Numerous young wild geese can be observed these days in the middle of Nuremberg. At the Wöhrder See east of the city center they are out with their parents in the meadows to eat grass. “We have the impression that there are fewer than in previous years,” says André Winkel from the Public Space Service (SÖR).
This could be due to natural fluctuations or to the clutch treatment. Some eggs in the nests are punctured so that no chicks develop in them. “You have to watch that over the long term,” says Winkel.
Nuremberg has been testing the scrim treatment for some time. In the past, complaints had increased in Bavaria’s second-largest city because families, sunbathers and sports enthusiasts had to avoid groups of geese and piles of dung at Lake Wöhrder in the warm months. According to Winkel, SÖR employees are collecting the droppings from the lawns every morning again this year – currently still by hand. When the quantities increase, collection machines come into play again.