But they are not only a danger to health, they can become aggressive when nesting and have been known to bombard people who venture too near their chicks.
John Couzens of Gullbuster, knows a lot about seagulls. In the 22 years he has been removing them from residential and industrial buildings, he has seen the enormous damage they can cause. He said: “Flat roofs, chimneys and other housing structures provide ideal sites for seagulls to nest. They leave debris and sometimes dead chicks, which attract parasites in gutters and unused chimneys. Even worse, if the gas flue is obstructed you risk carbon monoxide poisoning.”
John also runs a roofing firm which he started in 1982. As he was frequently asked to remove seagulls from ridge tiles and chimney stacks, he decided to find out everything he could about them. John researched the Law and the birds way of life, so the learning curve began.
John said: “All wildlife is protected by law, but as herring gulls (seagulls) and lesser black back gulls pose such a health and safety hazard, the nest and eggs can be removed from a property by an authorised person.”
“We don’t hurt, trap or kill them, just make it impossible for them to nest. All the products we use to seagull-proof properties are completely harmless to gulls and other birds.”
Gullbuster provides the service to local councils, government buildings and residential homes and has a 95 percent initial success rate. The firm will return to remove gulls if they should come back at another time.
Call: 07973 712152 / 01843 867486