24 February 2009
Every year a number of rooftops become the home to nesting seagulls. Gulls on your roof can make for an alarming experience and early preventative action can save both disruption and money and is considerably less traumatic for the gulls.
Spotting the problem early allows licensed pest controllers to remove nests and eggs and protect your roof. By May however the eggs will be hatching and removing the gulls will require killing the chicks. This is not acceptable as a long term means of pest control.
What you can do now:
• Check your roof in the coming weeks especially if seagulls have nested in you area previously. Gulls start looking to nest in February.
• Advise your neighbours if you see gulls on their roof as a neighbour’s nest will affect you. Consider this a communal issue.
• Remove all unintended food sources, protect your rubbish and do not feed seagulls.
• Early action provides less traumatic pest control options and works better. Take preventative action only through an authorised pest controller. (see yellow pages)
• Act safely and consider others.
For nest removal and roof protection see ‘Pest Control’ in the yellow pages, for other seagull queries call the Environment Dept. Tel: 441600
gov.je