The Garden Decor That Performs Double Duty And Can Repel Geese

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Most of the time, it's a delight when wildlife comes by your backyard to say hello. But even if you want to attract a diverse variety of birds, not every guest is welcome. Geese, for example, aren't exactly the kind of neighbors you want. And if you live near a body of water, chances are they'll try to swing by. If you want to keep them away, there's a simple solution that doubles as decor: solar lights. 

The reason why solar lights can help kick geese off your property, or prevent them from moving in at all, is because geese are diurnal animals. This means that they sleep at night and live during the day, just like us. Having a lighting system is a great way to annoy them while they try to sleep at night, which is a gentle way to usher them out of your yard and towards a calmer and darker spot. 

While disturbing sleeping wildlife may sound mean, there are plenty of good reasons to do it. First of all, geese aren't exactly friendly neighbors; they're aggressive and reactive and can even bite people, especially if they're defending a nest. Another reason geese are terrible visitors is, well, their poop. These birds leave nasty droppings everywhere they go, which can even contain parasites and pathogens like E. coli. And, let's not forget, geese aren't exactly quiet — their incessant noise could drive even the most dedicated animal lovers crazy. Luckily, solar lights can help to keep geese far away from your yard.

Solar-powered lights are a convenient option for keeping geese away since they can recharge just by being outside in the sun. If you live in a cloudy area, don't worry — solar lamps recharge in overcast weather, too. Plus, outdoor lamps that work with solar energy are easy to set up since there's no wiring required.

But when people recommend using solar lights as geese prevention, they don't mean your small basic pathway lights. There are geese deterrent lights specifically designed for this purpose which, unlike standard garden lights, emit a flashing light every few seconds. This is intended to bother geese until they leave. These lights are often motion-activated and sometimes emit ultrasonic sounds, like this LHNVXF solar ultrasonic animal repeller. Think of it as adding a scarecrow-like gadget to your garden decor. Be mindful, however, that ultrasonic noise can bother people and pets.

If you don't like how these look, or if you have any other animals on the property that you don't want to disturb, another option that doubles as decor is a light post. Go for something on the taller side so that it can light up more surface area of your yard. For example, this Joyoowild solar lamp post could be a first step in trying to solve a goose problem without investing in a flashing scarecrow. You can also find solar lights to light up your yard at brick-and-mortar stores like Costco or Walmart.

If there's no water on your property but geese are still coming to your yard at night, you can simply place the solar lights wherever they've set up camp to kick them off. However, the birds could just move to the closest dark spot, so you may need to use several lamps to ensure all corners of your yard are lit up. If you don't want to keep your outdoor lights on all night, opt for motion-activated lights.

Geese can sleep on both water and dry land, so if there's a body of water on your property where birds can sleep, it complicates things a bit. If it's a small body of water like a pond, placing lights around the shoreline to shine into the pond could be enough to prevent birds from sleeping there. Remember, the idea is to prevent the geese from sleeping comfortably, so if they can still find a dark corner to sleep in and escape the light, they will.

If the pond or lake is too large and garden lights along the shore don't reach far enough to sufficiently brighten up the entire body of water, you may need to try a different approach. As an alternative solution, there are some floating solar lights that can be set out in the middle of the water to keep geese from using it as a resting place. From afar, they might look like floating lanterns and add a bit of charm to your outdoor space.