February 20, 2020

Golf Course has Immediate Bird Dispersal Results

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Location:Maryland, United States
Application context:Golf course
Problem definition:Reduce maintenance cost and solve bird problems
Bird species:Canadian geese (Anatidae)
Bird behaviorNesting
Number of systems:1 x Handheld
In use since:Early 2018
Bird reduction:70 – 80%
Benefits for the Needwood Golf Course:• The golf course got rid of 70 – 80% of the birds
• No more damage by geese
• Golfers can enjoy playing without bird droppings on the course

Needwood Golf Course has immediate bird dispersal results with the laser bird deterrent

Needwood Golf Course is an 18 hole course that is densely populated with trees and bodies of water. During the wintertime, the golf course becomes a nesting site for Canadian geese. The lake that occupies the area creates a gathering site for hundreds of these birds. Thanks to the Handheld, the golf course maintenance team succeeded in bird dispersal and reduced the number of geese.

Situation before

The Needwood Golf Course had 500 – 600 hundred geese on their course. They tried many methods, but nothing seemed to really have a great effect on dispersing the geese.

Situation after

By using the Handheld, Needwood Golf Course has been very successful in getting rid of hundreds of geese. The use of the Handheld drastically reduced the amount of time spent on cleaning up the mess left by the geese.

”There were so many bird droppings that at some point two persons had to spend 2-3 hours a day to keep the golf course clean”, James Weaver explains, Superintendent at Needwood Golf Course.

The golf course used a screamer siren and a banger, also known as a pyrotechnic pistol. However, these solutions were noisy and the geese began to recognize the sounds and stay put. This led James to search further for new bird control methods.

Needwood Golf Course found the right solution!

James Weaver has been working in the industry for over 30 years and has tried more than five different traditional bird control methods. James explained that he found out about the Handheld through another golf course that had a successful bird dispersal. He decided to try it as well, and within days they were able to reduce the bird numbers by 70-80%.

James says, “Geese hate the green laser beam. It gives me a kick to watch the birds disperse.”

The minute the Handheld was received in 2018, James would go out during dusk and dawn to disperse the geese. James says, “I really like going out in the golf cart and watch how the Handheld bird dispersal device easily repels the birds in seconds.”

After a couple of months of use, a survey was distributed to golfers about the cleanliness of the golf course, and there were no mentions about bird droppings from golfers anymore.

“We have some very sunny days, and sometimes this can make the laser less effective, but the highest population of the geese occurs during dusk and dawn, so we go out in the early mornings and use the Handheld.”

It is worth the investment!

“The other methods we used cost a lot of money and were not as effective, these methods were time-consuming and we had to use extra labor. I am the only one that uses the Handheld, and it only takes a few minutes each morning to see the effect of the bird dispersal device”, James explains.

James Weaver from Needwood Golf Course is a perfect example of how the Handheld can be used in semi-public spaces. James explains that every golf course should invest in a Handheld device.

James Weaver, Superintendent at Needwood Golf Course.


Bird Control Group’s automated laser bird repellent provides 24/7 protection from wild birds by shining a green laser light in the area affected by the problem. Get in touch via the form below if you are interested in learning more.

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