The Irish public have been warned to remain vigilant of aggressive seagull behaviour as we enter into the autumn season.

While nesting season, when gulls are at their most territorial, is now over it has been noted by pest control company Rentokil that gulls will still become aggressive while scavenging for food. This behaviour will be most prevalent around coastal areas.

One of the main hazards of the seagull population is their droppings (also known as guano), which can contain E. coli and Salmonella and can spread infection through surface contamination or inhaling bacteria from dried droppings.

The nests and roosting sites of birds also attract several pest insects such as bird mites, textile beetles, and fleas, so the presence of gulls at a residential or business premises can bring about infestations from other unwanted visitors.

Colm Moore, Area Technical Manager with Rentokil, says: “While the summer season has passed, gulls continue to search for food and can remain territorial.

“It is important to stay vigilant and implement preventive measures to minimise potential risks.”

He provides some tips to help prevent the presence of seagull activity at home or at a business, including securing bins with a lid to protect food sources and using barriers over window ledges to block roosting spots.

He also suggests tactics like deploying fake birds of pray as a deterrent for the gulls. Rentokil offers another solution called the Rentokil Intelligent Bird Scaring (RIBS) device, which provides an effective and sustainable approach to bird deterrence without harming the birds.

The device can be controlled and monitored remotely via a tablet or smartphone app and has an intelligent built-in listening system that recognises different bird species from their calls and identifies the best scare tool from a broad range to deter them.