Typically, nets are used to prevent access to potential areas. Food Habits Gulls feed on land or water on aquatic animals, terrestrial invertebrates and small vertebrates, plant remains, carrion, and refuse. They frequently take the eggs and young of other nesting seabirds. Small species, including ring-billed, laughing, and Franklin's gulls, may also feed in the air on flying insects. Damage Increasing gull populations in North America during the past century have led to a variety of problems for different segments of society.
Gulls cause damage to agricultural crops and threaten human safety at and near airports.
They are involved in more collisions with aircraft than any other bird group because they are numerous and widely distributed. The presence of gull roosts near reservoirs increases their potential for transmitting diseases to human populations. Gulls are predators of several seabirds during the breeding season. Expanding and colonizing gull populations may have detrimental affects on the breeding performance of these other, often preferred, species. Cultural Methods of Control Habitat modification to discourage gull use of areas includes reducing or eliminating food, nesting and resting sites, and water.