Pigeons nesting under my panels

NoobSolar

I am gong to suggest the hiring of a hawk to be tethered in the garden.

QrizB

NoobSolar said:

I am gong to suggest the hiring of a hawk to be tethered in the garden.

Or one of these, perhaps. Just be careful in high winds!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383827899115

Solarchaser

Solarchaser said:

As a follow up for my particular situation. 
Trusted builder came back and we took the panels off one by one, turned out one string went dead short because the installers had not tightened the back of the mc4 connectors and water had gotten in, this combined with the fact of very large piles of pigeon poo and a few dead ones was leading to my issues.
Removed all panels and connected them together after replacing every mc4 connector and all is good.
Still need to put them back on the roof though, ran out of time.

Tried washing the piles of crud off the rood only to totally block my gutters, which trusted builder is coming back to resolve when refitting panels.

So yeah definitely get the mesh fitted at install.

Fitted panels back on today, both strings happy again.
Back to solar chasing

2nd_time_buyer

So we had bird mesh installed with the panels last November. No problems till the recent storms when we lost some ridge tiles.

Since then, a couple of pigeons found their way under the panels. The relentless cooing all day long was driving me completely mad. I work at the loft and have been banging the walls like a mad man to move them on.

Anyway, the roofer came today to fix the ridge tiles. At the same time he found and sorted the gaps in the bird mesh, which apparently was very badly installed. So nothing to do with the storm damage.

Since then, I have seen the pigeons come back, trying to find their way back-in and generally looking quite confused and a bit cross. Fingers crossed that is now fixed.

Anyway, the moral of the story is definitely get bird mesh (installed properly). It will drive you mental if you don't.

robbo1948

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this long running thread.

I had my panels installed last year, this is the third property I've lived in where I've had panels installed (the first being 'A Shade Greener' so read those posts with interest).

I've had a pigeon infestation for a while (this is the first time I've experienced birds nesting beneath) and have had some very dodgy characters knock on my door canvassing for work to solve the issue.  Most good trades don't canvass for work as they are usually busy so I've researched this thread a few times and installed the mesh myself.

I really found the expert advice from Exterminator useful (i'm just out of your range otherwise I would have got in touch for you to do the work) but I've just one issue I'd like your advice with which may be of assistance to others on this forum......

I thoroughly cleaned under my panels, removed guttering did my best to encourage the pigeons to leave.  Having taken my time to install my mesh correctly there are 2 pigeons still under my panels which I've squirted with water but they refuse to budge.  Not wanting to be cruel (or break any laws) how can I give them the final nudge to leave??

Many thanks.

robbo1948

Also very interesting comment about integrated/flush fit panels being less energy efficient due to heat build up...... having seen them on some new builds they do look so much better and eliminate the bird issues.

Exterminator

robbo1948 said:

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this long running thread.

I had my panels installed last year, this is the third property I've lived in where I've had panels installed (the first being 'A Shade Greener' so read those posts with interest).

I've had a pigeon infestation for a while (this is the first time I've experienced birds nesting beneath) and have had some very dodgy characters knock on my door canvassing for work to solve the issue.  Most good trades don't canvass for work as they are usually busy so I've researched this thread a few times and installed the mesh myself.

I really found the expert advice from Exterminator useful (i'm just out of your range otherwise I would have got in touch for you to do the work) but I've just one issue I'd like your advice with which may be of assistance to others on this forum......

I thoroughly cleaned under my panels, removed guttering did my best to encourage the pigeons to leave.  Having taken my time to install my mesh correctly there are 2 pigeons still under my panels which I've squirted with water but they refuse to budge.  Not wanting to be cruel (or break any laws) how can I give them the final nudge to leave??

Many thanks.

I'm a bit confused by you saying that you've installed the mesh correctly, if so they won't be able to get out will they?

In almost all cases the pigeons tend to enter at the sides and nest behind the horizontal support beams which the panels are clamped to. You will need to leave an exit route at the correct point one side or the other, don't expect them to travel vertically up and down the roof, there often isn't the space for them to do that.

If they still won't leave, they may be at the 'roadrunner' stage. That's just a term we use to describe the point where they'll happily run from one side to the other but don't yet have the confidence to join the big wide world. If that's the case, you could just wait a week and then they'll probably go of their own accord but the danger is other pigeons will enter in the meantime. Alternatively, push them out with a long stick or as a last resort you may have to shoot them. If they are stuck in there or if they need parental care but the parents are gone then you may be obliged to cull them for welfare reasons.

That's about all I can come up with, hope it helps.

2nd_time_buyer

Just a thought...

Exterminator

Well it's scared the life out of me so you may be onto something 

robbo1948

Wow scary indeed!

Thanks again, I'm going to take a panel off tomorrow and try to release them.