Whether they’re a small annoyance or quite the hindrance to you, there’s no denying that the seagulls in Llandudno are a boisterous bunch. After calls have come for the council to clamp down on their behaviour, it’s time to look at how you can stop them from being a nuisance.

Amidst some of the reports of gull attacks, you will usually expect to hear stories of some chips being stolen out of your hands as you eat. However, particularly when it comes to nesting season, gulls can become quite aggressive and even cause injury as one person on Twitter attested to:

“A seagull stole my food and left me with a bruised chest. I just never, ever carry food in my hand and always go and sit in my car to eat now.”

Although one or two isolated incidents by no means tarnishes all seagulls, residents and tourists to the town can do some simple things to try and pacify the gulls’ nature.

• Do NOT feed the seagulls. As you may expect, chips are not on the natural menu of any type of bird and feeding them will only encourage them.
• Tidy up your rubbish. It’s already common courtesy to not dispose of your rubbish on the floor and especially in an area such as Llandudno. Seagulls will often snap up any discarded food and give them cause to get greedy.
• Be wary near nesting season. Adult seagulls will get a little reckless to protect their chicks so be aware of any telltale signs of aggression.

There are also some things you can do concerning your household if you’re a resident of Llandudno. To ward off the birds in the past, North Waleians from other regions have sought out measures such as spiking and putting up nets in open spaces with a Conwy Council representative echoing that sentiment:

“If property owners are not happy with gulls nesting on their properties they can take steps to proof their properties against future nest building. It is permissible to destroy a nest or take or destroy eggs where all other avenues of control have been ruled out, but only in the interests of public health or safety.”

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“Seagulls in Llandudno” by www.flickr.com/photos/38099915@N07, license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0 – 18/08/2014