Uncle Sam wants you in war against Canada geese

In the war against resident Canada geese, Uncle Sam wants you.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services has produced a video showing how property owners can treat geese eggs with vegetable oil to prevent them from hatching.

And the time to do it is now.

Property owners who register with the agency at www.fws.gov/permits can carry out the work between March 1 and June 30,

According to the department, the growing numbers of resident Canada geese pose a threat to public health and safety and cause damage to property, agriculture and natural resources.

In 2009, the estimated population of resident Canada geese in North America reached 3.89 million, a nearly 17 fold increase since 1970.

"This video can assist individual property owners in working independently to reduce damage by newly hatched geese that remain at the sites where they were hatched," William Clay, the Wildlife Services' deputy administrator, said in a statement. "Egg treatment is not an immediate remedy for existing overabundant populations; however, adult geese may respond better to dispersal methods without goslings present."

The agency estimates that treating 95 percent of resident Canada goose eggs each year could result in a 25 percent reduction in population over 10 years.

In 2009, less than 3 percent of the nests were treated in the Atlantic Flyway.

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