Who can help me deal with gulls on my land or property?
 
Waveney District Council does not provide a service to deal with gulls or to proof buildings against them. The Yellow Pages or the Internet can provide details of many commercial companies who can offer advice for this purpose.

Please make sure you use a reputable company that employs properly trained personnel, approved, humane methods of control and is conversant with the requirements of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

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It is now common for some species of seagull to colonise urban areas, nesting on rooftops, particularly in coastal towns and villages. This is a fairly recent phenomenon. As the number of roof nesting colonies has increased, so has the number of complaints received by the Council about the nuisance they cause.

The nuisance they cause arises from:

• noise, caused by calling gulls
• mess, caused by their droppings, fouling washing, gardens and people
• damage to property, caused by gulls picking at roofing materials and by nests, which block gutters or hold moisture against the building structure
• aggressive behaviour caused by their protective instincts towards their young, causing them to swoop and 'dive bomb' people and pets (but rarely, if ever, making physical contact)

Gulls will also scavenge readily on poorly stored refuse, causing litter and attracting other vermin.

Herring gulls are usually responsible for most of the complaints we receive. They are large wild birds about 55 cm (22") from bill to tail with a wingspan
of about 85cm (34").

There are several other gull species that occasionally nest on buildings.

Breeding pairs court in April and commence nest building from early May onwards. In towns, the nest is constructed from straw and grass, twigs, paper and any other material the gull can conveniently use. The nest can be quite large and, if made of material accumulated over several years, very heavy.

Eggs are laid from early May onwards. The eggs take about three weeks to hatch so the first chicks are generally seen about the beginning of June.


How can you help to reduce the problem?

Don’t feed them

If you feed birds in parks or open spaces, stop if gulls are attracted as a result. If you feed birds in your garden, use feeders that deny access to larger birds such as gulls. If gulls are fed regularly it will create an artificially high population and encourage further breeding pairs to take up residence in the area.

Keep your rubbish under control

Gulls often scavenge rubbish for food, causing litter and attracting other vermin. They can rip open plastic sacks and scatter the contents of open refuse containers in search of food. So keep your refuse under control. Ensure lids are tightly closed on bins containing food waste.

Don’t provide them with harbourage

Owners and occupiers of buildings can discourage nesting or roosting by fitting nets or wires to prevent gulls from landing.


Gulls and the Law

Gulls are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) issue licences to allow landowners or occupiers to kill certain species or destroy their nests and eggs in order to:

• Prevent serious damage to agriculture
• Preserve public health or air safety
• Conserve other wild birds

Gulls CANNOT be killed or their eggs and nests disturbed simply because they cause a nuisance (from noise, mess or smells). 


Contact us
If you require further information, please contact Environmental Services:
Email: Environment@waveney.gov.uk  
Telephone: 01502 523117
Write: Town Hall, High Street, Lowestoft NR32 1HS.

Consultation
If you have any ideas or suggestions as to how we can improve our services or the information we have provided, then we would be pleased to hear from you.