Geese can be a nuisance in many settings, from public parks to golf courses to backyards. Their droppings can make a mess, and they can be aggressive during nesting season. Some property owners and managers have turned to using fake snakes to try to scare geese away and prevent them from taking up residence. But does this method actually work? Let’s take a look at the evidence.
How do fake snakes supposedly deter geese?
The idea behind using fake snakes to deter geese is that geese will see the snakes, mistake them for being real, and avoid the area because they fear being eaten by the perceived predator. Geese have many natural predators, including snakes, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, and large birds of prey. Instinct tells geese to be wary around snakes and seek safety in numbers.
So the logic follows that strategically placing fake snakes around a property could trick geese into thinking the habitat is full of predators and not a safe place to be. Geese might choose toinstead land elsewhere where there are no fake snakes lurking about.
Anecdotes about fake snakes working
There are many anecdotal stories of fake snakes effectively scaring away nuisance geese. For example, some golf courses have reported less goose droppings and damage after putting replica snakes near water hazards and other goose hotspots. Park managers have claimed geese abandoned picnic areas and stopped harassing park goers once fake snakes were installed.
Homeowners have shared accounts of geese no longer treating their yards like a buffet or restroom after adding a few imitation serpents around the property. These stories suggest the decoy snakes created an illusion of risk that convinced geese to go elsewhere.
Scientific research on fake snakes as goose deterrents
While anecdotes abound, what does objective research have to say about the effectiveness of fake snakes? Several studies have directly tested how geese respond to replica snakes. Here is a summary of key scientific findings on this deterrent method:
Study 1 – 2001
| Year | 2001 |
| Researchers | Aguilera et al. |
| Location | Orange County, CA |
| Deterrent Tested | Fake snakes (plastic, cloth, rubber) |
| Findings | Geese initially avoided areas with fake snakes but habituated over time. After 3-4 weeks, geese treated the snakes as non-threatening and resumed normal activity. |
This first study demonstrated that fake snakes can deter geese initially but lose effectiveness over time as geese realize the snakes are not real and do not pose a predation risk. The researchers concluded that replica snakes provide only short-term deterrence.
Study 2 – 2006
| Year | 2006 |
| Researchers | Seamans et al. |
| Location | Ohio |
| Deterrent Tested | Fake snakes with moving tongue activated by wind or battery |
| Findings | Motion-activated fake snakes showed modest but statistically significant deterrence against geese settling in an area compared to controls with no snakes. |
The second study tested if enhancing realism through movement could extend the effectiveness of fake snakes. The animated decoys did perform slightly better than motionless snakes. But geese still habituated within 5-7 weeks in this study.
Study 3 – 2007
| Year | 2007 |
| Researchers | Holevinski et al. |
| Location | Michigan |
| Deterrent Tested | Fake snakes combined with goose distress calls played from speakers |
| Findings | The multi-sensory combination achieved better goose deterrence than snakes alone. But geese still habituated within several weeks. |
Researchers tested if enhancing the snake decoys with alarming goose distress calls would produce greater fear and deterrence. The multi-sensory approach did work better than just visual snakes. But the recordings could not prevent habituation.
Study 4 – 2009
| Year | 2009 |
| Researchers | Aguilera et al. |
| Location | California |
| Deterrent Tested | Fake snakes moved frequently to new locations |
| Findings | Changing snake positions helped delay habituation and extended deterrent effects, but geese eventually stopped responding to the replicas. |
Researchers tested if constantly moving the fake snakes to new spots would make geese continually uncertain about safety and prevent habituation. This strategy worked better than static unchanging snakes, but still only delayed rather than prevented habituation.
Why do geese habituate to fake snakes?
The collective evidence from controlled studies indicates that replica snakes may deter geese initially but then lose effectiveness over time as geese learn the snakes pose no actual threat. But why exactly do geese habituate?
Lack of movement
Geese likely realize the fake snakes are not real because they remain perfectly still. Real snakes constantly move andShift positions. The total motionlessness likely gives away the replicas as false threats. As one research report noted, “inactive snakes are soon considered to be stones or sticks by geese.”
No scent
Even before spotting a snake visually, geese and other prey animals can detect snakes through scent. When a snake is present, geese sense chemical cues signaling a predator. The complete lack of snake scent from a fake betrays the absence of real danger.
No confrontation
Geese appear to occasionally directly test the fake snakes. One study observed geese pecking at and probing stationary snakes. When the replicas fail to respond or move, geese learn they are harmless objects instead of living dangers.
Safety in numbers
Geese may overcome fear of the unknown threat through mobbing behavior. When one brave goose directly investigates and exposes a fake snake, other geese observe and then follow suit through social learning. The more geese mob a replica, the quicker habituation sets in.
Conclusions
Based on multiple controlled experiments, using fake snakes to scare away nuisance geese often has only short-term effectiveness. Geese eventually see through the decoy tactic in a matter of weeks to months. However, changing snake positions frequently can help prolong the deterrent effect. Adding movement and goose distress calls can provide modest additional effectiveness as well.
For the best results, fake snakes should be used sparingly and their locations rotated consistently. They work best when combined with an integrated program of multiple other hazing methods, including sprinklers, strobe lights, lasers, and noisemakers. With varied techniques, the geese will have a harder time habituating.
But ultimately, fake serpents can startle geese at first but do not reliably offer a stand-alone long-term solution. Clever geese see through this ruse before too long. They understand an immobile, scentless, plastic imposter poses little danger. Other more creative non-lethal strategies will be needed to humanely keep geese at bay and prevent over-habituation.
