If you can hear scratching and cooing above your ceiling, or there are droppings streaked down your roof under the solar array, you already know the problem. Birds love nesting under solar panels, and in New Zealand it is nearly always pigeons, mynas, starlings or sparrows doing it. This guide covers why it happens, what actually keeps them out, what is a waste of money, and when to get someone on the roof. We are Eco Shine Solar. We have cleaned over 500,000 panels across the North Island and bird proofing is one of the most common jobs we get called out for, usually after the birds have already moved in.
Why do birds nest under solar panels?
Because it is the best real estate on your roof. The gap under a panel is sheltered from rain and wind, it holds warmth from the panel above, and nothing can reach the nest from behind. To a pigeon it is a ready-made nesting box. Once one pair moves in and raises chicks, they come back every season, and they bring others. That is why a small problem in spring becomes a colony by the following year, and why the smell and the noise get worse rather than better if you wait.
What damage do birds actually do to solar panels?
More than most people expect, and it compounds:
- Lost output. Droppings on the glass shade the cells below them. A dirty system loses somewhere between 5 and 40 percent of its output depending on how bad it has got, and bird fouling is the fast lane to the top of that range because it lands in concentrated patches rather than a light film.
- Wiring damage. Birds drag in twigs and rubbish, and rats and possums follow the shelter. Chewed or dislodged cabling under the array is a genuine fire risk and an expensive repair.
- Blocked drainage and trapped debris. Nesting material dams the gap under the panels, so water pools and debris bakes onto the roof.
- Roof staining and smell. Droppings are acidic. They stain COLORSTEEL and tiles, corrode fixings over time, and an established nest smells exactly like you would imagine.
- Health. Dried droppings and mites are not something you want washing into your gutters if you collect rainwater.
What is the best way to bird proof solar panels?
Stainless steel mesh around the perimeter of the array. There is no serious debate about this among installers. Mesh physically closes the gap between the panel frame and the roof so nothing can get under, it lets air keep flowing so the panels stay cool, and from the street it is close to invisible. Done properly it is a one-time fix that outlasts the birds trying to get past it.
What “done properly” means: welded stainless steel mesh (ours is PVC-coated on top of the stainless core so it handles coastal air), fixed with clips that grip the panel frame. No drilling, no glue, no permanent fixtures, which matters because it keeps your panel manufacturer’s warranty intact. Cheap plastic netting and cable-tied chicken wire fail in New Zealand UV within a couple of summers, and then you are paying twice.
Do bird spikes, netting or decoys work under solar panels?
Mostly no, and it is worth knowing why before you spend money:
- Spikes work on ledges and ridgelines where birds perch. They cannot close the gap under a panel, which is where the actual problem is. Birds walk straight past them and in.
- Netting can exclude birds from large open structures, but on a roof it sags, traps debris and birds, looks terrible, and degrades in the sun.
- Decoy owls, reflective tape and ultrasonic gadgets give you a week or two of caution before the pigeons figure out the owl never moves. Save your money.
- Garden tidy-ups (cutting back overhanging branches, removing food sources) genuinely help reduce the pressure on your roof, but they will not evict birds that already have a sheltered nest site.
How is solar panel bird mesh installed?
The mesh runs around the full perimeter of the array. Each length is cut to follow the roofline and panel layout, then clipped to the panel frames so the barrier sits flush between the frame and the roof surface. A tidy install on a typical single-storey home takes a few hours. The two details that separate a good install from a bad one: the corners and edges are properly closed (birds probe for the one gap), and nothing is drilled or glued to panel or roof, so both your panel warranty and your roof warranty stay intact.
Mesh specification, and why the aperture matters
The single most common reason bird proofing fails is mesh with holes too big for the bird you actually have. A job specced for pigeons will not keep mynas out, and mynas are the more common problem on New Zealand roofs.
Our Bird Guard Mesh is:
- Aperture 12.5mm x 12.5mm. Small enough to exclude mynas and sparrows, not just pigeons. Wider mesh sold as “bird netting” will stop a pigeon and let a myna walk straight through.
- 304 stainless steel, PVC coated in black. Stainless resists the corrosion you get from coastal salt air and from bird droppings, which are acidic. Uncoated galvanised wire rusts and stains the roof beneath it.
- 1mm wire including the coating, 200mm high. Tall enough to close the gap between panel frame and roof on standard mounting systems.
- Clipped, never drilled or glued. Fixings clamp to the panel frame, so nothing penetrates the panel, the mount or the roof.
If you are comparing quotes, ask for the aperture size in millimetres and the wire material. Those two numbers tell you more about whether the job will hold than anything else on the quote.
Can you DIY bird proofing?
If your roof is low, your pitch is gentle and you are comfortable on a ladder, yes. We sell the same Bird Guard Mesh we install, for $230, and it comes with the clips. Measure the perimeter of your array before ordering.
Call a professional instead if any of these apply: the house is two-storey, the pitch is steep, the birds are already nesting (see below), or you are not sure how the mesh should sit against your roof profile. Most solar-related injuries are falls, not electrocution, and a fixed quote is cheaper than a broken ankle. If you want it done for you, our bird proofing service covers the whole North Island, and every job gets a fixed quote before we book it.
How do you get rid of pigeons already nesting under your solar panels?
Order matters here. Meshing an array with an active nest inside it traps birds under your panels, which is bad for them and worse for you. The right sequence:
- Clear the nesting material and droppings first. This is the unpleasant part of the job and the reason to do it once, properly.
- Clean the panels and the roof beneath. Droppings are acidic and shade the cells, so a proper panel clean at the same time restores the output you have been losing.
- Mesh the perimeter the same day. Evicted pigeons try to move straight back in. The mesh needs to be there when they return.
One note on the law: the birds that nest under solar panels in New Zealand are almost always introduced species like pigeons, mynas, starlings and sparrows. Native birds are protected, and it is rare to find them nesting under panels, but if you are ever unsure what has moved in, check before you disturb the nest. Mesh itself is humane either way, since it excludes birds rather than harming them.
In Auckland? See our Auckland bird proofing page for local detail.
How much does bird proofing cost in NZ?
It comes down to the perimeter of your array rather than the number of panels, and whether the roof is single or double storey. Two houses with the same panel count can need very different amounts of mesh depending on how the array is laid out.
The other things that move the number are which bird you are dealing with, since mynas and pigeons need different approaches, whether there are established nests to clear out first, and whether the roof needs a harness or an elevated work platform to work on safely.
Send us a few photos of the roof and we will come back with a fixed quote, so there is no surprise on the day. Request a free quote.
How do you keep birds away from solar panels long term?
Once mesh is on, there is not much to do, which is the point. Check it after big storms, keep overhanging branches trimmed, and have the mesh looked over whenever your panels are cleaned. Most of our bird proofing customers put the system on an annual clean cycle, since we are already on the roof and can confirm the mesh is tight at the same time. If you are near the coast or under heavy tree cover, every six months is the safer rhythm.
Get the birds sorted
If birds have found your array, they are not going to un-find it. Our bird proofing service clears the nest, cleans the panels and meshes the perimeter in one visit, anywhere in the North Island. Or if you would rather do it yourself, the Bird Guard Mesh we use is in the shop. Either way, get a fixed quote and get it done before the next nesting season starts.