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Seagull control in Oakville, and Halton Region in general, is a very common issue in public, commercial, and industrial areas of all kinds. At Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control, we provide several solutions for this kind of pest bird removal.
Why Seagulls Infest Commercial Properties in Oakville
Seagulls, also known just as gulls or even mews in some places, are seabirds from the Laridae family. These medium-large birds are most often white and grey, with some black markings. If you live in Halton Region, especially Oakville, then you know the harsh squawk of the seagull!
You also know what a pest they can be in large numbers. This is when seagull control becomes essential.
Seagulls are carnivorous scavengers, so they frequent public areas like parks and harbours, as well as areas where there’s garbage, such as landfills and commercial properties.
These clever birds also tend to harass innocent people trying to have a bite to eat outdoors in the nicer weather. Once one finds a tasty, discarded morsel on a restaurant patio, you know there will be more gulls arriving soon.
They also live in colonies, which can be both noisy and messy due to feces, garbage they bring in from other sources, feathers, and nest debris.
Commercial properties in Oakville and elsewhere in Halton Region can provide a great source of food or even nesting ground for opportunistic seagulls coming in from the lake, eventually causing a problem for your business, employees, and customers.
If you have a commercial property, you need to be aware that the following can attract those potentially annoying seagulls:
- Landfill waste
- Litter (especially food containers/leftovers)
- Outdoor garbage bins/cans
- Outdoor trash compactors
- Outdoor grease bins
- Mice
- Insects
- Dead fish
- Water sources
- Fruit trees
- Parking lots or other open spaces
- Sandy or gravelly areas (for nesting)
Seagulls Love Growing Urban Commercial Centers Like Oakville
Considered part of the Greater Toronto Area, Oakville is close to the big city, but still holds appeal for people looking for a slightly less densely populated area on the shores of Lake Ontario.
But it’s been growing non-stop. And, the need for seagull control has grown as well.
Oakville’s population expanded from 75,773 in 1981 to 193,832 in 2016 (the last census). That’s an increase of 155.81%.
Oakville is also a center for commerce, with industry giants Tim Hortons and Ford Motor Company calling the town their home base. The growing town also hosts many companies in the pharmaceuticals industry and other life sciences sectors, as well as advanced manufacturing facilities, such as General Electric and UTC Aerospace Systems.
And what does an increasing residential population and commercial centre near the water attract? Seagulls!
Oakville Has Plenty of Seagull-Friendly Places
An expanding urban commercial center like Oakville is a great place to scavenge and live, in a gull’s eyes. Especially since it has alluring inland areas that are so handy to the water.
Here are some of the facilities the Town of Oakville boasts that make it particularly attractive to flocking seagulls and are in need of seagull control:
- Tons of commercial properties, with a denser downtown core, including large businesses, restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores, and malls such as Oakville Place Shopping Centre and Smart Centre Oakville.
- Not one, but two harbours on Lake Ontario: Oakville Harbour (on Sixteen Mile Creek, near downtown) and Bronte Harbour (on Bronte Creek), which include docks, park area, a beach, parking lots, yacht clubs, and other recreational facilities.
- Almost 200 parks, plus public gardens, sport areas, creeks, and trails, many of them near Lake Ontario
How Hawkeye Helps Control Seagulls in Oakville
In Canada, most migratory bird species are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. And that includes seagulls. This means that the federal government shields them from hunting and other forms of harm via the Canadian Wildlife Service.
This is a major reason a business needs the assistance of the experts at Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control for seagull control in Oakville and Halton Region. We know what legal techniques work best in humane pest bird removal.
To start, we can tell you, from experience, what does not work. Seagulls are not affected by:
- Ultrasonic devices
- Fake owls
- Pressurized air fired out of nozzles
- Repelling balloons
- Scent/taste repellants
Seagull Control Using Falconry
So, what does work?
Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control makes use of falconry as a valuable tool in seagull control for our Oakville/Halton Region clients.
Birds of prey, also known as raptors, are predators for seagulls and other pest birds. We deploy raptors as a natural and humane way to chase seagulls away from a designated area. Once seagulls know there’s a falcon or other raptor hunting in their favourite place to hang out, such as your restaurant’s parking lot or the roof of your manufacturing plant, they’ll stay away.
Not only is falconry a humane way to remove seagulls from your commercial property, but it’s also very effective. Results last much longer than those from shooting, trapping, or using noise-makers to scare gulls off.
Netting Solutions
Another effective solution we use for clients in seagull control and pest bird removal in Oakville/Halton Region is netting.
We can set up netting to block off specific areas on your commercial property where gulls may be making themselves a nuisance or causing damage by nesting or flocking. This works quite well for buildings or other structures.
We have three main types of netting available to deter seagulls and other bird pests:
Polyethylene netting: This kind of netting is heat-treated and UV-protected, for durability. Each square of netting (around 2.5 cm to 20 cm each) is crafted of four to six strands of individually knotted filament. This gives it 75 lbs of breaking strength. You can get it in a variety of widths (25, 50, 75, or 100 feet) and colours (white, black, tan, or clear), with the goal for it to be as visually unobtrusive as possible. The only weakness of this type of netting is that it can collapse under too much snow and ice.
Fibreglass netting: This anti-gull netting is similar to polyethylene in looks and installation method. However, it’s actual more durable and more resistant to corrosion (i.e. salt), rot, and cold weather. The cost reflects the better quality of this kind of netting.
Wire netting: This netting can be made of aluminum or galvanized or stainless steel to inhibit rust. It comes in different gauges (thickness), going from very malleable to very durable and heavy. We often use wire netting to block off bird access to areas such bridges, canopies, or venting.
Seagull Control Using Other Methods
Other methods we offer at Hawkeye Bird and Animal Control for seagull control in Oakville/Halton Region include:
- Bird Coil anti-perching system
- Bird-Flite bird spikes
- Polly-Spike bird spikes
- Bird-Shock Flex-Track low-profile ledge deterrent system
- BirdSlide ledge exclusion system
- Birdwire, a spring-tensioned wire ledge deterrent system
- Daddi Long Legs landing-deterrent system
- Pyrotechnics
- StealthNet bird exclusion system
- Bird nest removal
Why Choose Hawkeye for Seagull Control in Oakville?
Whether your business is located in downtown Oakville or in surrounding areas of Halton Region and the GTA, you've likely seen your share of seagulls. It’s a fact of life when you live near the lake.
However, if they have become a pest or hazard to your business, customers, and employees, it's time to take control of the situation. With professional seagull control services, gulls are easy to exclude from commercial areas without using inhumane methods.
When it comes to seagull control in Oakville and the surrounding Halton Region, Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control guarantees results that exceed those of our competitors. We offer permanent solutions to your pest bird problems.
Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control is the sole pest bird and animal/wildlife control company in Canada both designated "Certified Wildlife Control Professional" and holding these licenses:
- Falconry Permit
- Trapping of Fur Bearing Animals Permit
- Pest Control License
We are the only company in the GTA allowed to permanently remove nuisance animals, while other companies are required to trap and release the animals.
Need help removing seagulls from your commercial property? We have multiple seagull control solutions that could work for you, permanently. Email us at hawkeye@hawkeye.ca or call us at (416) 429-5393 or toll-free at 1-(855) 393-4295.
