Hazards and Damage
On the top of your building there is an ideal nesting habitat for herring gulls. More and more birds are favouring urban areas for nesting. Some other hazards posed by gulls is that as birds start building nests, nesting materials and other debris i.e. bones and guano will gather on the roof and may restrict the flow of rainwater away from rooftops cause potential blockages and overspill into the buildings. It is worth noting that large build-ups of gull guano can also lead to structural damage from the uric acid in the bird droppings. Some further problems that we would flag are that, the droppings from the birds will result in a foul smell on the small flat roof, which is near windows. Other gull problems include slip and fall liability from guano build-up, plus an unclean, dirty company image. Droppings will also inevitably land on cars and as stated above besides being a nuisance can in fact cause damage to the surface finish. The bacteria, fungal agents and ectoparasites found in gull droppings can carry a host of serious diseases. Gulls may also serve as a mechanical vector for a host of disease organism that are picked on their feet and feathers from their feeding areas i.e. sewage treatment plants, landfills and street rubbish. The aggressive nature of gulls and the high noise levels that they emit may cause a nuisance for staff. As has been reported in this instance the swooping of gulls has inhibited roof or plant maintenance in the past.
Recommendation for Seagull Control
The management of this species is quite limited, the main reason for this is that, gulls and their active nests are on a list of protected species in Ireland (Wildlife Act 1976-Ammendment Act 2000, Habitats and Birds Directives and European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997). The most effective way to control gulls is by proofing the area to make it less attractive to the birds, e.g. a physical barrier.
Central Pest Control will install a bird netting system to the below specification:
A Stainless steel 3mm wire rope system attached to galvanised steel wall mounts and non-piercing roof mounts to which the netting will be fixed. The square netting running vertically and horizontally ensures that the 75mm black bird netting is discreet. The roof mounts for the perimeter will be placed 1m back from wall and net sloped to the wire rope attached to the wall/wall mount. They will be attached using 3mm stainless steel cables, using a turnbuckle to adjust tension.The wall mounts will be bolted to the concrete block wall using 10mm x 100mm thunderbolts. The gable end will run peak to peak.
- Non-piercing roof mount at 10m intervals
- Heavy-duty non-piercing ridge mount for lifting bird netting over ridge lines
- Ideal for installing netting on pitched roofs incl. tiled, asbestos cement or steel sheet
- Requires 4 X 450mm X 450mm paving slabs for weight,
- Hot dipped galvanised steel construction for long service life outdoors.
- A variable pitch angle from 10 – 60 degrees.
- 4 X perpendicular 10mm holes in pole top accept M6 barrel strainer hook.
The net will be UV light stabilised, able to withstand a wide range of environmental conditions and resistant to attack by insects, bacteria and fungi. It will not absorb water so it will not stretch ad will be chemically inert.
Zip Access will be installed where requested by the client. Up to 5 access points.
The design will be extremely robust using an entirety of ‘up specified’ materials i.e. high grade 302 stainless steel fittings, wire and galvanised steel mounts.
All this work will be carried out extremely discreetly and not very visible from ground level. To lift mounts and attach perimeter wire. If this cannot be done, we can arrange our own access at an additional charge.
Benefits of our Wildlife Management Programme:
- Save money in the future e.g. structural damage or cleaning
- Reduction in health and safety hazards
- Maintain a good image and reduce health & safety hazards.
- Maintain a good reputation with current / future clients.
- Less disruption due to noise and aggressive nature of herring gulls
Central Pest Control are members of the I.P.C.A IP/029 and oversea members of the B.P.C.A pest control associations. We will be working in compliance with the CRRU Wildlife Act guidelines.
