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Beloved or hated, seagulls and their nest and eggs are protected by law. These birds can cause a huge amount of physical & psychological damage when they choose to nest on our homes. With such mild weather, it's happening early this year. This article was contributed by a member of the community.

Surprisingly to many, most species of gull have a declining population. Urban seagulls are a common sight in our cities. Our buildings create a perfect safe space to rear young and there are lots of easy food sources to sustain them.

Gulls, like nearly all UK species of birds, are protected by law. This includes them, their eggs, chicks and even their nests. Once they have put down a nest, you have no option but to live with them until they leave, which will be about 6 months later.

With such a mild winter and spring already here, gulls are starting their breeding cycle a little earlier than normal. The breeding cycle starts with a period of courting between the male and females. Familiar breeding pairs get reacquainted after their time apart over winter, or a new generation has reached sexual maturity to start a family. Breeding pairs will return to the same site every year if it has been successful, and so do their young. So if you had problems with gulls last year, it's very likely it will happen again.

We all love our UK wildlife, but when it comes to gulls they can cause damage to roofs, they block gutters with debris, their guano contains diseases, their nests full of bird mites. And there is direct danger from the birds who fiercely protect their eggs and young, dive bombing people and attacking pets. Not to mention their incredibly loud calls that can cause a lot of psychological damage.

But what can I do?

If you have gulls already hanging around they are scouting for a nesting site so call a professional pest controller who can survey your property and provide you with prevention measures to stop them choosing your home to nest on.

Seagulls are very intelligent creatures. Things like fake owls and shiney tape aren't going to stop them from nesting. If you have had gulls nesting in the past, bird spikes aren't going to work either. They will actually place debris onto the spikes to make their nest on top, helpfully raised to stay dry in wet weather.

Gull nest forces homeowner to have scaffolding up for months

If you don't want gulls nesting on your home, then physical barriers are your only viable solution. These will generally be in the form of bird netting or wire mesh structures. These need to be installed correctly so that birds are protected, and that means getting in a professional. You can find local professionals by using Find A Pest Controller searches or at the BPCA (British Pest Control Association)

If you don't know what to do, where to start or just want to have a chat about gulls then you can contact or visit PestFixon Terminus Road, Chichester. This company are the specialists in bird control who train the professionals nationwide.

For more information on what you can and cannot do by law click here for the .gov site.

Seagulls: time is running out. Advice from Chichester pest control business