Isn't It Time That This Problem Was Addressed?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/11749045/Killer-seagulls-The-seaside-gets-seriously-scary.html

[douglas9401]

Yes. Take the eggs for a few seasons to get control back.

And stop living like pigs, dropping edible litter all over the place.

[anotheoldgit]

Perhaps this is the answer?

http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/05/seagull-eggs-and-beer/

[wolf63]

I live about 20 miles from the coast but get an invasion of gulls daily.

I live in the city centre and there are Fish and Chip shops, Chinese and Indian carry-out places and Pizza place (can't think of the proper word so 'place' will do) all around me. The noise that they make is deafening and they are totally fearless.

They drive my cats nuts by walking on the skylights on the roof and the poor, innocent moggies sit under them - living in hope that a gull will just make that fatal mistake.

If people put their food waste in the bins and nobody fed them they would just stop coming inland for a feed.

For me - it's the noise. But they are pretty scary too.

[hc4361]

You can't be further from the sea in the UK than me and there are loads of aggressive seagulls. It's not just a coastal problem

[retrocop]

Squadrons of them in Sutton Surrey. They are scavengers and will venture anywhere to do it.

[mikey4444]

They are just rats with wings as far as I am concerned. I had my car roof badly scratched a few years ago in Penzance. Ask the people there what should be done !

About 4 years ago, I was sitting on the Pier at St Ives, having a cup of tea, and a gull swooped down and took the pasty out of the hands of a little girl sitting nearby. She was only about 5-6 and there were plenty of other people around when it happened. She was really upset and became hysterical.

There are signs all over Cornwall that tell you not to feed the gulls, and yet people still do. There is a daft old woman that feeds them loads of loaves of bread most days on the Promenade at Penzance, so its not just waste food and overflowing bins that are to be blame for the situation.

I fail to see why these nuisances can't be culled once or twice a year. They poo everywhere and they are just a ruddy plague on our seaside resorts. If it were rats doing all this damage, it would soon be sorted out. After all, rats are "part of nature" in the same way gulls and for the same reason.

[bookbinder]

Why not put them on the pill?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/pigeons-being-fed-contraceptives-birds-6067017

[retrocop]

Foxes are a nuisance also. They should be culled as well.

[gingejbee]

These birds are probably fed-up with being called "seagulls"....no such thing, apparently.

[Baldric]

http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/expert/previous/seagulls.aspx

[gingejbee]

"There is not actually a single species called seagull"....

[retrocop]

Gulls with gall then. No Herrings on the roof of Sutton Town Hall.

[sp1814]

I went to Hastings a couple of years ago (ever again - horrible, horrible, horrible place), and noticed the large amount of seagulls, and thought at the time that it must be something to do with the food waste (ie. take-aways) littering the street.

Completely unscientific, but I compare it to Brighton which is relatively clean - and consequently the seabirds are far more polite and discrete.

[mikey4444]

SP....I share your opinion of Hastings ! Visited there about 10 years ago...never again !

But Romney Marsh and Tilling ( sorry ! ...Rye ) was lovely. Hope to go back one day !

[mikey4444]

SP...is it really true that you can buy seaside rock in Hove, with "Hove actually" written through it ?

[Canary42]

Blinking immigrants from Eastern Europe. Step up border patrols and shoot on sight.

[Svejk]

what was that?

[ladybirder]

AOG should award himself Best Answer for his post at 11.20. It is the best suggestion yet which, for those who didn't click the link, is to eat their eggs. They are big, milder than hens' eggs and can be used for all sorts of culinary purposes. If they were used commercially in cakes etc, I bet few of us would be able to tell the difference.