As more and more seagulls move into towns and cities the capacity for them to cause a nuisance increases. The main reason that seagulls gravitate towards built-up areas is because there is a ready supply of litter and household refuse that they can take advantage of which enables them to feed and rear their young.<\/p>\n
Whether in coastal towns or in-land urban city areas the types of problems that seagulls can cause include:<\/p>\n
Droppings<\/strong> \u2013 seagull guano can cause damage to buildings and vehicles because of its acidic content. There is also a potential health hazard with large-scale seagull droppings.<\/p>\n Noise<\/strong> \u2013 seagulls can be incredibly noisy, particularly in the nesting season which takes place from March to September.<\/p>\n Nesting<\/strong> \u2013 seagull nests can block guttering and downpipes which then cause flood problems as well as attracting parasites and problem insects<\/p>\n Aggression<\/strong> \u2013 it\u2019s not uncommon for seagulls to swoop and attack people, especially during nesting season when they are protecting their nests.<\/p>\n There are many species of seagull but the three main culprits when it comes to causing problems are the:<\/p>\n Herring Gull (AKA Common Grey Seagull)<\/p>\n Lesser Black-backed Gull<\/p>\n Greater Black-backed Gull<\/p>\n So, what can be done to deal with seagull problems?<\/p>\n The first important consideration is that seagulls are protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 so under no circumstances should you take the matter into your own hands and capture, injure or kill seagulls or interfere with their nests and eggs.<\/p>\n Only humane methods of removal are acceptable and it is recommended that you hire a professional bird control team<\/a> to act on your behalf to deal with a seagull problem. The only person who can do this is the owner or occupier of the building being affected by the seagull problem.<\/p>\nSeagull Control Measures<\/h2>\n