Pigeon Proofing Solar Panels – 10 Year Guarantee
Solar Panel Bird Protection - Stop Birds Nesting Under your Solar Panels
British Bird Control offers a bespoke and one-stop Pigeon Proofing Solar Panels service with a 10-year guaranteed proofing of solar panels against pigeons, plus the provision of the required access equipment if required.
Pigeons nesting under solar panels are a significant problem on a national scale. What the solar panel fitters don’t tell you when they are putting them up, is that the necessary gap between your solar panels and the roof has created a perfect, safe, warm and sheltered nesting site for birds, and pigeons in particular, exactly where they want it – nice and high up. Pigeons need cover over their heads when nesting, and unlike most birds, they nest all year round in the UK. They simply love solar panels.
Over time the activity of the birds can see a significant build-up of corrosive pigeon fouling on the panels and under them and in the gutters and on patios below. Pigeon fouling is nasty stuff. It is a vector for some very nasty pathogens and bacteria which can cause very serious illness indeed (even blindness) in humans if accidentally ingested, if it gets into cuts, or is breathed in dry.
The nesting activity is also highly likely to result in biting bird mites entering your property, a problem which can drive you mad and is difficult and expensive to get rid of. Plus the movement of these large birds under the panesl can cause the circuits to break and the panels to stop working over time.
And then there is the noise they make, which can drive even the calmest of us to distraction! The solution is to stop pigeons getting under your solar panels permanently.
Pigeon Proofing Solar Panels - Professional Services
Here at British Bird Control we specialise in solar panel pigeon proofing across all of England and Wales. We offer a bespoke and one-stop solar panel bird protection service which includes 10-year guaranteed proofing of solar panels against pigeons.
Our proven three-step solar panel proofing service includes the use of a robust galvanised steel mesh that comes in solid SHEETS rather than rolls. This sheet mesh we use is far superior to roll mesh. The gauge of the wire is much thicker than roll mesh and indeed requires industrial cutters to shape it to size. When cut to fit around the outer edge of your solar panels, the prongs stay solid, thus allowing the technicians to create a bespoke fit not just to your solar panel configuration, but also, if need be, to ride the highs and lows of your roof tiles.
In most cases we are able to offer you a quotation within 20-minutes, following an initial phone consultation and evaluation. The cost of this solar panel bird protection is based around the number of solar panels you have, where they are, and an assessment of the safe access, which is carried out in consultation with you over the phone. Three storey properties and properties with glass conservatories across the area under the panels do present problems, but they are no means insurmountable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Panel Cleaning and Maintenance
How much does it cost to pigeon proofing solar panels?
Our rates are HIGHLY COMPETITIVE for pigeon proofing solar panels and we cover all of England and Wales. We offer a one-stop service and can also carry out gutter clearance and spiking, solar panel cleaning and fitting of chimney cowls while on site.
The cost of your solar panel pigeon proofing will be governed by a few variables that we will run through with you on the phone. The most important factor is whether we can safely carry out the work off ladders, or whether access equipment such as scaffolding or a cherry picker is required. Our technicians are trained in Working at Height and Safe Use of Ladders and many of them have cherry picker and scaffolding qualifications too.
Sending us images of the aspect of your property below the panels always helps, but in their absence we can often get a good enough picture of what’s needed from Google Maps. We just need the full address including post code. If you decide to go ahead, a 25% deposit secures your booking.
What does your solar panel pigeon proofing service include?
British Bird Control’s solar panel pigeon proofing service is a proven, three-step process and comes with a ten year guarantee. Once we have the access agreed, the first part of the job is to ‘shoo’ out the pigeons underneath and any squabs and then to clean out as much of the nesting material as is possible. We will get out what we can without risking the performance of the panels.
Note that pigeon fouling can become rock solid around wiring, so if the pigeon problem has been there a while, it won’t be pristine under there. The panels are not lifted off the bars at any stage.
Next we apply a professional strength biocide underneath the panels where there has been nesting going on. This is done for two reasons. Firstly, where you get nesting birds you get bird mites which are nasty little biting insects that feed on blood. They feed on the blood of chicks in nests but commonly get inside properties and start feeding on human blood and can be a nightmare to get rid of. Secondly the biocide helps to break down any hardened fouling on the fittings, which should wash away with weathering. As well as being a vector for some really nasty pathogens, pigeon fouling is high in uric acid and can be corrosive over time.
Finally, we carry out the guaranteed pigeon proofing around the outer edges of your panels. This is done using our sturdy, bespoke, galvanised steel sheet mesh. This is cut to fit the configuration of your solar panels and roof tiles and securely fitted side on, around the outer edges, using special UVA stable fittings with some vertical tensioning of some of the solid prongs under the lips of the panels.
Note that there is no drilling involved in our solar panel pigeon proofing service (that would invalidate your warranty with the solar panel company) and the process comes with an industry leading TEN YEAR GUARANTEE.
What if it’s raining or very windy on the day of the fitting?
As with any situation when we are working at height, safety has to be paramount. Not all roofs are the same – some have steeper pitches than others and some roof tiles, slates in particular, are slipper than others in the wet. We only work in trained two-man teams who are fully trained in working at height and always carry out a thorough risk assessment prior to attending, and on the day on arrival.
We will always do our best to carry out the work when planned and we are fully insured for this kind of work and are full members of the British Pest Control Association and CHAS accredited. But if the weather makes the work dangerous, particularly in the case of high winds and heavy rain, we would, as I’m sure you can understand, need to postpone.
Will the pigeons that have been nesting under solar panels move off straight away?
When you have pigeons nesting under solar panels you normally have two problems. The first is the female pigeons under the panels themselves, looking after the nest. The second is the males hanging around nearby, often on another part of your property, creating a lot of noise and mess.
They won’t usually go immediately no. They will investigate for a while. However, as you may be finding out, pigeons nest all year round in the UK and have several broods a year. They also mate for life. We are dealing with nature here and nothing is 100 percent guaranteed. But the normal run of events is that as soon as the females are pregnant again, they fly off to find a new nesting spot with cover, and the males follow them.