Solar Panel Bird Proofing

Solar Panel Bird Proofing

Have you seen pigeons hanging out on roofs around Brisbane? Pigeons have discovered that they can make very comfortable nests under solar panels, and with the large amount of solar panel installations in houses this has meant a large increase in pigeon problems all over Brisbane.

How can you tell if you have a pigeon problem under your solar panels?

There are a couple of key ways. First, as mentioned before, a dead giveaway is pigeons on your roof. You will see them walking around, flying in and out and hear them making all sorts of noise. Second, eventually you might see what looks like grass and plants growing in your gutters on the same side as your solar panels. This is because the pigeons droppings roll down the roof and into the gutter, slowly accumulating over time. Their droppings contain plant seeds and eventually with a highly fertilised and composted bed of pigeon waste these seeds begin to germinate and voila, you have plants in the gutters.

Why is this a problem?

Having pigeons living under your solar panels poses a few problems. First, they are vermin and very unhygienic with their nests attracting diseases and bacteria. This is because of the large amount of faeces pigeons produce. Also, younger baby pigeons or adult pigeons may not live for various reasons and die up on the roof. Many times we have found dead pigeons in gutters, it’s not good and attracts all kinds of nasties. In fact, having pigeons nesting under your solar panels attracts other pests like cockroaches, ticks and rats. Quite frankly, when you put it all together, it’s gross!

Pigeon poo is also highly corrosive and it’s not a good idea for large amounts of it to be left sitting in the gutters for long periods of time. Once plants take hold and grow root systems this completely blocks the flow of water to the downpipes and will causes problems when it rains. Even if you remove the plants and faeces from the gutters, if the nest is left untouched the same problem will arise.

Pigeons also like a good view, so you’ll often see them perched on top of the solar panels observing their surroundings. This means that the panels get a lot of pigeon droppings on them and this is terrible for panel output and panel life. We’ve gone to lots of jobs where the panels were absolutely covered with pigeon droppings, not a good look!

How does solar panel bird proofing mesh work?

The best way to get rid of pigeons for good under solar panels is the installation of bird proofing mesh. Bird proofing mesh comes in two varieties, a stainless steel powder coated mesh and a HDPE poly mesh. Both types of mesh seal the outer perimeter of all the panels and therefore prevent any pigeons from making nests under there. It also keeps possums out too. Installing solar panel bird mesh does not void the warranty on the panels and is a cost-effective and humane way to get rid of pigeons. The mesh also comes with a 15 year warranty.

We hope this information has been helpful to you. If you would like a free quote for bird mesh installation please contact us and we would be happy to help out.