We recommend installing My Squirrel Guard as soon as possible. Do not wait to have a squirrel or bird infestation before you decide to protect your solar panels with My Squirrel Guard. Get peace of mind today by ensuring that your panels are protected from squirrels, pigeons, small birds and rodents. Our wire mesh guard will provide you years of protection against squirrels, birds, roof rats, etc.

Our critter guard system works with almost all solar panels that have a frame around them which is probably over 98% of all residential solar panels installed. Our system will work with almost any solar panel that has a lip. What is needed is a frame with a lip around the bottom edge, where it rests on the racking. Very few solar panels do not have any lip at the bottom. Solar panels that do not have a lip may still have mounting holes which may be used to attach the hook.

The amount of time needed to install our wire mesh guard around the perimeter of your solar panels will depend on the size of your solar array as well as the layout of your panels. A simple array of 20 panels laid out in a rectangle can take just a couple of hours while a more complex layout with a non-rectangular configuration could take 4-5 hours. While it is possible to install My Squirrel Guard on your own, it is much easier if you have 2 people installing together. Make sure that you do not leave any areas that are not covered as squirrels will find a way in through these openings. Please view our gallery for installation examples that could help you prepare for your install.

Our kit includes 30m (100′) of our black PVC-coated galvanized steel wire mesh in 6” (15cm) or 8” (20cm) height, along with our easy to install steel fasteners (clips) that are designed to work with most brands of solar panels. Each kit comes with 100 fasteners and a 30m (100′) wire mesh installation requires between 75-80 clips.

Physical dimensions, rather than system output, is the best way to measure your needs. The geometric shape of the system layout, and if the array is split into multiple sets of panels, are the true determinants. This, of course, varies greatly from installation to installation. Therefore, we recommended that you calculate a precise number before ordering, as we’ve seen a single roll be sufficient for an 8+ kW system and yet not enough for a 4 kW. To get this figure, simply calculate a linear foot measure of the entire system perimeter. For reference purposes most solar panels are approximately 5½’ X 3 ½’. If you have an array that is 5 panels across and 3 panels high placed horizontally, you would need approximately 5 ½’ X 5 for one side and 3 ½’ X 3’ for the second side. So to cover all 4 sides you would need 5 X 5½ X 2 = 53’ + 3 X 3 ½ X 2 = 21’ = 74’. We realize that all arrays may not be this simple and there may be multiple arrays on a roof. If you can map out the arrays, you can easily calculate your requirements for the mesh.

One box of fasteners per single roll of mesh will almost always suffice. On average, 70 to 75 are needed per 30m (100 linear feet), but no two systems are the same. Our kit includes 30m (100’) of wire mesh with 100 steel fasteners.  Long straight runs require fewer fasteners, while corners require more. We recommend using more fasteners on the lower edge of the roof near the gutters to prevent snow (where applicable) that lands, slides off your roof from loosening or removing the clips. We also recommend using additional fasteners around corners and if there is a split in the system, on either side of the split. The type of racking used can make a difference as well, most often requiring fewer, other times requiring more.

The reason for including 100 fasteners is that you may damage a couple while installing or you may end up dropping a some of them on the roof or the ground. Occasionally, you may also come across a defective fastener or washer all of which would be very frustrating. Hence we provide extra fasteners so you can successfully complete your install.

If you are unsure, the 20cm (8″) wire mesh is always a safer bet. The 15cm (6″) wire mesh is acceptable for low profile installs. Our wire mesh is flexible making it is easy to fold while being strong enough that critters cannot chew through it. The 20cm (8″) mesh works on all but the most extremely elevated systems. If you find that the mesh is too tall, we recommend folding the mesh to the height needed. Folding adds rigidity to the mesh — a good thing. Folding also saves a lot of time and reduces the risk of module damage if trimming after installation. The mesh may be folded with the fold inwards or with the fold outward. While an inward fold looks neater, an outward fold will make it harder for a squirrel to push against and breach the system. From the ground level one can barely see the fold so it makes little difference for an aesthetics point of view.