07 April 2014
Householders are being advised to check their roof for nesting gulls now, and not to wait until later in the year.
By this time of year, gulls have established their territories and are building nests ready to breed. If you have a nest on your roof it is easier for pest controllers to tackle the problem now than in May when there are eggs or chicks in the nest.
The Department of the Environment is advising anyone who thinks they have a gulls' nest on their roof to call in a licensed pest controller.
Gull conservation
All gulls, their nests, eggs and chicks are protected under the Conservation of Wildlife (Jersey) Law 2000. Herring gulls are declining worldwide and are scheduled for protection under international agreement. In Jersey, their conservation status is amber, meaning that their numbers are also declining here.
Seagull problems can be completely avoided by preventing them nesting on your roof and by securing your refuse bins. It’s also important not to feed gulls, according to Natural Environment Officer David Tipping.
“If we prevent gulls nesting on our roofs, discourage those people that persist in feeding them and stop food waste on the streets, herring gulls would revert to a more natural diet and in time we hope this will lead to birds returning to the cliffs and a reduction in urban gull populations.”
What can you do now?
You should check your roof now, especially if:
seagulls are congregating
they have started to build a nest
have built a nest in your area in the past
Other actions you can take:
if you have gulls active on your roof, contractors can erect preventative measures which will stop the birds from nesting
if you have a nest, take action only through a pest controller with the appropriate licence
be a good neighbour and let others know if a gull is nesting on their roof. Remember a neighbour’s nest is very likely to impact on you so consider this from a communal perspective
commercial property owners need to be responsible and check their roofs now
protect your domestic rubbish and do not feed seagulls
early action provides simpler and less traumatic pest control options and works better. Act safely and consider others.
Take action before May
Nesting gulls can only be removed by a pest controller who has the relevant license to do this work. If nothing is done by May, the eggs will have hatched and removing the gulls means killing chicks. This is not an acceptable solution as it causes unnecessary distress and is illegal without a specific licence.
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