Ducks and geese may soon find South Portland a less hospitable place to poop.
Mill Creek Park is home to about 200 mallard ducks and Canada geese, each of which leaves 2 pounds of droppings around its 10 acres every day, according to the Portland Press Herald.
The park’s visitors are fed up with the bird feces, and the city is getting creative with its strategy to motivate the birds to beat their wings and migrate.
South Portland is considering installing a fence around Mill Creek Pond, covering the grass with geese repellent, sprinklers, alarms, air horns, dogs, lasers and remote-controlled boats to harass the waterfowl befouling the park, the Press Herald reported.
While South Portland park ranger Kristina Ertzner told the Press Herald there’s “no silver bullet” to the feathered menace, the city has ruled out culling the problem poopers. Lasers are ultimately unlikely to be used because of the park’s proximity to Portland International Jetport, and blocking the pond with a fence or hedges would just make the park less attractive to birds and humans alike.
Whatever combination of harassment the city plans to use against the birds, it plans to commence the campaign next spring, according to the newspaper.
In the meantime, Ertzner advised Mill Creek’s visitors to just not feed the birds.
