What’s the problem with Seagulls in Southampton?

So what’s the problem with Seagulls?

If you are lucky enough to live on the south coast then the cry of a noisy gull will be a familiar sound. We associate gulls with the seaside.  Forgiving the bold snatch of an ice cream or fish and chips if we are down for a visit. Like most wildlife, we enjoy seeing gulls and hearing them, but we don’t really want to interact with them on a daily basis.

Sharing living and working spaces with gulls is a challenge.

Seagull guano is messy and can carry nasty bacteria transmitting diseases such as Listeria, E.Coli and Ornithosis. The guano is acidic and can cause damage to buildings. Nesting material can block gutters and create overflow problems. Gulls can also be incredibly territorial around breeding time. They will dive bomb humans if they think that their nests and eggs are in danger. Gulls are not solitary birds and quickly form busy colonies.  Apart from the noise, roosting gulls may deter customers from choosing your premises for business.

Gulls are commonly found nesting on ledges at the top of commercial and domestic buildings. Making the most of our urban environment. Colonies of gulls are increasingly found inland and cause great problems on school playgrounds at lunchtime. It is thought that landfill sites draw the birds away from the coast as the opportunist scavengers resourcefully locate other food sources.

The guilty culprit is the The Herring gull (pic) with a wingspan of nearly a metre and a half this is a large gull. The RSPB estimates that whilst there are 140,00 breeding pairs in the UK, 740,000 of them spend winter here. That said they are currently on their red list as their numbers are declining. The RSBP is cautious about recommending the use of culling to control numbers of gulls.

European herring gull

Bird control could be the answer:

The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981  states that it is illegal to kill birds or destroy eggs. However, pest control companies can obtain Licences from Nature England that will authorise the humane control of nuisance birds if there is a case to be made that there is a threat to health and safety. So, if you have a gull problem it is advisable to contact a professional pest control company with experience of bird control and bird proofing.

Bird proofing is a good start to tackle a gull problem. Making access to nesting sites difficult encourages birds to locate elsewhere. The are a range of solutions to bird proof your commercial premises or home.

Contact Chris at Shawyers on 02380 693970 for a professional and discrete conversation about a solution to the problem with your gulls.