Seagulls continue to be a major problem for property owners Australia wide each year. Thousands of dollars are spent in clean up and repair costs. 

The good news is changing seagull behaviour continues to be more effective than lethal or harmful means. Installing professional grade seagull deterrents and removal of those seagull attractions comprise the most effective way to solve your gull problem.

WHY GULL CONTROL?

Gulls are aggressive scavengers and when they gather around boats, docks and any type of outdoor eatery, they will brazenly move in and snatch food scraps off tables. Unlike many animals they are able to drink seawater allowing them to be extremely self sufficient. They do not have to travel far once they have decided to roost in a particular area. They will often gather on boats leaving droppings and rotting offal. The stench can be horrendous and cleaning up can be a major ongoing chore for boat owners. Likewise restaurant owners must clean up gull waste or risk being closed down by health inspectors.

They'll gather in huge flocks and leave pounds of droppings in their wake. These droppings contain uric acid, which, left to gather, can eat into paint, metal, wood and plastic. Gull droppings also pose a health risk, since they can harbour a variety of diseases.

HOW TO GET RID OF GULLS

It is imperative to clean any bird droppings or nesting material’s as gulls are extremely attracted to their own scent. To prevent seagulls from landing on boats, pontoons, rooftops, light posts or other high vantage points we would advise installing a Physical Deterrent. Our Birds Off Long Legs, Bird Busta's are all excellent sources of Physical deterrents, preventing the birds from landing on those protected areas. 

When we are dealing with a more severe problem we would recommend using a synergy of products. Such as combining a Physical deterrent with either a Visual or Audible product. Our objective is to make the areas the seagulls are roosting/breeding in as inhospitable as possible. 

Our Scarybird is an excellent Visual deterrent as the birds see this eagle flying around looking for his next meal, creating a fearful appearance. The Bird Xpeller Pro 1 from our audible range play distress calls and make noises the seagulls are frightened to hear. The synergy of using two deterrents such as a Physical with Audible or Physical with Visual deterrent certainly heightens the impact of scaring those stubborn birds away. Gaining excellent results. 

Ducks are frequently found in unwanted spaces, pools, residential properties & river/canal fronts. They begin to dominate your water features and damage your garden, whilst polluting your property with their faeces; you need to take steps to discourage them.

Keeping Ducks Out of Your Pool

We have a range of suitable products for keeping ducks out of your pool.

The Scarybird Eagle has also been an effective deterrent as the ducks see the ominous predator flying above, their natural instincts steer them away from the property to go elsewhere less threatening.

Another physical deterrent is our Garden/Yard Hydro-Blast https://birdsoff.com.au/new-and-improved-garden-yard-hydro-blast-motion-activated-animal-deterrent/ this acts as a physical deterrent by blasting the intruders with an assault of water whilst making a clicking sound. 

Keeping Ducks Away From Larger Areas

In larger areas where noise is not a concern the Duck and Goose Buster Pro sonic sound units play alert calls, whilst playing optional selections of wild dogs & gunshot sounds.

These units are best to be moved around. We combine visual deterrents to work in conjunction with the sound units. Flying the Scarybird Eagles or Outdoor Lasers increase the fear factor immensely.

This story I would like to share with you as it has personal significance to me.  My brother in law decided to take on a large DIY project... A COMPLETE BACKYARD MAKEOVER!!!!  In his wildest dreams he had never imagined such a cute fluffy little animal could cause him so much TROUBLE.

He and his family live in Sydney on the Northern beaches which is a beautiful part of Australia.  It is also a very leafy green area which backs onto National Parklands. It is a notorious hotspot for Possums, one of Australia's most familiar marsupials.

Possums are predominantly arboreal (tree-living), although they also come to the ground to find food. Possums can be very noisy when moving across roofs at night and in territory defence, making grunt, cough and hiss noises. They shelter by day in tree hollows, but will also use roofs, cavity walls or sheds. They are the most common native animal found in roofs and can cause urine staining and other damage.

After many weekends of back breaking hard work they planted Australian Native Lilly Pillies to give the house a lovely aspect and more privacy. Before long they were noticing evidence of nocturnal activity and their peace and quiet was no more. To add insult to injury he noticed his beloved trees were getting shorter by the day. He  tried possum spikes to no avail. They were chosen due to the aesthetic appeal blending in to the fence, they were a clear plastic polycarbonate spike but ineffective.

One night my sister heard movement outside and went to investigate. The culprit was a cute fluffy possum who was actually holding onto the spikes and crawling past them to access the Lilly Pillie trees. She thought she was hallucinating to see such a sight! 

The following day I received a desperate phone call from my beloved brother in law as they were at their wits end. The possums had started to move in and take over. I advised them to install the Birdsoff Stainless steel spikes with the Yard Sentinel & Strobe. The combination of flashing lights, Ultrasonic Sound waves & Spikes took those tasty Lilly Pillies off the menu! Implementing a Physical Barrier with the assistance of the Audible/Visual Deterrent sent those cute intruders packing!

Two Months later  the Lilly Pillies are thriving and are already 2 meters taller. The possum or possums were never seen again! PEACE & HARMONY has been restored.....

Whether crops, fruits trees, gardens, silage films, orchards, or personal property, the outcome is always the same, mass destruction.

The SCARYBIRD System is the ecological answer to this ongoing problem. After simple observation it was obvious that the presence of raptors kept the pest birds away.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The SCARYBIRD system consists of an eagle shaped kite hooked to the top of a 9 Meters telescopic pole.

The heart of the system is a Bird-like raptor (Eagle, Hawk) always altering its flight (Speed, Height) on top of the pole. The shape of the kite is designed to mimic the shape of a predator bird in flight. The colours of the beak and claws make it even more realistic.

At the slightest breeze (Less than 2km/h), it will take-off and fly randomly. It mimics the flight of a raptor such as a hawk, falcon or eagle and will intimidate the pest birds defending your crops, fruit trees, garden, and vineyards…

Unlike fixed scarecrow systems, the scaring device SCARYBIRD flies randomly, swooping and diving with the lightest of winds. The pest birds will not get use to its presence because they see this hunting predator from afar and their natural instincts will take over to get away from danger.

WHERE CAN I USE IT?

The SCARYBIRD kit is intended for all people: Individuals & Professionals who suffer from damages caused by birds:

Crows, Cockatoos, Parrots, Pigeons, Starlings, Seagulls, Ducks, Magpies and other pest birds.

The kits are easy to install taking less than 5 minutes. No chemicals or poisons are required 100% Ecological. Simply move him around. No maintenance required, lightweight.

When covering large areas where a food source is attracting the birds, we believe a more aggressive strategy may need to be applied. We would advise combining one of our Sonic Scare Sound Systems such as the 

BroadBand PRO – Sonic & Ultrasonic bird deterrent,

Super BirdXPeller PRO - Sonic Bird Repeller, or for smaller properties 

BirdXpeller PRO– Sonic Bird Repeller.

The synergy of combining bird scare predator / distress calls with the visual flight of the eagle has had outstanding success to many satisfied customers.

Part of my passion for bird deterrents is to continually research information. The behaviour of different birds and how they impact us humans. I was amazed at just how dangerous bird faeces are and had to share this with you.

When it comes to birds, there may be more than just avian flu to be worried about. It has been suggested that there are over 60 other diseases that birds and their droppings can carry. The problem is especially worrisome in residential areas, as many of them are airborne and can be transferred to humans just by being around droppings.

Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease that may be fatal. It results from a fungus growing in dried bird droppings.

Candidiasis

Yeast or fungus infection spread by pigeons. The disease affects the skin, the mouth, the respiratory system, the intestines and the urogenital tract.

Cryptococcoal Meningitis 

Caused by yeast found in the intestinal tract of pigeons and starlings. The illness often begins as a pulmonary disease and may later affect the central nervous system A reported case in Canada of a young woman who contracted the debilitating disease which attacked her brain and spine causing severe swelling. Left her confined to a hospital bed in a state of delirium for weeks. Sadly the devastating side effect was that she became blind. Doctors were quoted as saying she was lucky to have survived Had it been an elderly person or a young child the disease would have killed them. Since attics, cupolas, ledges, schools, offices, warehouses, mills, barns, park buildings, signs, etc. are typical roosting and nesting sites, the fungus is apt to be found in these areas.

St. Louis Encephalitis

An inflammation of the nervous system, usually causes drowsiness, headache and fever. It may even result in paralysis, coma or death. St. Louis encephalitis occurs in all age groups, but is especially fatal to persons over age 60. The disease is spread by mosquitoes, which have fed on infected house sparrow, pigeons and house finches carrying the Group B virus responsible for St. Louis encephalitis.

Salmonellosis 

Often occurs as "food poisoning" and can be traced to pigeons, starlings and sparrows. The disease bacteria are found in bird droppings; dust from droppings can be sucked through ventilators and air conditioners, contaminating food and cooking surfaces in restaurants, homes and food processing plants.

E.coli. 

Cattle carry E. coli . If you are worried about Ecoli from under cooked meat you should also be washing your hands whenever you spend time in a pigeon rich environment. When birds peck on cow manure, the E. coli go right through the birds and the bird droppings can land on or in a food or water supply.

Besides being direct carriers of disease, nuisance birds are frequently associated ectoparasites, Bed bugs, chicken mites, yellow meal worms, West Nile Virus to name a few.

The good news is these diseases can be prevented if we take simple steps to protect our living environments. We also need to be aware when we are out of our homes, what environments we are eating in and the level of hygiene in those premises. Sometimes frequenting pigeon rich environments is unavoidable however washing your hands thoroughly is essential.

With extra vigilance on your behalf you can take preventative action to protect your homes and those you love.