Summer 2016 - 81
www.turftrends.com
Golf course superintendents can
turn to four-legged experts for their
Canada geese management needs.
It's a strategy superintendents
across the USA are using to
control problem birds. Geese eat
3-to-4 pounds of grass a day and
produce 2-to-3 pounds of poop a
day per bird. Goose feces are not
only a nuisance but can be a health
hazard, sometimes harboring the
parasites cryptosporidium and
giardia and a host of bacteria such
as E. coli, salmonella and listeria,
according to the federal Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jeremy Austin, experienced
professional dog handler
and owner of EYE DOG in
Fredericksburg, Va., opened
his company in 2014. He uses
highly-trained border collies
to provide superior, humane,
sustainable geese management
for golf courses in the Washington,
D.C., metropolitan area.
"I thought it could be done better
and more efficiently than what I had
seen elsewhere," Austin, 45, said.
DOGS MATTER
The quality of dogs is the
most important element.
"I take great care to get the
absolute best dogs that I
possibly can," Austin said. "I'm
very fortunate that I have very
renowned well-accomplished
DOGS MATTER
GEESE
GONE
owner provides bird
management in D.C. area
owner provides bird
management in D.C. area
By Allen Thayer
