Gull numbers grow, spawning creative response

Building owners along the coast of Lake Michigan are getting creative in dealing with nuisance gulls.

A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report says the gull population has been growing for decades, and the birds are a nuisance. They nest on building roofs, chew through wires and leave droppings that can send nasty smells into the ventilation system.

Compounding the issue is federal law that prohibits trapping and moving them. Sometimes the government allows people to remove eggs from a nest or coat eggs with corn oil that prevents them from hatching.

Others have turned to creative solutions. Some building owners use lasers, noisemakers and ultrasonic waves to make the birds uncomfortable. Others use a grid of wires to make it hard for the birds to land and fold their wings.