Scavengers. Thieves. The scourge of marinas and landfills everywhere.
Seagulls are an extremely common nuisance anywhere near the ocean (even parts of Antarctica!). They’re known for scouring food courts and “doing their business” on boats. This group of birds has become used to human food, and they’re willing to be aggressive when it’s not offered. In addition, as with many birds, seagulls carry diseases, germs, and parasites.
Note that many gulls are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and so humane repellents are your safest bet.
How do you get rid of seagulls?
With so many areas inhabited by gulls, it’s no wonder that their removal is a common need. Though removing them is always an option, remember that repelling seagulls before they invade and begin to nest is always preferable. There are many ways to do this, ranging from simple visual deterrents to commercial-grade seagull-control devices. Need some help?
Items That Will Work for Most Situations
If you’d like just a quick, generic list of items that may work for you, here it is!
Scare Cannons
These guys are harmless, but they do some brute-force scaring. Propane cannons send out loud “booms” that simply scare animals away. They are about as loud as an airplane taking off!
Visual Deterrents
These vary from fake owls or hawks to flashy windsocks and tape. They are low-tech, but prey on the instinctual knowledge of birds.
Exclusion Netting (Bird Net)
Bird netting is something you commonly see in business areas where there is a tall outdoor ceiling or similar area birds can get into. It is placed around these to keep the birds from getting in at all.
Exclusion Spikes (Bird Spikes)
Bird spikes work similar to netting, but sometimes you just don’t have anything to wrap the net around. Spikes keep birds from landing on places like on top of signs or street lights.
Electronic Repellers (Sonic/Ultrasonic Deterrents)
These devices are top-of-the-line. They use sound – whether you can hear it or not – to make birds find the area unappealing. Some use recordings of predators or birds in distress.
Have a more specific issue?
How to Deter Seagulls From Your Garden, Roof, Boat or Other Small Area.
When it comes to smaller areas, visual predator decoys are more likely to be enough to scare the gulls away. This is because it is more likely that the statue can be seen from the whole area, and it’s easier to occasionally move it from one spot to the other – a commonly overlooked need for these items. It’s debated whether owls or hawks work better, but the argument for hawks is that they are a daytime bird which would actually be out when the seagull is.
If you prefer something flashier, bird-scare tape and windsocks are also an option. Rather than mimicking a natural predator, these items use sound and flashing reflections to keep gulls and other birds away.
How to Keep Seagulls Away From Marinas, Vineyards, Landfills, and Other Large Areas.
When the space is larger, plastic predator deterrents become more of a bother – not to mention you need more of them to work. Rather than just one or two, depending on the size of the space you may need dozens. You then need to remember to move them occasionally or the seagulls may realize they’re fake (“Why doesn’t that owl ever move?”).
This is when electronic seagull repellents really shine. Though plenty usable in smaller areas, these items have a heftier price. With that price tag comes years of research, top-of-the-line features, and the convenience of only setting them up once. ]
Need some truly heavy-duty gull deterrents?
A G5 Propane Scare Cannon might be your thing. Rather than firing cannon balls, this bad boy emits loud blasts of sound that scare off wildlife. Protecting 7 to 10 acres, and saving you time and money!
