EFFICACY OF TURF SHIELD REPELLENT ON REDUCING DAMAGE BY CANADA GEESE AND MALLARDS

Concentrations of 1/2 to 8 gal of Bird Shield repellent were tested to assess their efficacy on Canada geese and Mallards, determine their potential longevity under natural conditions, and develop strategies to control the bird\u27s use of turf grass areas where they had become physical, aesthetic or health problems to the resource\u27s manager. During the first phase of the trials, each of the concentrations appeared to reduce the birds\u27 use of the treated sites when compared with the untreated control sites. During the second phase of the trial, efficacy was more pronounced when a day use area at a state park was treated than when an adjacent campground was treated, even though the data suggest a pronounced reduction when both were compared with the control. The data also suggest that treating the first 100 feet of turf from the water\u27s edge reduces the birds\u27 activity over the remainder of the area, thus reducing the necessity for treating the entire area. The reduction, however, can be reduced by people feeding the birds while control is being attempted. While not a stated purpose of the research, it was found that a herbicide, 2,4-D, readily mixed with the repellent, did not adversely effect its properties and provided adequate broadleaf weed control where applied on the turf grass