Bird control is something that’s likely on the minds of countless folks who are either residing in or passing near beaches, coastal cities, and towns and, unfortunately, landfills. Many subspecies of seagulls have become well adapted to living around humans, predominantly Black-backed gulls and Herring gulls. There are many reasons why seagulls are not the most welcome of guests around humans, and the most significant one is the fact that close association can often cause the spread of bird-transmitted diseases.

In other words, seagulls often tend to feed from polluted sources such as the aforementioned landfills, garbage dumps, and even garbage bins. This means they’re direct carriers of harmful germs – like salmonella, for example – that can easily spread through public areas in cities and towns. Moreover, when they are rearing their young, these birds can become very aggressive and fiercely territorial around humans.

That being said, it is important to note that your property might be at greater risk of a problem with these animals particularly if your home or business happens to be located near the coast. In such cases, bird control measures may be necessary for your protection. The straight sides and flat roofs characteristic of many commercial buildings greatly resemble the types of cliffs these birds are used to nesting in the wild. Also, the gulls are offered easy living by the modern, urban environment, with household garbage providing an easy and abundant food source, street litter near restaurants, malls and, of course, enormous landfills.

Everything aforementioned sums up the fact that many people are in desperate need of both professional and DIY bird control methods. So, what’s available? Well, there are a number of ways one can get rid of seagulls, each one with a varying success rate depending on the specific circumstances.

For instance, in wide open spaces such as farms and landfills birds of prey are very good at keeping seagulls populations at bay. This works because predator birds scare off the gulls, which see the falcons, hawks and eagles as natural predators. Another popular method involves sheepdogs. Patrolling a beach with a dog in peak hours has been shown to have a nearly 99 percent success rate when it comes to scaring off the pesky birds.

Other popular methods include gadgets that produce irritating lights, scents and noises. Various types of physical barriers including  nets, wires and spikes work well on buildings and structures. Decoys, reflective materials, sprinklers and, mild electric zappers are all options too.