In short
The reliable way to stop pigeons nesting under solar panels is clip-on mesh round the edge of the array, which closes the gap they nest in. What changes it is whether a nest is in use: if birds are building or using it, the law says it stays until the young have gone.
The pigeons are back under the panels. You can hear them scratching on the roof first thing, there's mess on the patio, and you want them gone without getting on the wrong side of the law.
How to stop pigeons nesting under solar panels
Pigeons nest under solar panels because the gap between the array and the roof is warm, dry and out of reach. The fix is to take that gap away.
That means a stainless steel mesh, sometimes called a skirt, fitted round the whole edge of the array so birds can't get underneath. It clips to the panel frames. Nothing should be drilled into the panels, the rails or the tiles: panel makers such as LONGi say drilling the frame can invalidate the panel warranty.
Spikes and general netting are pest-control products for ledges, sills and open roofs. On a solar array they don't close the gap, and loose netting can trap birds. The RSPB says netting cannot be used on nesting sites that are already in use.
The catch is timing. Under section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is an offence to take, damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it is in use or being built, and feral pigeons are wild birds. The RSPCA says the maximum penalty is six months in prison and an unlimited fine for each bird, nest or egg.
There is no legal nesting season. You'll see September to February quoted as a safe window, but the law asks whether the nest is in use, not what month it is. The RSPCA says pigeons nest all year round, and town pigeons may breed the whole year.
Pigeons under solar panels: what to check first
- Is the nest in use? If birds are carrying twigs in, sitting tight or feeding young, the nest is protected until the young have gone. Mesh fitted now would shut them in. What to do: watch from the garden or an upstairs window, and don't go on the roof or pull anything out.
- How long you'll wait. Pigeons usually lay two eggs, sit on them for about 18 days, and the young leave after about a month, according to the RSPCA. They often come back to the same spot and can raise two to four broods a year. What to do: book the proofing for as soon as the nest is empty, before the next eggs.
- Where in the UK you are. In Scotland the law also covers reckless acts, and it is a separate offence to obstruct a wild bird from using its nest. What to do: in Scotland, make sure nothing seals the gap while birds are still going in and out.
- What the general licence covers. In England, GL41 lets the owner or occupier, or someone they authorise, take feral pigeon nests and eggs only for public health or safety, such as slips and falls or the spread of disease. It doesn't cover wood pigeons or collared doves, noise and mess on their own aren't on its list, and it runs to 31 December 2026. Wales has General Licence 002 and Scotland has GL03/2026. What to do: read the current year's licence before anyone acts under it. Its own advice points to bird-proofing buildings to deny pigeons somewhere to nest.
- What's already under there. Old nests and droppings have to come out before the mesh goes on, and the roof and panels usually need a clean in the same visit. Mesh over a dirty roof doesn't make sense. What to do: ask for clearing and solar panel cleaning to be priced with the proofing, so it's one visit.
- The shape of the array. The mesh follows the edge, so an array split across roof faces has more edge to close than one neat block. What to do: when you ask for a price, say how many panels you have and whether they're in one block.
What we see on real jobs
We check what's under the panels before we start. If there's an active nest, we tell you and come back when it's genuinely no longer in use. We'd rather explain a delay than break the law on your roof.
Bird proofing comes up a lot when we service older systems. Tony Beckett, our director, says we do bird proofing "on a lot of our jobs and a lot of the old ones for the service and maintenance haven't been done like 10 years ago." Plenty of systems fitted around a decade ago never had mesh at all.
Because we're solar people, we look at more than the birds. Birds pull at the DC cabling, and nesting material packed under a live array is one of the things a proper inspection is meant to find. That's why we treat bird proofing as part of maintenance.
What bird proofing costs
For a home, Tony puts it at "from like 400 to 800 obviously depending on how many panels, how big the house is and stuff." So that's £400 to £800 fitted, plus another £400 to £800 if old nests and droppings have to be cleared and cleaned first.
How the roof is reached and how long the array's edge is move the price most. Our bird proofing cost guide goes through both.
When to call someone, and what to send
Ring someone soon if cables under the array look loose or chewed, if generation drops suddenly on one part of the system, or if birds are getting into the roof space. If birds are still nesting, call anyway: the job can be booked for when the nest is empty.
Send us these on WhatsApp and we'll tell you what it needs and what it costs:
- a photo of the array from the ground
- a photo of the underside where they're getting in, if you can take one without climbing
- how many panels you have, and whether they're in one block or split across roof faces
- how the roof is reached: ladder height, or high and awkward
- whether birds are still going in and out
- your postcode
- a monitoring screenshot, if generation has dropped
We fit bird proofing on homes, businesses and farms across the UK from our base in Warrington, whoever installed the panels.
Key points
Mesh closes the gap. Stainless mesh clipped round the edge of the array stops pigeons getting underneath. Spikes and loose netting don't.
A nest in use stays put. The law turns on whether the nest is being built or used, not on the month.
Act as soon as it's empty. Pigeons come back to the same spot and breed several times a year, so the gap between broods is your chance.
The licence is narrow. GL41 covers feral pigeons only, for public health and safety, and only for the year it's issued.
Questions people also ask
How do I keep pigeons off my solar panels?
Close the space underneath with a stainless mesh clipped to the panel frames, fitted when no nest is in use. Spikes can stop birds perching on an edge, but the gap under the panels is where pigeons nest, and only a barrier round the edge closes it.
What is the best pigeon deterrent for solar panels?
A physical barrier round the whole edge of the array, clipped on rather than drilled. Fake owls, reflective tape and noise scarers leave the gap open, so the birds still have somewhere to nest.
Is it legal to remove a pigeon nest from under solar panels in the UK?
Yes, once the nest is no longer being built or used. While birds are building it, or there are eggs or young in it, removing it is an offence unless a general licence genuinely applies.
Can pigeons damage solar panels?
They can pull at the DC cabling under the array, and droppings and nesting material build up underneath. A sudden drop on one string, or noise from the roof, is worth getting checked.
Pigeons back under your panels? Send us a photo on WhatsApp and we'll tell you what it needs.
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