Uncategorized Archives - Cominthesky

Seagull sterilization : Saint-Malo hunts down food thieves

admin — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:17:52 +0000

Seagull sterilization: Saint-Malo hunts down food thieves

By the seaside, seagulls sometimes try to steal food from plates. In Saint-Malo, the city has chosen to use egg sterilization to address this problem.

The port city of Saint-Malo has decided to implement a seagull egg sterilization operation to limit their numbers, because these birds have the bad habit of stealing food from tourists, whether on the beach or at restaurant terraces. Restaurateurs also warn their customers to watch out for these exceptional food thieves.

A safe sterilization for seagulls

Saint-Malo has adopted an innovative solution by beginning to sterilize seagull eggs. Agents identify the eggs on rooftops and then use drones to spray rapeseed or sunflower oil on them. “The oil will coat the eggs to block their pores, preventing the embryo from developing,” explains Raphaël Dahan, an engineer and drone pilot. This operation is safe for this protected species.

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Drones for sterilizing argentatus gull eggs in Mers-les-Bains

admin — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:54:29 +0000

Drones for sterilizing argentatus gull eggs in Mers-les-Bains

For three days, drones flew over the rooftops of Mers-les-Bains, in the Somme, as part of a new method implemented by the town for a seagull egg sterilization campaign.

Ricardo Boimare, in charge of the seagull egg sterilization project within the municipality, explains: “Previously, this operation was carried out by rope access technicians, but this method proved unsatisfactory. With this new technique, we no longer need the presence of the nest owner.”

“We received 87 reports in Mers-les-Bains,” say drone pilots Raphaël Dahan and Silvio Zuselli.

Maria Caprian, operations manager, describes the process: “The first step involves a reconnaissance flight with a drone to confirm the presence of a nest with eggs, which is then precisely geolocated.”

Another drone then intervenes to spray a product on the eggs that prevents the embryo from developing. “We use only vegetable oils, such as rapeseed or sunflower oil, which are completely safe for the birds,” adds Maria Caprian.

The operations are quick and efficient.

The birds can sometimes become aggressive and protective. “It has already happened that they attacked the drones or even us,” assure Raphaël Dahan and Silvio Zuselli.

A second intervention is scheduled in three weeks. In the meantime, residents can continue to report the presence of nests to the town hall.

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Mers-les-Bains: 600 eggs sterilized by drone to reduce seagull nuisances

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 15:13:05 +0000

Mers-les-Bains: 600 eggs sterilized by drone to reduce seagull nuisances

To reduce the nuisances caused by argentatus gulls, the city of Mers-les-Bains is testing a new system: drone sterilization.

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In Mers-les-Bains, drones are sterilizing seagull eggs.

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:43:14 +0000

In Mers-les-Bains, drones are sterilizing seagull eggs.

Seagulls, responsible for noise, droppings, and sometimes even aggression, are particularly numerous in Mers-les-Bains. Their presence causes many nuisances: noise, fights, droppings, and even assaults. Some town councils have decided to directly sterilize their eggs in the nests to control their population. This is the case in Mers-les-Bains.

That morning, near the Saint-Martin church, several silver seagulls circle around a building. Ricardo Boimare, in charge of this issue at the town hall, explains: “These birds cause a lot of nuisances.” For several years, the municipality called in rope access technicians to sterilize the eggs using formalin, but this method proved to be ineffective, he admits. That’s why, this year, the town turned to a drone specialized company. “The advantage of this method is that we no longer need the presence of the nest owner,” he adds.

Raphael Dahan, a drone pilot at Cominthesky, is about to launch two drones: “The first drone is used to locate nests, because not all reports necessarily correspond to existing nests.” Once the nest is identified, the second drone takes off, equipped with a small bottle connected to a pump filled with rapeseed oil. “It’s an eco-friendly approach: the oil plugs the pores of the egg, preventing the embryo from developing without harming the species,” explains Raphael.

This treatment targets only one of the three species of seagulls present on the coast, namely the argentatus gull, which is protected like the others. Ricardo Boimare clarifies: “Only the argentatus gull can be treated because the common gull and the black-headed gull are strictly protected. Primarily, it’s the argentatus that causes nuisances: noise, fights, thefts, droppings, clogged gutters, and sometimes aggressive behavior.” Moreover, the drone seems to disturb the birds, and some have even managed to knock it down! “Quick action is necessary during the operation,” warns Raphael Dahan.

A second round will be needed in three weeks to treat the nests that have already been sprayed with oil, to prevent hatching. The town hall is spending €9,000 this year for around 600 eggs sterilized.

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Cannes: a seagull sterilization operation using a drone

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:16:04 +0000

Cannes: a seagull sterilization operation using a drone

The post Cannes: a seagull sterilization operation using a drone appeared first on Cominthesky.

France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (TV)

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 09:27:30 +0000

France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (TV)

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Featured in BFM Business, Le Parisien, France 3 and more

admin — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 13:41:14 +0000

Featured in BFM Business, Le Parisien, France 3 and more

Since 10 years, we have been improving our technologies, and clients keep asking for more—here’s why : We do not harm the birds; we regulate their overpopulation by sterilizing the majority of seagull eggs nesting in cities. This is necessary to prevent their proliferation, which can lead to the decline of other species, as seagulls are predators. It also helps avoid numerous aggressive behaviors when fledglings are near terraces, gardens, offices, parking lots, and other places. The effectiveness of our safe, faster, and more cost-efficient approach has attracted interest from many media outlets.

Media coverage of our drones

Innovations by Maria CAPRIAN and Édouard GUILHOT have been featured in the media since 2004.

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New : Connected drone for urban seagull egg sterilization

admin — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 13:39:43 +0000

New: Connected drone for urban seagull egg sterilization

Edouard GUILHOT, President of Cominthesky, and his technical team developed a first drone in 2014 capable of sterilizing seagull eggs. However, it took years of evolution to create a drone large enough to carry sufficient eco-friendly sterilizing products to treat multiple nests per flight, while remaining light enough to ensure safety during urban flights. The drone is equipped with centimeter-accurate RTK for high precision, stabilizes in windy conditions thanks to its LiDAR, and features a specialized pump for the sterilizing products. It is connected in real-time via 4G to a tablet and a web server, allowing clients to be informed precisely and in real-time about the treated nests, with geolocated photos supporting the data. An AI system counts eggs and hatchlings, saving significant time for our teams during missions and reducing costs for the client. This connected drone technology with AI for sterilizing seagull eggs offers much better efficiency, real-time information, and lower costs. Other functionalities are currently in development…

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June 16–22, 2025 – Meet Cominthesky at the Paris Air Show (Le Bourget)

admin — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 13:37:48 +0000

June 16–22, 2025 – Meet Cominthesky at the Paris Air Show (Le Bourget)

Cominthesky will be present at the Le Bourget Air Show in Hall 4, booth in Square C-136.
We will mainly showcase the stealth drone Flying Sensor, dedicated to drone delivery, specifically multi-drone autonomous delivery.

Our drone research and development office is represented with two partner companies: Flynaero, which offers a software that has enabled a 30 to 50% increase in the capabilities of the Flying Sensor drone in a very short time, and Iris Lab, a company specialized in remote laser recharging of drones.

Since 2016, our drone system, originally developed in 2004, has evolved and been adapted to be capable of flying autonomously in challenging weather conditions (rainy and windy) to deliver 4 waypoints at the ILL nuclear power plant in Grenoble. We have spent years refining this technology to improve its reliability. We can now distribute it and adapt it for various delivery needs. We are also heavily focused on medical drone delivery.

With new technologies currently being integrated, it would be possible to deliver over long distances securely, with very low noise levels (imperceptible at a few dozen meters, making it stealthy). Come discuss it with us. Better yet, schedule an appointment.

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