How to Keep Pest Pigeons away from Your Solar Panels
The feral pigeon that is rattling around on your roof is often the pest bird that needs determent. There are many diseases associated with the pest pigeon including bird flu and other transmittable diseases. The major concern is the damage the pigeon creates on the rooftops, especially when there are solar panels involved. In urban and city areas, the supply of food all year long for these pest birds is why they are going to settle on your home and other structures on your property. Add new solar panels are going up at many homes and it is a comfortable habitat for their nesting, breeding and other natural habits. Pigeons lay eggs up to six times per year. This means the pigeons are capable of multiplying rather quickly if left to do so. The area under the solar panels can be a protected area for the pest birds. There should be bird control implemented at the time of the solar panel’s installation.
Other areas on the roof are also vulnerable. Gutters, air conditioning units, loose tiles and external ledges are all spots that the pigeon will find comfortable. These areas make for a great vantage spot to look down on their food source. Pigeons prefer to land and roost on level surfaces that are high up, and this is why your rooftop is the perfect resting spot for them. The most effective way to control where they roost is to adjust the structure to make it uncomfortable for them. Changing the rooftop does not mean destroying the structure, but simply installing bird control. An ideal bird deterrent for the pigeon is to install pigeon spikes. They come in stainless steel as well as plastic. They offer a virtually invisible, safe and humane way to keep the pest pigeon off the roof ledges, out of the gutters and off any flat or curved surface. Because of their versatility, the pigeon spikes can be applied to the tops of light poles, garages and patio coverings. The spikes can be applied using adhesives, or they can me nailed or screwed into place. The plastic pigeon spikes come in a variety of colors to match the structure they need to be applied to. The colors include white, tan, brick red, brown, black and gray. There are 3 different width sizes, from 3” to 7.” The 3” to 7” strips of pigeon spikes act as a spiky barrier to exclude birds from the surface without doing any harm to the bird or the person installing them. The spikes are a definitive bird deterrent to be used for pigeons.
It is best to install pigeon spikes before their droppings are allowed to accumulate. If they droppings pile up it can be quite costly to clean up and repair what the caustic droppings have damaged. The feces deteriorate buildings. They damage paint, cement, wood and even metals.
Bird netting or copper mesh is another way to protect the areas under the solar panels. Bird netting is also virtually invisible from the ground when installed correctly. The netting can be cut to any size needed. It is durable and made of a U.V. protected polypropylene. It is strong, yet very light weight which makes it quick and easy to install. It can be implemented instantly, and overnight the birds will be gone.
You do not want the bird waste to build up. Piles of the feces yield an unpleasant odor. It is particularly important, also, for health purposes, to not allow the pigeon feces to accumulate. Pigeons and other pest birds carry diseases that can spread to humans through their droppings. They can transmit pigeon ornithosis, encephalitis, cryptococcosis, salmonella food poisoning, and many other diseases. These diseases can be especially serious and more easily obtained by those with compromised immune systems, and the very young and elderly.
The feces are also very destructive to the rooftop. They are highly acidic and can ruin the rooftop and any wiring under the solar panels. The bird waste has been known to ruin metals as well as wood, paint, cement and almost any structure they are allowed to accumulate on.
Pigeon spikes are easy to install as is the netting and mesh. The average homeowner should not have any trouble installing them. There are professional installers that can help guide you on how best to install them, or they can handle the installation of bird control for you.