If you have solar panels installed on your home or business, you might have noticed birds, squirrels and raccoons going in and out of the area beneath the panels.
While solar panels provide an energy efficient alternative for your property, they also create a safe nesting place for birds and wildlife. Pigeons, especially, often build their nests in the shade of solar panels, protected from sun, wind, rain, and predators.
Can Birds Damage Solar Panels?
Solar panels, as well as the wires and equipment that makes them operate, are delicate. The roof beneath them can be also damaged by bird nests, potentially paving the way for problems with your panels in the future. If you have pigeons or other birds nesting underneath the panels, you are at risk for:
- Additional Pests – The presence of birds often draws other pests. Squirrels, chipmunks, and mice can also nest under solar panels, compounding the damage done by the birds.
- Damaged Wiring and Components – Between birds moving beneath the panels and the other pests that are attracted to the area, wires could be torn or chewed through. This can cause solar panels to break and, in some cases, fires.
- Roof Damage – Bird droppings and debris collects around bird nests, all of which can deteriorate roofing materials and require expensive cleanup.
Bird droppings can also contain harmful pathogens which, when they are in large quantities from nests under solar panels, can become airborne and pollute your home, potentially causing illnesses.
How to Keep Birds Away?
To prevent damage to your solar panels and roof, bird proofing should be installed around solar panels. A couple of different products are available depending on your needs. These include:
- Bird Deterrent Kits – These kits consist of weather resistant mesh and metal clips. The clips are used to fix the mesh around the space between the solar panels and roof, sealing off the area underneath the panels. There is still space for airflow, but animals will not be able to get through the mesh to nest. Bird deterrent kits are able to withstand the elements for several years.
- Bird Spikes – Stainless steel spikes come in different heights and are affixed around solar panels to prevent birds from landing there. The spikes are weather resistant.
Both options are reasonably affordable, especially when considering the cost of repairing solar panels and roofing that have been damaged by birds.
How to Install Bird Barriers on Your Solar Panels?
While bird deterrents can be installed by those with handyman skills, professional installation is recommended in order to protect sensitive solar panels. In New York and New Jersey, NY and NJ Animal Control Trappers can work with you to decide which bird deterrent method is right for your home, and provide professional, safe installation. Call today at (646) 741-4333 to learn more.
