The Okanagan’s annual goose-management program is halfway through its yearly schedule of population control.
For approximately eight weeks every spring, crews of two to six people visit local geese nests to addle fertilized eggs.
Egg addling involves either shaking eggs or coating them with a biodegradable oil to kill the embryo.
The addled eggs are then returned to the nest, where the geese will continue to incubate them until they realize the eggs won’t hatch.
“Egg addling is an important population management method to manage introduced populations of non-migratory Canada geese,” the City of Kelowna says.
“These geese are overpopulated and increase the risk of water contamination in our local water sources.”
Program coordinator Kate Hagmeier says the geese are descendants of various subspecies of Canada geese that came here 50 to 60 years ago.
The Okanagan’s estimated geese population is 2,500.
“These Canada geese were relocated here from other parts of Canada and the U.S. as part of controlled introduction programs and they would not be nesting in this region naturally,” Hagmeier said.
“This addling program only affects these introduced species.”
The city also says the program’s success hinges on finding new nests, and that the public can help out by reporting nests in their areas.
The public can send an email to coordinator@okanagangooseplan.com or call 1-877-943-3209.
“While reporting these sightings are encouraged, the public is asked to keep away from nests and to not touch eggs,” the city says.
The program, which runs throughout the valley, has addled more than 22,500 eggs in 17 years.
Hagmeier told Global News that the program usually wraps up by the May long weekend.
More information about the program is available online.
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