They can be a nuisance at picnics and a menace to your car’s finish, but don’t curse the seagull.

More properly called ‘herring gulls’, these birds constitute an important cog in the ecosystem. Many species of gulls exist, but the European and American herring gulls are most common.

I remember before the high schools split in 2001 we had a major gull infestation at Northeastern High School. They nested on the roof and showed themselves at the slightest sign of food. Virtually everyone wished they would move elsewhere, but few appreciated that they filled a necessary niche.

When the student population was over 1700, large volumes of food wound up in the trash and on the ground. These ravenous birds cleaned up all the excess, much to the chagrin of many who tried to eat lunch outside instead of in the crowded cafeteria. This led to students feeding them, which meant more gulls.

Most students wanted to take drastic action against them. I remember being asked about the best ways to extinguish them. Some of their solutions were brutal. Feeding them Alka-Seltzer was often suggested. Contrary to popular belief, it does not make them explode.

I’m sure it doesn’t do them any good, but birds have the ability to regurgitate food. That is generally how they feed their young. My answer to student queries concerning gulls was always the same. Don’t feed them and in time they’ll go away. The students didn’t understand the consequences of eliminating gulls without addressing the reason the birds were there. Kids didn’t care that gulls cleaned up food waste that would draw mice and roaches, and more mice means more snakes. Both mice and snakes are far more likely to enter any building on their own free will than a gull would. Far fewer gulls reside at the school now, and it’s not because of attrition, since they can live for more than 30 years. There is no mouse or snake problem either.

The grounds are much cleaner in part to a smaller student population. We don’t need as many gulls now and they have figured that out.

Gulls are fast learners. It doesn’t take them long to realize people provide them with food. Fishermen certainly know this. So do farmers.

What we don’t appreciate is that they clean up what could be a problem for both. They eat fish remains and follow tractors in spring and pick up grubs and other potential crop pests. They also clean up our beaches of dead marine life.

Gulls are generally not a problem for people, but they can be lethal to each other. They steal from other gulls and can even kill weaker ones in their lust for food.

The answer to ridding your domain of gulls is simple. Make sure you clean up anything they might perceive as food. Keep trashcan covers tightly attached and out of the wind. Above all, never feed these birds. They’ll get the hint. Please don’t resort to eating them. I never would. Besides, they’re federally protected.