DATE: Wednesday, June 4, 1997               TAG: 9706040658

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   42 lines

HISSSS: IT'S SEAGULLS 1, SNAKES 0

The snakes didn't work.

Pestered this spring by seagulls pecking holes in Harbor Park's protective infield tarpaulin, the Norfolk Tides purchased 48 dozen rubber snakes a month ago. The Tides grounds crew hoped that throwing the snakes on the tarp would scare off the gulls.

But head groundskeeper Kenny Magner said on Monday the grounds crew ``watched a seagull pick up a rubber snake and drop him in the outfield. They've pegged them as fakes.''

Not to fret. Joe Gorza, the director of stadium operations, received an unsolicited visit by a representative of Environmental Pest Management of Chesapeake last week and was offered a seagull distress call system for a 30-day trial period.

The system, which has four speakers and emits what sounds like a seagull being stepped on, usually goes for $450.

So far, Plan B seems to be working. Magner tested the distress call Monday afternoon and said ``it definitely got their attention.''

``First they came in and circled in curiosity,'' Magner said. ``Since then, they've pretty much kept their distance.''

Magner said fewer gulls have been hanging out at Harbor Park in the last couple weeks and suspects the gulls' earlier abuse of the tarp might have been a bizarre mating ritual.

``When they came down on the tarp a while back, they were usually in pairs,'' Magner said. ``And they were dancing all over the place.''

So with the stereo in and the snakes out, what do the Tides do with nearly 600 rubber snakes? Gorza says they might give them away as a promotion.

``We've got a boatload of `em,'' Gorza said. ``And I guess you'd consider them collectors' items.''

Tuesday's rainout will be made up Thursday as part of a doubleheader beginning at 12:15 p.m. ILLUSTRATION: HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

With the seagulls now wise to the rubber snakes, the Tides will try

using a seagull distress call system.

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