How to Get Rid of Seagulls on the Roof? (UK)

How to Get Rid of Seagulls on the Roof

Getting rid of seagulls from a roof is not easy. As smart and intelligent species of birds, they can easily find their way into your house through any opening on the roof. Seagulls are migratory birds known for their ability to fly long distances with ease. So if you have a problem with these pest birds nesting or flying around your home then it’s time that you take action and try to get rid of these pesky birds. Seagulls can also make a roofing contractors job twice as hard!

What Makes Seagull Prevention so Important?

Seagulls are very common in the seaside areas of the UK. It’s also a bird that may cause a lot of nuisance. But the worst thing about them is that they can be a health hazard to humans. They are known to carry diseases that cause food poisoning. Seagull droppings can mess up your property and also corrode and damage your home’s exterior. Nests can block drains and gutters causing leakage, mould and damp issues in your house. Furthermore, if you don’t get rid of them, they will keep coming back every year. They tend to opt for chimney based on top of pitched roofs instead of flat style roofs.

Here are some tips on keeping them out of your property:

1) Clean Up Your Roof Regularly

If you want to stop seagulls from nesting on your roof then you need to clean up your roof regularly. You should remove all the nests and debris that seagulls build on your roof. If there is no nest left on your roof then you can use an electric fence to scare away the gulls. Another option would be to put up netting over your roof. This will prevent the birds from landing on your roof.

2) Use Anti-bird spikes

You can use anti-bird spikes to deter seagulls from landing on your roof and building nests. These spikes are placed at strategic points on your roof. The spikes will hurt the birds when they land on them.

3) Use Bird Netting

Bird Netting is another effective method of preventing seagulls from getting inside your property. It works by trapping the birds inside the netting. Once trapped, the birds cannot escape and thus they do not come back again.

4) Use a sticky trap

This is one of the most efficient ways to catch seagulls. A sticky trap is used to catch the birds as soon as they land on it. Then, once caught, they can be taken outside and released safely.

5) Use Lasers

You can also use lasers to deter seagulls from nesting on your property. Lasers work by throwing a piercing light that scares away the birds.

6) Remove food sources from your property

It is important to remove food sources from your property because this will attract more seagulls. There are many ways to remove food sources from the property. Some of those include using bird feeders, putting out rubbish bins and removing pet waste.

7) Use parallel wires

Parallel wires are used to deter seagulls from landing on your roof by creating a shockwave. The wires are attached to poles and are spaced apart. When the gulls land on the wires, the wires create a shockwave which makes the birds jump off the wires.

8) Use a decoy

A decoy is a device that looks like a real bird but it does not move. Using a decoy will make the gulls think that the bird is actually alive and moving. This will make them leave the area.

9) Use repellents

There are many chemicals that can repel seagulls from your property. However, these chemicals can harm people so it is recommended to only use them for short periods of time.

10) Use seagull deterrents

Using a seagull deterrent will help you to control seagulls around your property. There are different types of seagull deterrents available including electric fences, laser beams, motion sensors, sound emitters and water cannons.

11) Use bird repelling products

Many companies sell bird repelling products such as bird nets, bird spikes and bird scaring devices. These products can be bought online or through local stores.

12) Get a bird proofing service

Getting a bird proofing service will ensure that your property is protected against seagulls. This includes cleaning up any existing nests, installing bird netting and placing anti-bird spikes.

FAQs

How do you deal with seagulls on the roof?

To prevent seagulls from perching on roofs and chimneys, parallel wires, plastic or steel spikes, or polyurethane netting can be installed in these areas.

Can you remove nesting seagulls?

No. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 protects seagulls as migratory birds. Taking, hunting, killing, or selling gulls is, therefore, illegal as well as disturbing, destroying or moving an active seagull nest.