Brush strip, bird mesh or spikes: what works under solar panels?

If you search for bird deterrents for solar panels, you will come across roughly three solutions: a brush strip, bird mesh with clips, and bird spikes. Each of them does something different, and they don't work in the same situations. We sell brush strips, so keep that in mind as you read. Even so, there is something useful to say without running down the other two.

Brush strip

A brush strip is a long, round brush with a twisted steel wire core. You push it into the gap between the roof tile and the bottom edge of the panel. The bristles compress and spring back, so the strip holds itself in place.

What it does well: there is no drilling and no screwing, so there are no holes in your roof or your panels and the warranty on your installation is unaffected. The strip follows the curve of your roof tiles, which is handy because a tiled roof is never flat. And air keeps moving between the bristles, so the ventilation under your panels keeps working.

What to watch out for: the size has to be right. The brush must be slightly thicker than the gap at its narrowest point. If it is too thin, a gap remains at the bottom, and that is enough for a sparrow.

Bird mesh with clips

With this solution you fit a strip of mesh along the edge of your panels, held in place with clips that clamp around the panel edge. The mesh runs at an angle from the panel edge down to the roof.

What it does well: mesh is rigid and also stops larger birds. On a smooth, even roof, for example a flat roof or a roof with flat tiles, it fits neatly.

What to watch out for: on a roof with curved tiles, a gap remains at the bottom of every tile unless you press the mesh into the curve or fill it in. The mesh is also fixed to the panel edge, so you need clips that fit your frame thickness. Working with mesh at height is also more fiddly than pressing in a strip: you cut, bend and clip metre by metre.

Bird spikes

Spikes are rows of metal points on a strip that you glue or screw onto a surface. They make it impossible for birds to land or perch.

What they do well: on ledges, roof edges, chimneys and balcony railings, spikes work well, because that is where birds want to perch.

What to watch out for: spikes are not designed for the space under a solar panel. The problem there is not a bird perching, but a bird crawling in through a gap. A spike does not solve that. Spikes can, however, be a useful addition in places where pigeons like to sit on the ridge or the roof edge.

Which solution suits which situation

• Tiled roof with solar panels on a mounting system: a brush strip, because it follows the curve of the tiles.
• Flat roof or flat tiles: mesh or brush can both work; the choice mainly depends on how tight the fit is on your roof.
• Birds that sit on the ridge or roof edge and foul everything from there: spikes, and not under your panels.
• Gutter that fills up with leaves and nesting material: a brush in the gutter itself, in the thickest size.

What none of them do

None of these solutions drives away birds that are already there. If there is a nest under your panels, that is where you start, not with the order. First check whether there are still young birds inside, and if there are, wait until they have fledged.

If you know which way you want to go and it's a brush, the size finder will point you to the right diameter and number of metres. Either way, measure your gap first, because that measurement determines everything.