to commands, and are strictly obedient while unleashed and working. They love people, and are friendly with the public.
2I’m concerned about public relations. Do you hurt the geese?
Our border collies are specifically trained to haze geese safely and effectively. They don’t have a natural kill instinct, instead preferring to herd and chase the animals. Our goose control methods simply scare geese and are endorsed by the Humane Society of America and The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). If a member of the public approaches us while we’re patrolling, we have handouts prepared by PETA that explain why hazing is a humane solution to human-goose conflicts. Goose hazing is the most effective way to avoid goose round ups and extermination by the state.
3We also have ducks on the property, but we don’t want them to leave.
We can selectively haze the bird population on your property so that only ducks remain. However, please know that any birds on your water feature will attract geese back to your property.