Geese can sometimes be a nuisance, especially with how they tend to fly around in flocks with dozens of geese.
They can create a lot of noise with their honking, and they can be terrors when maintaining your lawn, clearing your lake, or keeping your crops safe.
But of course, most of us don’t want to hurt the geese. We want to drive them away from our property to finally get some peace of mind.
That’s where laser pointers swoop in to save the day! As a non-lethal stimulant, it has been proposed as a way to control many pestering animals, including geese.
However, do laser pointers scare geese?
According to our research, we’ve found that laser pointers do scare geese, as well as other birds. But if the geese see the laser disappear, they might come back after a while. It’s best to use the laser pointer repeatedly so that they learn your property is not a good spot for settling down.
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Are geese afraid of laser pointers?
The quick answer is: yes!
Geese are in fact afraid of laser pointers or at least alarmed by them.
This is because they see the laser as a potential danger since it’s bright and moves quickly, just like a predator would.
And since geese travel in flocks, if one goose is alarmed by the laser pointer, it will warn all of the other geese about the danger they’re in.
They will then waddle or swim away to avoid the laser pointer, and if you keep chasing them with the laser, the whole flock will eventually fly away.
There are some cases where some geese may stay behind, too stubborn to leave with their flock, but laser pointers should be able to drive most of them away.
To drive away geese with a laser pointer, you can follow these steps:
- Turn on your laser pointer and aim it at the ground.
- Slowly move it towards the geese until they notice it.
- Use the laser to herd them away from your property.
- Keep the laser close to them to maintain the sense of danger.
- Never let the laser pointer touch any part of the geese.
- If the geese come back, repeat the process until they realize your property isn’t a good place to stay.
If you want to drive away only certain species of geese, you will have to be more precise in aiming the laser so that you only scare the species that pester you.
Any laser pointer should be able to scare geese, but we’ve found that low-power, green laser pointers are the most effective at driving them away.
Will a laser pointer scare birds?
Yes! A laser pointer will also scare birds other than geese.
However, its effectiveness varies from species to species.
Some species will fly away from the laser but then come back within only a few hours or days.
Crows are some of the most tolerant of lasers. When scared off with a laser pointer, they come back to the same spot after only a few minutes.
Is it safe to use a laser pointer on geese?
In general, it is safe to use a laser pointer on geese, but you still have to take precautions, so you don’t accidentally harm them.
First, you need to be sure to use a laser pointer with a low-powered beam. It’s best if you choose a 1mW laser pointer, or at least nothing over 5mW, which is already powerful enough to damage human eyes.
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You don’t need something powerful enough to hurt or burn – just something bright enough for the geese to see. If you can get a laser pointer that has a wide beam, that would help with visibility as well.
Then, when using the laser pointer, be sure to never point it directly at the geese. This will help you avoid accidentally shining into their eyes, which could blind them.
You should also be careful not to aim the lasers into the air.
Even if it seems nothing is in the sky, the laser beam could land on or near an aircraft, which is against the law in many countries.
While laser pointers are a more humane way of driving away geese and other birds, they still should be used with care.
Just remember: if you have to be careful not to hurt yourself with it, you also have to be careful not to hurt other animals!
What noises scare away geese?
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If it’s hard to find a good laser pointer in your area or if you want to have options, you can also use noises to scare away geese!
The best noises to scare away geese include:
- Loud sounds from pyrotechnics or cannons
- Goose distress calls from electronic noisemakers
- Predator calls from electronic noisemakers
- Dog barks from either electronic noisemakers or real dogs
However, you’ll want to pair these loud sounds with visual stimulation!
If the geese see you or a dog coming towards them while the loud noise is going on, they will be less likely to come right back once the noise subsides.
If the geese don’t feel like they’re in physical danger, they might eventually get used to the noise, making it useless against them.
But once you teach the geese that the loud noise means potential physical danger is coming, they will begin to avoid your property and flock to safer areas.
Conclusion
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Geese are scared of laser pointers since the bright beams look like potential threats. When scaring them away, be sure to herd them, and never point the laser directly at their bodies.
You can also use laser pointers to scare away other types of birds, but the effectiveness will depend on the species.
To avoid hurting the geese or anyone else, always be sure to point the laser downwards and never directly at any living organism. We also recommend using a wide, low-powered green laser pointer to be safer.
And if you want to scare away geese using noises, the best way is to use electronic noisemakers that use geese distress calls, predator noises, or dog barks. You could also use pyrotechnics or cannons, but these might be too loud for your neighborhood.
No matter what technique you use, we hope that this article helped you find a peaceful way to drive away your local geese!
Vance is a dad, former software engineer, and tech lover. Knowing how a computer works becomes handy when he builds Pointer Clicker. His quest is to make tech more accessible for non-techie users. When not working with his team, you can find him caring for his son and gaming.