Seagulls: How to Take Control

Seagulls are more than a nuisance. If they’re nesting on your building, you’ll be more than aware of the problems they can cause. But gulls are one noisy neighbour you don’t have to put up with. Got a problem with gulls? Here’s how to take control.

Why control gulls?

Gulls are considered pests for a number of reasons.

They carry diseases

They carry diseases. Salmonella and E.coli are just two of the disease-causing pathogens you’ll find in their poo. Hint: there are lots more.

Their droppings are a risk to safety and your building

Droppings aren’t just full of nasty germs, they’re unsightly, slippery, and corrosive. Yep, that’s right, seagull poo is full of uric acid which will damage building exteriors and vehicles over time.

They can damage your roof

They can cause damage to your building. Seagulls can dislodge roof tiles and block gutters with their feathers and nest debris causing flooding, damp, and mould.

Seagulls attract other pests

Speaking of nests, other pests like fleas and bird mites are attracted to them, so if you’re really unlucky, you could end up with two pest problems to deal with.

They’re aggressive

Seagulls can become very aggressive, especially during breeding season. In extreme cases, they will divebomb you or even vomit on you to protect their nests and young!

Take control of a seagull problem

Controlling seagulls is all about prevention and making your building less attractive (or impossible) to nest on. This can mean;

Removing their food source

Keep rubbish bins secure, don’t let them overflow, and avoid putting bags of rubbish next to your bins. Gulls will just peck right through them. Keep the area around your building clean and tidy too, and encourage neighbouring building owners to do the same.

Install physical deterrents like spikes or netting

Bird spikes and netting are excellent physical deterrents you can install on vulnerable areas of your building. They both prevent seagulls from landing on your roof or ledges in the first place and encourage them to go elsewhere.

Using birds of prey to deter seagulls

Using birds of prey to deter gulls is a very effective control strategy. Like every other bird on the planet, seagulls are hardwired to fear predators like hawks and falcons. When our specialist falconry team fly a bird of prey over an area, the gull will immediately see a threat and retreat. Gulls won’t nest where there’s a predator.

Call in the experts

Seagulls may be a nuisance, but they’re intelligent. They’re also creatures of habit. That means they’ll usually return to the same breeding site every year. Then when their babies are born, they’ll do the same. Before you know it, your building can be swamped by a big gull population.

You can’t get rid of them yourself, or call Keith down the road who you think owns a hawk. Seagulls are protected by law in the UK, so the best thing you can do is call in the experts, who’ll deal with them legally and humanely.

Contego is recognised as one of the industry’s leading bird control companies. Our expert technicians will survey your site and recommend the most effective gull control solutions for your situation.

We’ve provided responsive and effective bird control services to clients across the UK in locations such as like international stadiums, power plants, railway platforms, listed building, and supermarkets.

Ready to take control of your gull problem?

Call Contego.