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.

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 30 October. 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.

Where to pick up yellow garbage bags

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

Scheveningen

• De Mallemok
  Westduinweg 38A
  2583 EH Den Haag
• Het Kalhuis
  Badhuisstraat 177
  2584 HH  Den Haag
• Kommunika
  Jurriaan Kokstraat 177
  2586 SH Den Haag

Laak

• Stadsdeelkantoor Laak
  Slachthuisplein 25
  2521 EC Den Haag
• Vaderscentrum Adam
  Jonckbloetplein 20
  2523 AR Den Haag
• Bibliotheek Laakkwartier
  Lineausstraat 2
  2522 GR Den Haag

Centrum

• De Heldenhoek
  Elandstraat 88
  2514 GV Den Haag

Haagse Hout

• Stadsdeelkantoor Haagse Hout
  Loudonstraat 95
  Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 12.30 hrs.

• Wijk en Dienstencentrum Bezuidenhout
  Johannes Camphuijsstraat 25
  Monday to Thursday from 9.00 to 17.00 hrs.

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.