Birds nesting under your solar panels present a couple of hazards. Birds’ nests pose a fire risk, especially when combined with the electric wires underneath the panels. Birds and other small animals underneath solar panels can chew through the electrical wiring, damaging the units and causing a spark when combined with the flammable bird nesting material. Nesting birds also pose a disease risk.
So, how do you prevent birds from nesting under your solar panels?
In any bird control situation, there are two factors contributing to the birds’ presence: food and nesting grounds. The best way to solve a bird infestation is to remove both of these factors.
Bird food sources include open trash containers, food strewn on the ground, and food intentionally fed to the birds. To prevent birds from eating from these sources, open trash containers should be replaced with covered trash containers, food strewn on the ground should be picked up frequently, and people should be reminded not to feed the birds.
For preventing birds from nesting under solar panels, food sources nearby can contribute to a problem, but the main problem is usually that solar panels are an ideal bird nesting grounds. Birds like to nest in enclosed, covered places where they can find protection from predators and the elements. This is precisely their attraction to nesting underneath solar panels.
The best way to prevent birds from nesting under solar panels is to install solar panel bird deterrent mesh on your solar panels. Solar panel mesh is wire netting installed between solar panels and the ground. It blocks birds and other small critters from entering underneath the solar panels.
As a bird control method, solar panel mesh wiring is extremely effective. It is a bird exclusion method and will block birds and animals out with 100% effectiveness. It deters all bird species types, including pigeons, sparrows, crows, and starlings. Solar panel mesh is a long-term solution and will last 20+ years, enduring all weather scenarios.
Solar panel mesh can be purchased online at a bird control retailer. Alternatively, you can hire a bird control company to install it for you.
If birds have already nested under your solar panels, your situation is a bit different. Your best bet is to call in a bird control company to take a look at the site and to move the birds for you. Most bird species are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, meaning it is illegal to move the nest or interfere in any way with almost every bird species in North America.
A bird control company like AviAway can get a permit to move the nests. They will also have the equipment necessary to deal with the birds’ nest disease and parasite risk, as well as the risk of territorial birds.
A bird control company can also install solar panel mesh wiring on your solar panels to prevent birds from nesting under them again.
Summary: To prevent birds from nesting under solar panels, remove their food sources and install solar panel mesh wiring between the solar panels and the ground. If birds have already nested underneath the panels, your best bet is to call in a bird control company like AviAway to get a permit to remove the birds and then install solar panel mesh wiring on the solar panels afterwards.
