Despite our often cloudy weather, the UK is a popular place to install solar panels, with over half a million people now generating electricity from their roof tops. In addition to providing renewable energy sources, solar panels have also become popular with pest birds, such as pigeons, who are using them to nest.
Guide to pigeon and bird proofing under solar panels
If you want to pigeon proof your solar panels, then you will need to cover them in a specialist stainless steel guard. This special bird guard not only prevents pigeons from roosting and fouling on your solar panels but increases the efficiency of your renewable energy source.
As the dark solar panels attract the light, they absorb plenty of heat, providing a cosy place for pigeons to bed down and roost. Large in structure, these panels also provide pest birds with protection from the wind and rain and being located up high, they are safely positioned out of sight from most predators.
But as we know, pigeons are pretty dirty birds and can cause a lot of damage with their faeces and debris, preventing your solar panels from working efficiently. This is where Malum Southern Pest & Bird Control can help by providing and installing a specialist guard to keep pigeons off your panelling.
The damage pigeons can cause to solar panelling
The more efficient your solar panels, the more energy you are able to sell back to the grid. However, if you have pigeons nesting underneath, the performance of your panels is likely to be hindered.
Just one pigeon can produce up to 15kg of poop in a single year. So just imagine the mess that would make if it was constantly deposited onto your solar panelling!
Not only is pigeon mess corrosive in nature but their droppings, when splattered across your solar panels, can prevent light from emanating through. This will drastically reduce their output efficiency and in some cases can cause households to lose up to 50% of their electricity source.
If pigeon faeces and nesting materials collect under your solar panels, they can even start to eat away at your roof tiles and electrical wiring. You may be completely unaware that you have a collection of rainwater sitting stagnant on your roof, until it forces its way through the tiles themselves, causing untold damage to your ceilings and electricity outputs.
How to stop pigeons nesting under solar panels
The simplest way to protect your solar panels is to bird proof them with a specialist stainless steel guard. This guard is not visible from ground level but will discourage pigeons, as well as other pest animals including squirrels and rats, from landing and climbing on your solar structures.
This special guard should be installed by a professional bird control company, such as Malum Southern Pest & Bird Control Specialists, as it needs to be safely secured around the edges of the photovoltaic panels with clips, preventing pigeons from gaining any access into the space below.
Placing bird guard under your solar panel is completely humane and does not cause any harm to the pigeons themselves. Instead it simply acts as a deterrent by encouraging them to find alternative nesting sites.
How Malum can pigeon proof your panels
At Malum, you will be pleased to know that we use a specific type of stainless steel guard that does not affect the warranty of your solar panelling, and we even offer our own 5 year guarantee.
Plus, in addition to protecting your wiring and components, as well as preventing pigeons from roosting, we always ensure that bird nests and other debris are removed from under the solar panels prior to the guard being fitted. In some cases, we will even clean under the solar panel themselves with a pressure washer and disinfectant any areas where parasites carried by pigeons may be lurking.
By using the latest specialist equipment, we can access hard to reach residential or commercial roofs, and use a stainless steel guard that is highly durable and easy to remove should maintenance of the solar panelling be required.
How much does it cost to pigeon proof solar panels?
Our pigeon proofing is custom made to fit the space required, but in most cases, we offer a more cost-effective solution to other solar panel bird control services.
At Malum Integrated Pest Control, we include all equipment within the price of installation and guarantee 100% bird exclusion from beneath your solar panels. Plus, the bird control materials we use (including the stainless steel guard), come with a 5-year guarantee.
Experts in pest control, our friendly specialists are available for you to call or contact online today. So, for more pricing information, please get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote.
