Gull Egg Depredation Services for
Effective Population Control
Population Control
Gull Egg Depredation
Gulls are highly adaptable birds that thrive in both coastal areas and inland urban and suburban environments. While they play a role in natural ecosystems, large populations around buildings, warehouses, and public spaces can lead to significant problems. Their nesting habits often cause property damage, safety concerns, and sanitation issues.
Wild Goose Chase offers professional population management services targeting gull eggs to help property managers and municipalities reduce gull presence humanely and effectively. Our licensed team uses proven methods to stop egg development and control future growth.
What It Means
Understanding Depredation in Bird Management
Depredation refers to the legal management of wildlife populations through nest and egg control. When it comes to gulls, depredation involves identifying and removing any and all active nests to prevent them from hatching. This process directly reduces population growth while avoiding harm to adult birds.
Depredation is widely recognized as one of the most effective strategies for managing established gull populations.
Importance
Why Gull Control Is Necessary
Unchecked gull populations create challenges for property owners and managers. These birds quickly adapt to human environments where food, water, and shelter are readily available.
Beyond these concerns, gulls are also known to scavenge aggressively around dumpsters, loading docks, and outdoor dining areas, creating both mess and disturbance. Their presence near airports and transportation hubs poses an additional hazard, as bird strikes can threaten aircraft safety. Over time, the constant need for cleanup and the risks associated with gull activity can significantly disrupt normal operations. This is why a comprehensive gull control program is a valuable investment for long-term property management.
Clogged Systems
Nesting materials clogging drains, vents, and rooftop systems.
Corrosive Droppings
Corrosive droppings damaging roofs, HVAC equipment, and signage.
Rising Maintenance Costs
Increased cleaning and maintenance costs.
Health Risks
Health concerns from bacteria within droppings such as E. coli and salmonella.
Aggressive Behavior
Aggressive behavior from nesting adults toward employees and visitors
Unwelcoming Spaces
Unsanitary and unwelcoming environments for tenants or customers.
When to Schedule Gull Depredation Services
Timing is critical for successful depredation.
Gull eggs must be treated during a specific period in their development. Once eggs begin to hatch, it is illegal to touch gull nests. Additionally, permits can take up to 8 months to attain, making pre-planning critical if you have gulls on your property. .
For best results, property owners should schedule services in the Fall, well before the breeding season begins the following Spring.
Trust the Professionals
A Safe and Humane Approach to Gull Control
Our gull egg depredation services are designed to reduce populations while respecting wildlife laws and humane practices. The process is non-lethal to adult gulls and focuses on preventing eggs from developing or hatching. This humane method gradually decreases the number of birds returning to nest in the same location each year.
Because gulls are protected under federal law, depredation can only be conducted under the appropriate permits. Wild Goose Chase handles the entire permitting and reporting process on behalf of our clients.
Services
How Our Depredation Process Works
We follow a structured and compliant approach to ensure effective results:
01
Site Assessment and Nest Location
Our team inspects the property to identify nesting sites, which may be on rooftops, ledges, or other elevated structures. Gulls often choose locations that are difficult to reach, requiring specialized equipment and training.
02
Permit Application Submission
After inspecting your property, we help determine the appropriate number of gull nests and eggs that must be removed. Should additional gull nests and eggs need to be removed beyond the determined limit, Wild Goose Chase can submit an amendment to the permit application on our customer’s behalf.
03
Egg Treatment or Removal
Once nests are located and permits secured, we remove or treat eggs using approved methods that prevent development.
04
Monitoring Throughout Nesting Season
Because gulls may re-nest or lay additional eggs, our technicians revisit the site throughout the breeding season to ensure complete coverage. Regular monitoring ensures the depredation program is effective.
05
Reporting and Compliance
At the end of the nesting season, we compile the necessary data into a report and submit it to the relevant state and federal authorities. Clients receive full reports outlining treatments performed and outcomes achieved.
Markets We Serve
Properties That Benefit from Gull Depredation
Gulls often nest in areas where food sources are plentiful and human activity offers protection from predators. By addressing the problem at the egg stage, these properties see a reduction in aggressive nesting behavior and associated risks year after year. Properties that frequently require depredation include:
Comprehensive Plans
Integrating Depredation with Other Bird Control Solutions
While depredation is highly effective, it is often most successful when combined with other control measures. Wild Goose Chase offers a full range of bird management solutions, including exclusion systems and deterrents like lasers or canine harassment. Combining strategies ensures gulls do not simply relocate to nearby areas on the same property.
Our experts design comprehensive plans that address both current nesting and future prevention.
Why Choose Wild Goose Chase for Gull Depredation
With more than 25 years of experience in bird control, Wild Goose Chase has the expertise to manage challenging gull populations safely and effectively. We understand gull behavior, nesting habits, and the legal requirements surrounding depredation. Our licensed team uses humane, science-based methods to deliver measurable results.
When you choose us, you gain a partner who handles everything from permitting to monitoring, ensuring your property remains compliant and protected.
Client Testimonials
"The Migratory Bird Management team efforts have made our operations easier. By managing bird population and deterring birds from returning, we have reduced/eliminated the annoyances and dangers of birds affecting staff and vendors performing roof maintenance on our high rise, window cleaners propelling off the building and parkers at our open air six story parking structure. They usher you through the complexities of government requirements and do it with reasonable prices and great follow up. Any building that has birds posing obstacles should reach out to Mike and his team for assistance!"
General Manager, Colliers Sherry K."Migratory Bird Management offered a turnkey service, keeping us up to date with their progress throughout the process this Spring and Summer. The team provided pictures and status updates after each visit. Mike even reached out to the City to keep them in the loop on numerous occasions. In 2020 they were able to humanly remove over 2,400 nests and 13,000 eggs from the roof top of the building."
Property Manager, Kroger Real Estate Jennifer B."What unbelievable difference compared to the last few years!!! Three weeks into the ‘season’ we noticed a huge decline in the bird numbers. Four weeks after that the seagulls were almost non-existent. We were never ‘dive-bombed’ this year. We didn’t have one customer that complained to us about the birds. I didn’t hear one complaint from our employees about the droppings in our parking lot. Nor did they have to go home and wash their cars everyday like the last few years. We never thought seagulls could have such an impact on our business. Thank you again for solving this issue for us. Definitely money well spent !! Thank you again !!"
DWF Wholesale Florist Patrick G."I want to commend your entire team for the excellent work done on the installation of my new bird deterrent laser. Both Gordon and Carla were responsive and helpful in the installation process. They both are experts in what they do. Also, I must say that despite my initial skepticism about the ability of the laser to keep the geese flocks off my property, it has been 100% effective in keeping the geese away. The day before the installation of the laser, I had 27 geese on my 6-acre property. They were so bold I could not scare them away. The day after we turned on the laser, no geese. And we have not seen a single goose for weeks now. I am now free to enjoy our lake home and property without the mess and nuisance of flocks of migratory waterfowl. Life on the lake is good again. Thanks for your good work and your excellent team of Gordon and Carla. I am happy to provide a reference for potential customers of yours. I am sold on the laser."
Murphy Residential David M."We’ve proudly been using Wild Goose Chase at our airport since 1999! Sue and the team do an outstanding job with wildlife mitigation on our airport that has helped us in more ways than we can count. Innovation is another extremely favorable attribute that WGC has. We were the first Airport in the United States to use canines for geese control and now one of the first handful of airports to use laser technology as well. Very professional and compassionate staff that honestly cares about our clients. Their work, dedication, and passion for their mission is what make them an industry leader, nota follower."
Chicago Executive Airport, PWK"Thank you for doing such great work all of these years and being totally responsive to our needs. It has been an easy ride, and you’ve made it easy!"
Head of Natural Resources for Outdoor Garden & MuseumWild Goose Chase has provided reliable and effective goose management solutions for our golf course for nearly five years. We appreciate the way they work with our budget to provide the best services for the best return on our investment. Our account manager is very knowledgeable about our golf course and always provides recommendations to best minimize the goose population and issues that they cause. They continue to provide a great service without disrupting our golf operations, which is very important to us.
Golf Course Superintendent"Since implementing the automated laser, we have seen an 80-90% reduction in the number of birds so far this year compared to this time last year. I’ve been impressed so far with the results.”
Fish Farm Manager"Wild Goose Chase has been a great success with our geese control. Our garden has grown to a considerable height (with a lot of hand watering) and the geese don’t seem to give it a second look."
Downtown Services Manager"KEI has successfully contracted with Migratory Bird Management (MBM) to provide our clients management of nuisance birds for quite a while now. KEI finds it invaluable that MBM offers a turnkey service, including managing and navigating the required federal permit and reporting process and forms. Mike Michalski and his team are very knowledgeable in bird behavior, bird species, and the unique challenges each present. Mike is always pro-active and keeps us and our clients well informed of their progress in managing this critical service. MBM's professional approach to protecting our client's employees, visitors and property from the hazards of nuisance birds provides a value added service that we can bring to the table for our clients. KEI highly recommends you call Mike and MBM if you are experiencing issues with nuisance birds."
President, Kujawa Enterprises Inc. Chris K."Migratory Bird Management was hired to assist with the goose population problem. Within a few short weeks, with the aid of the trained dogs and a remote control boat, the technicians were able to reduce the population to only a few mating pairs. Their repeated visits to the site, both day time and evenings eventually caused the geese to become annoyed and leave the site. Their methodology of irritating the birds with light, sound, and the dogs, without physically harming the geese allows for a solution that protects the wildlife, eliminated the nuisance situation in a manner that was acceptable to everyone."
Senior Asset Manager, Greywold Partners, Inc. Marilyn H.Schedule Your Gull Depredation Service Today
Gulls return to the same nesting sites year after year, which means the problem will only continue without intervention. Egg depredation is a proven way to reduce their numbers and prevent ongoing issues with damage and safety. Contact Wild Goose Chase today to schedule a site inspection and discuss our gull depredation services.