Short answer: If a nest under your panels has eggs or chicks, leave it. It is an offence to intentionally take, damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it is in use or being built. Once it is empty, the nest material can be cleared, the cables checked and mesh fitted around the array to keep pigeons out.
What the law says
All wild birds, their eggs and their nests are protected in England. Government guidance says you must not intentionally take, damage or destroy a wild bird’s nest while it is being used or built, or disturb certain birds while nesting (GOV.UK). Feral pigeons count.
In practice, that means if a nest under your panels has eggs or chicks, it has to be left until it is empty. Blocking the birds in or out while a nest is active is not allowed. There are licences for some bird control, but for a domestic solar array the straightforward route is to wait.
Timing
Feral pigeons can nest at most times of year, so there isn’t a guaranteed safe season. The only reliable approach is to check whether a nest is in use before starting work. If it is, the job waits and we come back once it is empty. If the nests are old and abandoned, the work can go ahead straight away.
Pigeons under your panels?
We check for active nests first and fit mesh once it is clear. Call for a free quote.
Why pigeons choose solar panels
The space under an array is sheltered, warm in the sun and hard for predators to reach. Once one pair nests there, others often follow. The result is noise, droppings on paths and windows, blocked gutters and downpipes, and a build-up of nest material under the panels.
Damage to the system
Birds nesting under an array can damage the cables and connectors running behind the panels. Droppings on the glass shade individual cells and cut output. If your system has started producing less, or the inverter is showing an isolation or earth fault, bird damage is one of the things to check. My solar inverter has stopped working covers the safe checks.
The fix
Once the space is clear, the old nest material and droppings are removed from under the panels and the wiring is checked. Then mesh is fitted around the edges of the array, held with clips that attach to the panel frames, so nothing is drilled into the roof. Spikes alone rarely work, because pigeons get in from the sides and corners. Solar panel bird proofing explains how the mesh is fitted, and solar panel cleaning can be done in the same visit.
Bottom line
If a nest under your panels is in use, the law says it must be left alone until it's empty. After that, clear the nest material, check the cables and fit mesh around the array so the birds can't get back in. Call 01332 919162, 9am to 7pm, 7 days.