What you can do against pesky seagulls

Seagulls can be annoying, particularly during brooding season from April to August. The municipality is trying to limit this nuisance as much as possible. Read what you can do yourself.

Seagulls are protected animals under the Nature Conservation Act. This needs to be taken into consideration when trying to limit the nuisance they cause. Because seagulls are protected, you are not allowed to remove the eggs of the seagulls from their nest or to damage or destroy them. You are also not permitted to remove any seagull nests or to frighten the gulls on purpose. The municipality is also not allowed to do this. The municipality is however collecting information on where pesky seagulls are located. You can report this nuisance using the Dutch form Meeuwenoverlast melden.

Prevent litter

Litter attracts pests. This is what you can do to keep your neighbourhood clean.

• Do not throw any rubbish or food scraps on the street.
• Do you live in a neighbourhood where there are underground rubbish containers for your household waste? Do not leave any garbage bags or loose rubbish next to the containers.

Use the free yellow garbage bags

Is your household rubbish still being collected in garbage bags? Use the yellow garbage bags which the municipality provides for free from 1 March to 1 November. Seagulls are not able to peck open these bags as easily because they are extra sturdy. Place the bags by the curb on the day your household waste is collected. Seal the bags well.

Pick up yellow garbage bags

You can pick up the yellow garbage bags (1 roll per visit) at:

• Scheveningen

  • Kommunika, Jurriaan Kokstraat 177 2586 SH Den Haag

• Segbroek

  • Stadsboerderij De Gagelhoeve, Mient 20 2564 KL Den Haag
  • Segbroek district office, Fahrenheitstraat 190 2561 EH Den Haag

• Laak

  • Laak district office, Slachthuisplein 25 2521 EC Den Haag
  • Bibliotheek Laakkwartier, Linnaeusstraat 2 2522 GR Den Haag
  • Molenweide city farm, Stuwstraat 31 2516 TA Den Haag

• Centrum

  • Buurthuis van de Toekomst De Sprong, Paviljoensgracht 33 2512 BL Den Haag
  • De Heldenhoek, Elandstraat 88 2514 GV Den Haag
  • Schildershoeve city farm, Teniersplantsoen 83 2526 MS Den Haag
  • De Woelige Stal, Herman Costerstraat 80 (Transvaalpark) 2571 PB Den Haag

• Haagse Hout

  • Bibliotheek Haagse Hout, Theresiastraat 195 2593 AJ Den Haag
  • Wijkcentrum Stichting Wijkberaad Bezuidenhout, Johannes Camphuijsstraat 25 2593 CH Den Haag

• Information desk in City Hall

  City Hall is open:

  • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8.30 to 16.30 hrs.
  • Thursday from 8.30 to 20.00 hrs.

• Information and Assistance Centre in Escamp

  Leyweg (Escamp) is open:

  • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8.30 to 16.30 hrs.
  • Tuesday from 8.30 to 20.00 hrs.

Do not feed the birds

Do you have leftover bread? Do not feed it to seagulls or ducks but dispose of it in a bread collection bin. Tell people that they also should not feed seagulls. This way you prevent nuisance in your neighbourhood.

Adapt your roof

Seagulls like spots where their nest is sheltered at least on 1 side. Popular nesting spots for seagulls are: on a roof window in a sloped roof, on a dormer, on a flat roof (gravel roof), against a skylight, against the edge of a roof or behind a chimney.

You can make adaptations to your roof so that seagulls do not brood there:

• Place pins or anti-pigeon spikes.
• Stretch metal wire in parallel rows to each other across the entire length of the roof.
• Leave approximately 25 centimetres of space between each row of wire.
• Arrange for a company experienced in placing seagull nets to cover your roof. A net with a mesh opening of 75 millimetres is most suitable. Make sure that the net is stretched tightly, at some distance from the roof surface. Be sure that seagulls and other birds are not able to crawl under the net. If the net is not stretched tightly or it allows birds to crawl under it, the animals will become entangled in it.