If you’ve ever asked yourself “Do geese eat bugs and pests?” you are in for a treat! Today we will discuss how these beautiful creatures can be an effective form of natural pest control in gardens.
While geese primarily live on grasses and greens, they do enjoy eating dragonflies, crickets, beetles, and of course those pesky bugs like aphids and mosquitos!
I have a goose that is in my garden that I call Whiskey, and she is a great help to my farm as a natural pest controller and I feel very lucky to have her! I raised her by hand, and I believe she brings so much joy. She also enjoys just hanging out with me.
If you have ever own or had any involvement with a goose as part of your homesteading venture, you understand how wonderful, majestic, and effective these creatures can be! If you are anyone with some land thinking about bringing a goose to your property, this article might help convince you!
In this article, we will go over the essentials between domestic versus wild geese, more about the diet of domestic geese, how to love pet geese, and the many ways Geese are beneficial to the farm and as a natural pest control.
What Is A Goose?
Overview Of Geese As Waterfowl
A goose is a large waterfowl. Waterfowl include all species of:
- Ducks
- Geese
- Swans
Large aquatic birds are typically found near water and require some sort of aquatic habitat to survive, they can be found on every continent of the globe other than Antarctica! They are adaptable habitat-wise, they can travel distances when migrating and, I think they are pretty cute!
Differences Between Wild And Domestic Geese
Geese were domesticated 3,000-11,000 years ago during the Neolithic period. Domesticated geese hail from Eurasian geese, the greylag, and swans. There are a few differences between domestic and wild geese including size and plumage colourings. Here are some of the main differences between the two:
Wild Geese
- Wild geese migrate
- Wild geese are herbivores
- Live a monogamous existence, meaning they will remain with the same partner for their lifetime
- Wild geese can fly
Domesticated geese
- Domestic geese do not migrate
- Domestic geese are omnivores
- Domestic geese are generally bigger than wild geese
- Domestic geese live a polygamous existence, meaning they will have more than one mate in a breeding season
- Domestic geese cannot fly, or can only fly very short distances
Do Geese Eat Bugs? Understanding Their Diets
This section will explore the question, do geese eat bugs, in more depth? You will be surprised by the multitude of insects that they will eat!
Geese are omnivores with opportunistic feeders which means they can be adaptable and eat plenty of different plants and insects.
A goose’s habitat will define their primary food source, the primary component of their diet will grow from a plant resource and insects do make up a part of the goose diet such as dragonfly and aphids, which is important in proving your goose is effective for pest control in your garden.
Let’s take a few moments to look at the diet of a domestic goose.
| Plant Diet | Insect & Bugs |
|---|---|
| Clover | Aquatic Insects |
| Alfalfa | Terrestrial invertebrates |
| Grass | Dragonflies |
| Duckweed | Beetles |
| Algae | Caterpillars |
| Roots, Shoots, Stems | Crickets |
| Seeds | Grasshoppers |
| Leaves | Mosquitos |
| Grain | Aphids |
| Berries | Worms |
Seasonal Diet Changes: What Do Geese Eat Throughout The Year?
Geese are notorious for dietary variation with the seasons. Throughout the summer, the answer to do geese eat bugs is overwhelmingly in the affirmative because insects make up a significant part of their diet and provide an unknowing but welcome form of pest control for gardeners.
While it is true that there is a large variety of available food from spring-fall, there is less variety in the winter. For more effective pest control, it is valuable for gardeners to be aware of seasonal variation.
Spring
During the spring, the geese will take advantage of the new insect populations and new plant growth. A great time to use them as nature’s bug mitigation in your garden, just keep them away from your veggie seedlings!
Summer
The time is perfect for using geese to control pests in the garden! They are taking advantage of the high bug population, eating dragonflies, beetles, aphids, and any other bugs they can find! In the summer, they are eating both insects and greens.
Greens (like grass and plant material) make up about 90% of a goose’s diet. They also eat berries during this season.
Fall
In the autumn, they still eat a few insects and critters that are still scurrying about. They will eat plant matter and berries, until they are no longer available.
Winter
During the winter season, as bugs die off, they are more reliant on eating grain. This is more pronounced in snow covered areas than in non-snow covered areas.
Their grain feed can consist of oats, wheat and corn. It is best to buy your feed from your local farm store, as they will have the right ratios needed to keep healthy geese.
How Much Do Geese Eat?
Geese are big eaters! The daily food intake of a goose is up to four pounds. But they also poop up to 3 pounds a day as well!
How Geese Act As Natural Pest Control In Your Garden
Whiskey, my garden goose, is not only a companion, but is also a great assist in helping to regulate the insect population in my garden.
Geese As Natural Pest Control For Gardeners
When you add geese to your garden it can be a great way to control some of your garden pests. So, do geese eat bugs? Yes, and this can be really helpful for your garden.
Geese are considered a method of biological control. They consume unwanted insects that could be harmful to agricultural crops, including:
- Grasshoppers
- Beetles
- Aphids
- Ticks
They contribute to living in balance within a healthy ecosystem by limiting the amount of these insects present.
The daily feeding habits of a goose has a positive effect on the ecosystem, they control insects’ populations while managing the weeds and grass to a low height.
Geese are great lawn mowers! Lawn mowers which in turn assist with limiting other insects such as ticks who prefer tall grass.
Geese And Regenerative Agriculture: Benefits For Gardeners
Geese can be helpful in the garden! They have many positive contributions to a successful homesteading lifestyle. Geese are part of regenerative agriculture for biological pest control, natural grazing, and fertilization.
Regenerative agriculture looks to maintain a balance in our ecosystem. The goal is to practice organic, sustainable growing methods to enhance soil quality, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and find ways to work as systematically as possible within the natural biospheric life cycle.
Natural Fertilization
Geese reduce pests and contribute to soil health by adding droppings (feces) to the soil. Goose droppings make great fertilizer for the garden.
They will poop as they are foraging for bugs and grasses all around the garden! You can then add the poop to your compost pile to help create healthy soils!
In addition, as they foraged, scratch, and kick, they aerate the ground and stimulate microbial activity, which promotes healthy plant growth.
It is also important to note that geese really poop a lot! Geese can poop up to three pounds a day!
They do best in an open area to prevent overwhelming the garden with the amount of poop they may produce on an average day in the evening exhibiting limited amount of back and forth in the case of raised beds.
There droppings can burn plants if too much is dropped during one single scraping of grass or foraging especially i the garden space.
Garden Protectors
Geese also help protect other livestock like chickens or ducks. They deterrent birds of prey on the farmhouse. They are very territorial and enjoy protecting their homestead.
They call loudly and are a great warning system as they will alert you to danger. They are perfect guard geese, just like guard dogs!
Geese As Pets: Can Geese Benefit Your Garden And Home?
For those of you considering ways to beautify your garden environment, geese may be the answer you’ve been searching for.
Understanding do geese eat bugs will help you make a plan for housing them and strategically placing them in their efforts to control horticulture pests.
Tips For Gardeners
Now that you are planning your garden, you should think about how geese pest control in gardens can foster a more balanced ecosystem and lessen the need for chemical pesticides.
The biggest tip for gardeners is to research different varieties of geese! Decide on what role the goose will play for your homesteading endeavor whether that be meat or egg production, protection, or as a pet! Based on the type of activity the goose will fulfill, you can make a decision on what breed of goose will be best suited to your homestead and family.
Be sure that you have fenced areas on your property, geese will tour all over the place and it is often nice to be able to keep them off your front lawn! If you have a goose that tends to be aggressive, being able to manage whether or not they are able to access certain areas can come in handy as well!
If you plan to raise a goose as a pet friend, I would recommend that you either rent or buy an incubator and hand raisel from a hatchling. Geese typically imprint on their caregivers early on. If you are with a goose from day one, you will be able to train it to be friendly and loving, especially around children!
Have your children handle the gosling everyday! This is an excellent way to engage children with nature based activities and show them the world our food comes from, the circle of life and the value of respecting and treating animals well.
The Temperament Of Domestic Geese As Pets
When raised from hatching by hand, geese can be affectionate and loving as pets. They are curious creatures, smart, and enjoy being in the company of their people.
They are great companions, they will meet you at the gate to the garden and follow you around for attention when you are on the property. They will even hug you!
There are certain varieties of geese that display a milder temperament and are classified as kinder and sweeter than others. Sebastopol geese are one of those breeds.
Sebastopol geese have soft, curly feathers, and are smaller than other varieties of geese. If you are interested in raising geese as a pet, Sebastopol geese are worth considering.
How Geese Raised By Hand Can Bond With Humans And Contribute Positively To Home Gardens
Having my garden goose is a true benefit to my mental health. They put my mind at ease. I can leave my chickens and ducks together knowing they are safe with my goose.
I enjoy being in the garden with my garden goose. When you raise your goose from hatchling, you have that bond that is so strong.
Geese who are not hand raised can be aggressive. For example, geese are always protective of the homestead.
If the geese have not had time one-on-one with a human, they can be brassy, for instance, some will run or charge at a person to get them away from the area.
If you are looking for a calm garden goose, I would recommend you hand-raise the goose as a hatchling. Raising the goose it can work with you on a grand level.
If you handle them and care for them with love every day for a specified time, the goose will get very comfortable with you.
Geese As Protectors And Companions For Other Animals
Geese form beautiful relationships with fellow farm animals. They will spend a lot of time just hanging around the chickens, and getting in with the other animals on the farm.
Geese also love to be with their own kind… it’s always best to have at least 2 geese so they can flock together!
Raising Geese For Meat
Raising geese for meat is another way to sustain yourself and grow your food. Toulouse is one of the best varieties for meat. Geese will also provide you eggs which are an added protein bonus.
How Raising Geese For Meat Can Be An Additional Benefit For Homesteads And Farms
Geese offer wonderful value and contribute plentiful meat and a steady supply of eggs to the homestead. They require minimal care and upkeep, and are quite cost effective.
They can graze the grass on your lawn, and they will also help interfere with insect populations. Many of your possessions such as pillows, duvets, and coats, can also be stuffed with down feathers!
Their Territorial Nature And How It Helps Protect Other Animals And From Predators.
Geese can be quite territorial as a species. This behavior trait can be beneficial in keeping your livestock safe by scaring away common predators from your property. They will gladly honk loudly and even charge at anything they perceive as suspicious.
The noise that geese make, or their calls, are generally used for an alarm call to alert other animals that a threat may be nearby. If a potential predator comes too close, geese will actually attack with their beak and wings.
Some breeds of geese are more aggressive than others. African geese or Chinese geese would be the more aggressive breeds.
Why Geese Are The Perfect Garden Helpers
There are numerous advantages to including geese in your gardening experience. They support a sustainable garden ecosystem and provide pest control and lawn maintenance.
They can make excellent pets for your farm and are an additional safeguard to protect your homesteading lifestyle.
I hope this article you found interesting and you can carry valuable information with you! Having a garden goose was one of my best homesteading decisions!
In summary, knowing the answer to the query ‘do geese eat bugs?’ is valuable information for any gardener. Using geese for natural pest control eventually reduces the need for chemical pesticides and helps improve the overall health of your garden ecosystem.