There are a couple of concerns about procuring swans for geese control.

1. You will need to get a permit to have the swans on your lake and/or to import them into the state.

2. Some people swear by swans to remove geese, yet we consult for various sites which have geese and either the two species get along tremendously or the swans are spooked by the geese.

3. Floating islands do not always work as floating islands are not always accepted by the swans. One site that we consulted tried a floating island with grass. The swans and ducks ripped the island to shreds, there were grass pots (holding containers which are sunk in the islands) scattered throughout the lake and not one bird used the island as a roost or nesting site.

4. Swans have very long necks. If your water source is deplenished so that the swan can browse into the muck, they risk picking up the deadly botulinum toxin which can kill the birds. This toxin is especially prevalent when lakes have drawdowns.

We would suggest that you look into an alternative measure such as the use of a border collie, noise makers, or fake predator decoys mounted on and around the pond. We hope that this information is of benefit to you. The Regal Swan