Bird Proofing in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie
Benefit Pest Management does bird proofing across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter, mostly netting around rooftop solar panels so pigeons can’t nest underneath. Pest birds already using the space are moved on first. Then the netting closes the gap, held on with clips rather than drilled in. A native bird’s nest is left alone until the young have gone. Our head technician holds pest management technician licence 5083379, issued by the New South Wales EPA.
We get back to every enquiry within one business day.
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What bird proofing involves
If pigeons have moved in under the solar panels, you already know the sound: cooing and wings on the roof from first light. Bird proofing is the job of closing off the places birds nest on a house so they can’t get back in.
For us that is mostly netting around solar panels on houses. The space between the panels and the roof is a gap like any other, and the fix is to close it. Birds in the roof itself or the eaves get the same treatment: close the gap they’re using and clear out the nest.
Keeping birds off the house is part of our integrated pest management work, which deals with what draws pests in. So is sealing the gaps other pests use.
Bird proofing solar panels
Pigeons nest under panels because the frame holds them up off the roof, which leaves a covered space all the way round. The job generally runs like this:
We look at where the birds are getting under and how much nesting is already there.
The birds are moved on first, so nothing gets netted in underneath.
Netting goes in around the edge of the panels, closing the gap between the panels and the roof so they can’t get back under.
The netting is held on with specialised clips. Nothing is drilled into the panels or the frame, which is the part SolarQuotes advises checking against your panel warranty.
If your panels don’t need netting, you’ll hear that from us on the phone. Ring 0467 561 548 or send us a photo of the panels taken from the ground.
Why birds nest where they do
Feral pigeons are cliff birds that took to buildings, and a ledge on a house does the same job as a ledge on a rock face. From a pigeon’s point of view, the space under a solar panel is a covered balcony out of the wind and the rain, with a view. It’s hard to blame them, but it’s still a bad deal for whoever owns the roof.
Indian mynas take to buildings just as readily, and their nests can block gutters and downpipes. Birds are territorial, too. Once they have a spot they return to it, which is why moving them on is only half the job until the gap is closed.
The mess, the mites and the damage
Birds under the panels bring more than the noise.
Droppings build up on the panels, the roof and the paths below, and pigeon droppings can damage metal and stone over time.
Nesting material, leaves and twigs collect under the panels. SolarQuotes, the consumer solar site, warns that debris build-up under panels can be a fire risk, especially on low-pitched roofs.
Cabling under the panels can be damaged. SolarQuotes reports birds chewing the wiring on solar systems.
Mites from the nests can end up in the house once the birds leave. That’s a bird mite problem.
Netting takes away the nesting spot under the panels, which is what keeps the rest from building up again.
What we won't do and what we can
We won’t remove a native bird’s nest while it is in use. The law doesn’t allow it, and we wouldn’t want to anyway. The young hatch and the birds move on, and only then does the nest come out. What we can do in the meantime is inspect and work out what proofing can go in without disturbing or harming them, so the gap is closed once they’ve gone.
Pest birds are a different matter. We can trap introduced species such as Indian mynas and feral pigeons.
We don’t do external bird proofing on double-storey houses.
Where we do this
We work from our base at Caves Beach across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Hunter, Port Stephens and the Central Coast, with no call-out fee.
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FAQ
Birds and solar panels: your questions
Is bird proofing necessary for solar panels?
Only if birds are getting under them. SolarQuotes reckons most solar installs don’t need bird mesh. If you can hear birds under the panels or see nesting poking out from the edges, that’s when it’s worth doing.
How much does it cost to bird proof solar panels?
Most jobs can be quoted on the phone, and you get a fixed price before anything starts. There are no prices on the site, but a photo of the roof and the panels, plus the site details, helps us quote the job.
Do fake owls or other scare devices keep birds away?
Not well. SolarQuotes rates noise makers, mirrors and fake owls as ineffective against birds under panels. Netting works differently: it takes the spot away.
Will the birds come back once the netting is on?
They’ll try, because they are territorial and they remember the spot. Closing the gap under the panels is what keeps them out.
Can you take out a nest that's already under the panels?
Yes, unless it belongs to a native bird. Pigeons and other introduced birds are moved on and their nesting cleared before the netting goes in. A native bird’s nest stays until the young have hatched and the birds have left, and we proof around it after that.
Do you bird proof double-storey houses?
Not from the outside. External bird proofing on a double-storey house is a job we don’t take on.
Do birds under the panels cause bird mites?
They can. Bird mites live in birds’ nests and feed on the birds. Once the birds leave, the mites move into the house looking for a new host. Our bird mites page covers the bites and the treatment.
What about birds in the roof or the eaves?
The same idea applies. The gap they’re using gets closed off, and the nesting material comes out, generally in that order and sometimes both at once.
Next step
Before the next nest
The easy time to net the panels is before the birds move back in. With the netting already on, they come back to a closed door.
A quote costs nothing, and neither does the advice.
