New London — For 20 years, Coast Guard Academy officials have tried in varying degrees to deter the unwanted visitors who have wreaked havoc on academy grounds, mainly the lower athletic fields.

The problem is what they're leaving behind. Wild geese have left droppings on the baseball, soccer and softball fields and also on the track, and the main concern is that their droppings may potentially pass diseases to individuals who come in contact with them, Lt. Megan Mervar, public affairs officer at the academy, said by email.

The academy, like the Town of Preston, hasn't yet found a foolproof solution to the goose problem. Academy officials don't have an estimate of the number of geese.

Officials strung "Irri-tape," a shiny, metallic tape that flashes blinding light and makes an irritating noise when flapping in the wind, all around the lower field.

"It made quite a lot of racket and was interesting to look at, but ineffective," Mervar said in her email.

The tape was the first in a long line of failed efforts to permanently rid the geese from the grounds.

Officials tried walking up to the geese with a propane cannon and "blasting" them. But the geese only walked a few feet and then stopped.

"Repetition of this was ineffective," Mervar said. 

They then tried a device called a "GooseBuster" which makes goose distress calls, but that was ineffective. They've deployed various types of decoys that have only yielded short-term successes. While they don't work well, officials still deploy them, especially in the fall, Mervar said.

A previous carpentry shop supervisor would even bring his dog to work to chase the geese.

"The dog would chase a ball, but not the geese," Mervar said. "However, they did not like him around, and whenever he went onto the fields, they would leave for a while. We no longer have a dog that serves that purpose."

Perhaps the most effective deterrent was a chemical goose repellent used on the grass.

Mervar said this "works to an extent," but that it costs $400 per acre and has to be reapplied twice a month at a minimum. While successful, Mervar said, "it's hard to keep up with and obviously fairly expensive."

The academy is gearing up for "Swab Summer," which starts on June 29 with the arrival of the Class of 2019, who will undergo an intense seven-week training program.

The impact of the goose problem on Swab Summer "would be minimal," Mervar said, "as there are several other options besides the lower fields for outdoor training, such as the Washington Parade Field and Cadet Memorial Field. The Swab Summer training staff will maximize use of all Academy facilities for training and will remain conscious of the safety concerns the goose waste presents throughout the summer."

Academy officials are in the process of brainstorming alternatives.  

They have not reached out to towns like Preston regarding the goose issue. Preston town officials are at odds about how to solve the Canada goose problem at Preston Community Park.

The Parks and Recreation Commission placed $5,275 in its 2015-16 budget request to hire the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to capture and euthanize geese in repeated visits in late summer and fall.

But the money was removed from the parks budget to await a decision on an approach that might include other town property if the geese simply relocate from the park.

The Board of Selectmen favor a nonlethal solution, possibly including hiring Border Patrol Goose Control, a border collie handler in Mystic who specializes in chasing geese from property.

The Parks and Recreation Department has tried several nonlethal methods over the past few years, including strobe lights, a fake coyote that was moved to different spots and lowering the pond water level.

j.bergman@theday.com

Twitter: @JuliaSBergman

Day Staff Writer Claire Bessette contributed to this report.