Solar Panel Pigeon Proofing in Essex and South East.
10 Year Guarantee.
Stop Pigeons Nesting Under Solar Panels
Pigeon proofing for solar panels in Essex and South East
Are you having trouble with pigeons nesting under your solar panels? Many clients ask us how to stop pigeons nesting under solar panels. We provide a solar panel pigeon proofing service in Essex and the surrounding area, to get rid of pigeons. Solar panels can be a great investment, letting you drastically reduce your electricity bills while also earning you money when you sell your surplus electricity back to the grid.
Unfortunately, the solar panels on your roof also create the perfect environment for pigeons to nest, giving them shelter from both the elements and predators. And pigeons nest all year round.
Once completed, we guarantee the pigeon proofing for 10 years.
Reasons to get rid of pigeons with a bird control solution
Over time, this pigeon activity will give rise to serious problems:
- pigeon droppings, or guano, will accumulate over the surface of the panels, reducing their effectiveness in generating electricity
- the guano will also build up on the roof tiles and guttering, turning into a health hazard
- the very act of cleaning up pigeon guano, particularly when dry, can be very hazardous to your health and lungs
- pigeon poop is highly acidic and will, over time, corrode the surface of your solar panels and roof tiles
- these conditions also create the ideal environment for bird mites to flourish and enter your home
- discarded nesting materials will slide down the roof, resulting in blocked gutters
- pigeons are also noisy creatures, waking people a couple of hours before daylight
Given time, your roof will become the pigeon hub for your entire street, and the cost of cleaning your solar panels and roofing on a regular basis can make your solar panels less of an investment and more of a liability.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Efficient solar panel pigeon proofing can prevent pigeons from nesting on your roof.
Bird proofing solar panels
Pest ID’s solar panel pigeon proofing service will prevent pigeons and other birds from nesting under your solar panels.
Unlike several of our competitors who use cheap rolls of mesh, we use galvanised steel sheets that are custom cut and bent to fit to the exact shape of your panels. Our preference is to use 12 gauge (2.64mm) sturdy steel meshing, as this will prevent even the most determined pigeons from getting under your panels.
As the mesh is clipped onto the solar panels, no drilling is required and so you won’t invalidate your warranty.
The excellent quality of the solar panel proofing materials that we use means that we are able to offer an industry-leading 10 year guarantee on every installation.
Choosing the right bird control company
A word of caution. It’s critical that you choose a company which is a member of the British Pest Control Association (look for the BPCA logo). All too often, we are asked to put right jobs carried out by roofing companies that have used poor quality materials, and haven’t fitted the mesh correctly.
Every year we help dozens of clients such as Christine who have paid good money to a roofing company that gave them a cheaper quote, only to have to pay out again to have the work done properly. Don’t ‘buy cheap-buy twice’.
Over the last couple of years, more and more companies have started pigeon proofing solar panels, some with little experience of what can be a complex task leading to many medium to long term failures.
You should also be aware that many companies farm the work out to third party contractors, and become reliant on their reputation should anything go wrong. At Pest ID, all of our work is carried out by Pest ID employees.
Ask us for a bird control quote
We can usually give you a bird control quote the same day, so please give us a call. Alternatively you can send us a message by email or using the form on our contact page, confirming your address and postcode and attaching a photo.
We’ll get back to you as soon as we can with our quote.
The installation process
1 - Accessing the rooftop
Safe access to your solar panels has to be our first priority, as a fall from roof height could be fatal.
For properties with no obstructions, such as porches and conservatories, the right type of tiles and a low pitch, we may be able to safely access using specialist ladders that we own, other times we can use our scaffold tower to access your roof.
We also own our own truck mounted cherry picker, where we can simply drive up, lower the stabilisers and safely work on your roof with an active working height of up to 20m and a 9m reach.
Where there are access complications, we will need to engage the services of a professional scaffolding firm, a local firm we have worked with for many years who do excellent rates and have a great reputation.
2 - Preparing the solar panels
First, we will remove all the birds and as much of their old nesting material as possible from under the panels. Once the site has been cleared we will, if required, carry out a full biocide treatment under the panels to kill off bird mites. We will then clean and remove all debris that has built up in the gutters.
3 - Mesh installation
Once the area has been cleared, we can then pigeon proof your solar panels, securing the bespoke sheets of mesh to the panels with specially designed clips. This means that there’s no need to drill into the roof or the solar panels, and so this work won’t invalidate the warranty. We do not use plastic clips as even those that are UV treated, usually go brittle in the sunlight after 4 or 5 years.
Once completed, we guarantee the pigeon proofing for 10 years.
Choosing the right bird control company
A word of caution. It’s critical that you choose a company which is a member of the British Pest Control Association (look for the BPCA logo). All too often we are asked to put right jobs such as this one, carried out by roofing companies that have used poor quality materials, and haven’t fitted the mesh correctly.
We help dozens of clients every year who have paid good money to a roofing company that gave them a cheaper quote, only to have to pay out again to have the work done properly. Don’t ‘buy cheap-buy twice’.
Here is a real-life example of failed solar panel pigeon proofing:
We went to a particularly bad solar proofing job that was done by a competitor around four years ago.
The mesh used was not fit for purpose, and was attached to the solar panels by plastic clips which had gone brittle, despite them having been UV treated. Over time the flimsy mesh had broken away, allowing pigeons to get back under the solar panels. The video below shows just how useless the clips were as the old mesh was pulled away.
This client had paid more than £1,000 for this failed solar panel pigeon proofing, AND they’d had to pay extra for scaffolding. No guarantee was given, and the client was bluntly told there was nothing they would do about it.
To remediate this, the client had to pay out a second time. We removed the flimsy mesh and plastic clips, and replaced this with 12 gauge galvanised steel mesh held in place by specialised galvanised steel clips, which can be removed for access should the solar panels require maintenance in the future. As we were able to use our own cherry picker, the client didn’t have to hire scaffolding for a second time.
We gave the client a 10 year guarantee that pigeons wouldn’t be able to get back under the solar panels.
Before: Video showing failed solar panel pigeon proofing
After pigeon proofing your solar panels
Pigeons are creatures of habit, so it’s more than likely that they will hang around after we have finished our work.
They will be keep trying to get back to their nesting spot, and it will take them two or three days (or sometimes even weeks with the most stubborn pigeons) to realise that the mesh is permanent, and that they’ll have to find somebody else’s solar panels to nest under.
Here’s a short video clip showing what some pigeons made of our work.
The very best reviews
Here are just some of the many solar panel pigeon proofing reviews which our happy customers have left on Checkatrade.
Ian and Bobby were brilliant. They worked efficiently and explained exactly what they were doing. They put grids around our solar panels to stop the pigeons nesting under neath. Ian even cleaned my loft window which is hard to reach. Excellent work and price was comparable to other quotes.
We had nothing but problems with Solar Panel installers' recommended company who originally installed mesh to stop pigeons nesting under solar panels. Contacted ID Pest for advice and assistance. Ian was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Within 48 hours inadequate and ineffective mesh removed and more robust system with unique fixings designed specifically to fit securely to the roof and panels without risk of damage to either. I would have no hesitation and highly recommend Pest ID.
Professional approach, top quality communication, On time, on budget, to quality, complete. No problems.
My neighbour arranged for the work to be done (3 houses in a terrace) and I was not at home when the work was carried out. The work looks neat and effective and I am very pleased with the result
The work was first class. Ian was very polite and helpfully with regards to the job. I would highly recommend this company for service given. No more pigeons clattering about under the panels.
Perfect job, no issues since as Ian promised. Pigeons have moved on. Very happy with the service. Would highly recommend.
