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Vancouver’s parks board turns to addling with frozen eggs to control geese populations

Canada geese are defecating every 12 minutes on Vancouver’s green spaces, prompting a challenge in cleanup and controlling population numbers.

The city’s board of parks and recreation has asked the public to report nesting sites so that the birds’ eggs can be replaced with frozen ones. The replacement of eggs, known as addling, is regarded as a humane means of controlling geese populations.

Canada geese are adapting to urban landscapes and are wreaking greater havoc with their presence. With few natural predators, geese numbers are increasing which is leading to extensive damage at city parks. Additionally, they are polluting beaches and outdoor swimming pools and behave aggressively during mating season.

Thousands of goose eggs have been addled over the past 10 years, the parks and recreation board reports.