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Stop Birds Nesting Under Your Solar Panels

JG Pest Control are specialist installers of solar panel bird proofing, protecting domestic and commercial rooftop PV arrays from pigeons, gulls and other nesting birds. Our RSPH (BPCA) Level 2 certified and trainee technicians have proofed thousands of rooftop arrays, from single domestic installations to large warehouse roofs. Every system we fit uses non-penetrating, warranty-preserving hardware and carries a written guarantee.

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Why Birds Nest Under Solar Panels

A solar PV installation leaves a gap of roughly 10 to 15 centimetres between the panel and the roof tile. To a feral pigeon that gap is close to a perfect cavity: sheltered from rain and wind, warmed by the panel above, hidden from predators and elevated out of reach. Once one pair raises a clutch, the rest of the local flock follows, and within a single season you can have a permanent colony living above your roof timbers.

Gulls are too large for the cavity, so they perch on top instead, foul the surface heavily and defend the airspace aggressively. This is a particular problem in coastal towns, from Brighton round to Bristol and up the south-western peninsula.

Pigeons nesting in the gap beneath solar panels

The Four Real Risks

Loss of generationAcidic droppings bond to the panel glass and can cut output by 25 percent or more.
Fire riskDry nesting material packed against live DC cabling in a cavity that runs over 60 degrees.
Voided warrantyTouching the panels, cabling or nests yourself typically breaches the manufacturer warranty.
Biohazard guanoAccumulated droppings in the loft below need specialist biohazard handling.

What We Install

  • 50mm galvanised or 316 stainless steel mesh skirt
  • Dropper-shaped stainless wire clips (nothing drilled or glued to the frame)
  • Wire posts and post-and-wire systems for ridges and flat roofs
  • Stainless gull spikes for panel tops and the surrounding ridge

Done the Right Way

  • Non-penetrating hardware that preserves the panel warranty
  • Worked to each panel and inverter manufacturer specification
  • Optional biohazard cleaning and disinfection of the cavity
  • Marine-grade hardware on coastal jobs, written guarantee on every install

Why DIY Solar Bird Proofing Voids Your Warranty

Almost every major panel manufacturer (Trina, JA Solar, LG, REC, Jinko, SunPower, Q Cells) writes their warranty around an undisturbed installation. The moment a third party, including a homeowner with a hosepipe and a broom, lifts a panel, washes the underside, touches the cabling or removes a nest, the warranty conditions are typically breached. The same applies to the inverter manufacturers (SolarEdge, Enphase, Tesla, GivEnergy, Sungrow). Our method is designed specifically to keep both warranties intact.

Solar Panel Bird Proofing Questions

JG Pest Control installs solar panel bird proofing nationwide as part of our dedicated bird division. The work is surveyed and fitted by RSPH (BPCA) Level 2 Certified Technicians, quoted in writing before it starts and documented on completion. We are a pest control service rather than a product supplier, so we specify and fit the system rather than sending you a kit. Call 0330 053 9002 to book a survey.
It does not if it is fitted correctly. The manufacturer warranty is put at risk by anything drilled, glued or fixed through the panel or its frame. We use a mesh skirt held in place by dropper-shaped stainless clips that grip the existing frame, so nothing penetrates the array and nothing is bonded to it. Attempting the job yourself is the more common way the warranty gets breached, because it usually means handling the panels and the cabling.
The gap between the panels and the roof is warm, dry, sheltered from wind and rain, and enclosed on most sides. To a feral pigeon that is a better nesting site than any ledge on the building, which is why an array left unproofed tends to be occupied within a season or two.
It carries real risk. Dry nesting material accumulates against live DC cabling in a cavity that gets hot, droppings on the panel glass reduce generation, and guano builds up in the roof void below where it needs specialist clearance. Nesting material also washes into the gutters and backs water up under the roof covering.
Yes, and the two belong together. We remove nesting material once it is legally clear to remove, clear and disinfect the guano including the roof void where needed, treat any bird mites left behind, then fit the proofing. Clearing without proofing simply leaves the cavity open for the next pair.
A correctly specified stainless or galvanised mesh system is a permanent fix rather than a deterrent that wears off. What shortens the life of an install is undersized mesh, clips that do not suit the frame profile, or gaps left at the awkward corners of the array, which is why the survey matters more than the materials.

Related Bird Services

Bird Control → Pigeon Control → Seagull Control → Bird of Prey →
Reviewed by our experts
Roy Couch
Written / verified by
Roy Couch, Technician Manager

Roy Couch is the Technician Manager at JG Pest Control, leading the technician team across the UK. He holds the BPCA Diploma and the RSPH Level 2 Award in the Safe Use of Aluminium Phosphide, and is qualified in the Safe Use of Rodenticides.

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Peter Bowers-Davis
Technically reviewed by
Peter Bowers-Davis, Non-Executive Director, BPCA

Peter Bowers-Davis is a board volunteer at the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), the UK trade body for professional pest management. He works across the Tyro UK group of companies, including JG, setting technical standards, treatment protocols and training programmes.

LinkedIn · BPCA volunteer profile