Birds and Pests Love Your Solar Panels for These 4 Reasons

Birds and Pests Love Your Solar Panels for These 4 Reasons

Birds and pests are one of the biggest threats to the well-being of a solar panel. Anyone with solar panels has likely encountered issues with pests, whether they’re causing damage to the panels or inadvertently causing them to be less effective.

While not all pests will damage your solar panels, they can certainly be a nuisance when it comes to operating and maintaining the technology.

Thankfully, there are many effective ways to prevent birds and other pests from wreaking havoc on your solar panel systems, from hiring pest control specialists to installing barriers that prevent them from reaching the solar panels.

But this begs the question – why exactly are birds and pests attracted to solar panels in the first place?

1. Solar Panels are a Safe Place to Build a Birds Nest                                                                                          

One species of bird is particularly known for nesting beneath solar panels – pigeons. These birds are quite noisy once they establish their nest on a roof, while their constant interactions with the solar panels can cause damage and make them work less efficiently.

One of the main reasons that birds like to nest under solar panels is the safety they provide. A nest out in the open is a prime target for predators, meaning pigeons and other smaller birds feel protected by the coverage of the solar panel.

2. Solar Panels Provide Warmth

While certainly not the warmest device, solar panels do emit some heat when in operation. So, birds not only like the protection offered by a solar panel, but are attracted by the heat they emit as it offers additional warmth for their nest.

3. Rodents Instinctively Chew on Wires

One of the most problematic pests for solar panels are rodents, namely squirrels. Because squirrels have great climbing abilities, they have little trouble reaching rooftops to nest or forage for food. Unfortunately, many that come across solar panels end up chewing on the wiring, causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.

The reason that squirrels chew on wiring has to do with the fact that they are rodents. All rodents are known for gnawing, and the reason for this is that their teeth are constantly growing so they instinctively chew on things to help wear them down – much like a cat needs to scratch its claws.

4. Solar Panels Provide Cool Spots for Bees and Wasps

When solar panels are fitted to roofs in warmer locations, the panels provide shading from the heat, which happens to attract bees and wasps looking for the perfect nesting conditions.

So, the cool shade beneath a solar panel is often ideal for building a wasp or bees nest, but these nests tend to get tangled in the wiring and create quite the mess. In most cases, the safest thing is to call for professional hive removal services.

Premier Solar Cleaning, LLC is a veteran owned and operated solar panel cleaning company. We provide Commercial Solar Cleaning, Efficiency Checks, and Repair Consultations; as well as Residential Solar Cleaning. Serving all of Southern California with phenomenal solar cleaning that saves you money, we have rapidly become an authority on solar panel cleaning, maintenance, and efficiency. To protect your investment, we use high-quality products that are specifically designed for safely cleaning solar panels. No corrosive chemicals, only the purest reverse osmosis deionized water. We offer one-time cleaning and monthly maintenance programs are available.  Call us today at (951) 465-3117.