Seagulls
Our Seagull Solutions
Based on our inspection, we will determine precisely what bird control method will rid you of your seagull problem and implement it quickly and efficiently. We use many different forms of bird control to ensure you get precisely the type of control you need. Select the options below if you want to learn more about our control methods.
We think about what you need when developing a custom plan for your seagull problem, no matter where it is. High risk seagull problem areas include:
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Rooftops. Especially flat roofs.
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Peaks and ledges.
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Street lights.
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Rooftop HVAC units.
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Around dumpsters and trash-related areas.
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Docks, Marinas, and Piers
Seagull Control Professionals
Seagulls can be a pesky bunch. The birds are intelligent and resourceful - one of their most vital assets is that these seabirds learn quickly from experience! Unfortunately, that allows them to get into places we don't want them, and they can be tricky to get rid of.
You may have seen how gulls scavenge for food in garbage cans or hunt insects under picnic tables. They'll pretty much eat anything you put in front of them--so the first step in deterring them from your property is eliminating any possible food sources they might find.
Gulls are protected birds under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so it's always safest to reach out to professionals who can ensure the control methods do not break federal or state regulations.
Contact your local seagull control company to discuss local guidelines and regulations regarding this protected species if you have a more significant seagull problem at your home or business. Reach out to our bird control specialists to ensure the control method you use is the most effective and safe method for eliminating your gull problem once and for all.
Other methods that can help reduce a gull invasion on your property:
Scare Tactics
Get some stuffed owls or even balloons. Most seagulls will avoid stuffed or wooden owls and coyotes as well as even a kite that is shaped like a hawk.
Fencing, spikes, wires, and netting
These can all help eliminate any potential nesting spots seagulls find around your property.
Shiny, Bouncy, Spinning
Red
Mechanical spiders, spinning propellers or even a weather vane can deter birds from landing on the roof.
Some anecdotal evidence shows that the color red is a deterrent for seagulls
About Seagulls
Gulls can weigh anywhere from 4 ounces (a small gull) to 3 and a half pounds. Gulls start their mating season in late March and April. Their eggs are laid in early May. During this time, gulls begin to build nests. The gull is very social; once a bird builds its nest, other gulls will build theirs quite close. The baby chicks hatch about three weeks after their eggs are laid (early June). These little chicks grow quickly and sometimes fall out of the nest. If they are not returned right away, they will die when they are small. It takes about three years for a gull to reach full maturity, but they will fledge in early August.
Taxonomy
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Common Names:
Charadriiformes
Laridae
Larus
Gulls, Seagulls
These birds can become an enormous burden to anyone owning a house, barn, orchard, or farm. Even in urban areas, they can cause numerous problems. When you have a big problem with them nesting in or around your property, you need a bird control professional who can help you quickly eliminate these irritating pest birds. With these being one of the most troublesome pest birds, you need someone that has experience dealing with these birds. A bird control professional can save you time and money and make sure that your bird problem is resolved the first time correctly.
Evolutionary Traits
Seagulls are not actually naming a specific species of bird, but is a blanket term for over 40 different species of seabirds with a similarly heavy built appearance, often with a yellow/orange beak and webbed feet.
There is fossil evidence of Laridae birds from the early Oligocene era, around 30 million years ago. Today, seagulls can be found on every continent, including Antarctica. Seagulls are most commonly seen by the shoreline of oceans, seas, and large lakes.
Seagulls are animals that have adapted well enough to human environments that they can survive in modern cities. Seagulls eat just about anything, including dead animals, discarded food, and even insects. They will also steal food from other birds, mammals, and humans.
Seagulls can drink salt water and remove the salt using a set of salt-removing glands. They are one of the few birds that can survive drinking only saltwater, enabling them to fly far out into the ocean. Once the salt is filtered, the gull can flush the salt out through its nostrils.
Seagulls have a great sense of smell, and scientists believe they can smell food from up to three miles away. Their excellent eyesight enables them to spot prey from height or while flying. Most (but not all) seagulls are migratory birds and can travel long distances. Some species, such as the herring gull, will winter in warm climates, while other seagulls will migrate to the Arctic to take advantage of the summer breeding season.
Diet
Some seagulls have a very diverse diet, while others are more specialized. Gulls that live near the ocean typically eat fish, crabs, clams, and other crustaceans. Gulls that live in freshwater often eat small fish, insects, and amphibians. Gulls who live in urban areas typically eat food discarded by humans, such as bread, fries, and pizza.
Behavior
Seagulls are intelligent creatures that have complex social behaviors. Gull colonies are well known for constructing impressive nests out of almost anything they can find. The gull nests protect the eggs and chicks inside them. Seagulls also use their environment to protect their young from predators by using features like cliffs and rocky outcroppings. Seagull colonies range in size from a few seagulls to thousands of them.
Gulls are also very social creatures and will often interact in several ways. They are monogamous and tend to mate for life. Gulls will perform various aerial stunts to show dominance or attract a mate. Gulls sometimes steal food from other gulls, a behavior known as kleptoparasitism.
Life Cycle
Reproduction
Seagulls reproduce in a variety of ways, depending on the species. Most seagulls lay two to three eggs in a nest, but some species will lay up to six eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs for about 18-25 days. After hatching, the parents brood the chicks for about two weeks. Chicks can fly within a few weeks but stay with their parents for several months more.
Nesting Behavior
Gulls typically lay two or three eggs, but some species will lay up to six eggs. The eggs are incubated for about 23 days. Both the male and female seagulls help incubate the eggs and care for the chicks once they hatch. Chicks can start flying within a few weeks after hatching and can reproduce at around two years of age.
Nesting Material
Gulls are social creatures and often nest in colonies with other gulls, especially herring gulls. A seagull colony can have thousands of nests! Seagull nests are made out of whatever the birds find lying around, including grass, seaweed, sticks, rocks, debris, and even plastic. Gull nests are often quite large, measuring up to three feet wide!
Egg Description
Size:
Color:
Incubation:
Brood Size:
Frequency:
6 - 8 centimeters
Varies, dark olive with
brown splotches
28 days
2 - 3 eggs (on average)
once per year
Maturity & Lifespan
Maturity varies slightly depending on the species of seagull, but generally, seagulls are sexually mature at about two years of age. Around this time, they will leave their colony and find a mate. The average seagull lifespan is 5-15 years, but some gull species can live up to 30 years in the wild!
Pairs of gulls typically remain with a colony of between 5 pairs of hundreds of pairs of other seagulls. They do this for protection against any other predators that want to harm them or scare them away from their nesting ground. Once a colony has found a specific area that they were undisturbed in during nesting season, they will continuously return to the same location each year.
Gull Distribution
While there are over 40 species of gulls in the world, a few are more commonly seen in North America. The Herring gull and the ring-billed gull are the ones you will find most often at beaches and near coastal areas. The key differences between them are the adult Herring gull is slightly larger, and has pale-colored feet along with a red spot on the lower beak. A juvenile herring will appear speckled brown and does not develop the adult plumage until 4 years of age.
The ring-billed gull has a smaller frame, and has yellow-orange feet and a black ring around their beak, giving them their name.
As you can see the distribution of these species is primarily along the coast, although they do migrate towards the center of the continent at certain times of year. Nesting grounds are often further north during the warmer months, and they remain further south for the remainder of the year.
Seagulls and the Problems They Cause
Gulls can be a real nuisance. They can be hazardous to low flying air-crafts when the Gulls fly in flocks. A gulls droppings contain and acid known as uric acid. If allowed to build up, uric acid can cause structural damage to rooftops and other areas of a house where these Gulls are allowed to hang around. Here is a list of other potential problems having seagulls around can cause:
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To find food the birds may pick open trash bags exposing the contents over lawns and driveways.
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Their nest can clog rain gutters. When the drainage system is clogged there is a potential for water damage to a home or business.
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The uric acid found in the feces can also damage machinery like air conditioners, siding, and insulation.
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Gulls can make their nest in chimneys. This is potentially hazardous when the fire place is lit because the carbon monoxide is not able to escape causing anyone inside the home to be exposed to the deadly carbon monoxide gas.
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Cars paint finishes can also be damaged by gulls, this is again the cause of the levels of acid found in their feces. If droppings are allowed to sit on the car is will eat away at the paint.
Dangerous Health Conditions
Studies done on Seagulls in 2010 showed that feces cultures contained 83 intestinal forms of bacteria and 20 other types of bacteria. These numbers include seven different types of E.coli. Further research shows that some of these potentially harmful bacteria were drug-resistant for instance Enterococcus. Histoplasmosis or Cave Disease is another illness caused by seagull feces. This illness mimics the flu and if left untreated it can cause fatality. In areas with beaches, the droppings can be found in the sand where humans can come into contact with it. Other coastal areas where railings and walkway bridges are used for passage are potential havens for contact with gull feces.
