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The population of ring-billed gulls in the upper Midwest has increased exponentially in recent decades leading to a variety of conflicts including property damage, negative economic impacts, threats to human safety, and potential threats to human health. Some studies have suggested a link between gull fecal droppings and elevated Escherichia coli levels, which result in swim advisories and bans on public beaches. The objectives of the Chicago ring-billed gull damage management project were to reduce the local production of ring-billed gulls, to evaluate the affects limiting gull production has on gull use of beaches, and to reduce the severity of conflicts with gulls including the issuance of swim advisories and swim bans. Between 2007 and 2009, we applied corn oil to 52 - 80% of nests in 2 large gull colonies in Chicago and successfully reduced hatching success and subsequent fledging of 18,000 - 42,000 gulls per year without causing colony abandonment. Fewer hatch year gulls were observed in 2009 on Chicago’s beaches compared to 2007. The reduction in the number of gulls using Chicago beaches has contributed to a reduction in conflicts with gulls, including a decrease in the frequency of swim advisories/bans on Chicago’s beaches in comparison to 2006.

We evaluated the effectiveness of Allsopp Helikites® as a gull (Larus spp.) deterrent at loafing and nesting areas and as a bird deterrent in a sunflower field. In 1998, a 10-day trial was conducted at two 0.5-ha ponds at the Erie County, Ohio landfill (EC) and a 2-week trial on two 0.1-ha plots on the Tru-Serv Corporation (TSC) warehouse roof in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Also in 1998, a 5-week trial in a sunflower field was conducted in Erie County, Ohio. In 1999, a 24-day trial was conducted at the Service Liqueur Distributors (SLD), Inc. warehouse roof, 1.6 km from the Albany, NY landfill. At the EC landfill the mean number (±SE) of ring-billed (L. delawarensis) and herring gulls (L. argentatus) on the treated pond decreased (P < 0.05) from 421 ± 292 to

Oiling eggs is a potential management method for controlling nuisance or depredating populations of ring-billed gulls, Canada geese, and other bird species. However, no registration for an oiling compound currently exists with the Environmental Protection Agency. Efficacy data were collected for white mineral oil and corn oil to reduce the hatchability of ring-billed gull eggs. Egg failure was 99% in corn oil, 96% in white mineral oil, and 35% in control eggs. Most treated eggs that hatched were treated early in the incubation period, 1 to 8 days after clutch completion. A Wildlife Service Technical Note on the use of com oil as an oiling agent is now available.