Gull control plans ready for take-off

New deterrents to scare off gulls are poised to be deployed by Moray Council in a £650,000 project.

The birds are currently beginning to pair up ahead of mating and nesting season across the region.

Summer then traditionally brings additional noise and mess from the birds, with the added nuisance that parents becoming more aggressive around where they have nested.

In recent years Moray Council has invested in deterrents in specific areas where there is a known problem.

The council has awarded two contracts totalling £657,870 to Banff-based Specialist Vermin Control for gull deterrents.

The Aberdeenshire firm has removed nests, used lasers and sonic deterrents in previous years when hired by the authority.

A larger £344,000 contract covers residential property while a smaller £313,000 contract is specifically geared to commercial premises.

Previous years have included both council-owned and privately-owned homes. It is not known what this year’s project will cover.

The contract notice states the work will be “both preventative and reactive”, meaning it will attempt to stop gulls nesting in some locations as well as respond to areas where they are already a nuisance.

Locations across Moray will be included in the project. Moray Council has been contacted to comment.

Few things provoke a more polarising debate in the north-east than the annual arrival of gulls during nesting season.

Many complain about the noise and mess while dodging parents protecting their chicks.

However, some are happy to do their bit for the protected herring gull, which is on the RSPB’s “red list” due to their declining numbers.

The protected status of the birds means propertyowners are limited in the actions they can take once the birds have nested.

Preventative measures including spikes, nets and even lasers are regularly used to prevent the gulls from settling in the first place.

PREPARATION: Seagulls are starting to pair up for the nesting season. Picture by Jason Hedges.