A trip to the beach just wouldn’t be the same without a pesky gull trying to steal your chips. Seagulls are in fact as synonymous with the seaside as a bucket and spade so how come in recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of these birds nesting in inland towns and even cities?

More and more seagulls are swapping the seaside for nesting spots on the roofs of office blocks and houses and experts say this is a tactical survival move. By setting up home on the roof of a building, it makes it very easy to avoid predators such as foxes. Naturally, this means that more of their chicks survive.

It’s also thought that food waste in landfill sites, rubbish bins and general litter on the streets is providing a tempting and ready supply of meals for them.

A spokesperson for the RSPB, Grahame Madge explained:
“As traditional food sources are declining, seagulls have learned to forage in landfill sites further inland and on urban streets. They are taking advantage of our wastefulness. From a gull’s perspective, cities provide myriad opportunities.”

Urban gull expert, Peter Rock continued:
“Seagulls are very crafty and very clever in bird terms. They just adapt to everything that is thrown at them. We have invited them into towns with our throwaway society and it’s going to cost a lot of money to take them away again.”

Where Am I Likely To Find Seagulls Nesting Around My home Or Office?
While traditionally, seagulls have always lived around water, their high-pitched calls are now often heard in areas far away from the sea or river. Many have even given up living near water entirely which means that you’re more likely to see them around your home or office premises.

If you think that you may have seagulls nesting nearby, have a thorough inspection of the following areas:
• Chimney pots
• Commercial roofs (often by or near vents because they give off heat which helps to keep them and their young nice and warm)
• If you have an asbestos roof, you may be more prone to a seagull infestation because they retain heat and therefore make a great nesting spot
• Vents or in the gullies of roofs (these are popular spots because they’re shielded from the wind)

What To Do If You Have A Seagull Infestation?
Generally, it is illegal to capture, injure or destroy any wild bird or interfere with its nest or eggs. The penalties surrounding this can be severe so if you have a seagull or any other bird infestation, please contact a professional pest controller. Your local Prokill team will be able to provide you with further advice and can book you in for a free pest audit. For more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

Have you got a Seagull problem on your premises? Call us on 053 9420224