Squirrels Under Solar Panels in Connecticut: Signs, Damage & What to Do

Connecticut is squirrel country. Our oak and hickory woods support one of the densest eastern gray squirrel populations in the Northeast, and to a squirrel, the gap under a rooftop solar array is the best den site in the neighborhood: elevated, dry, warm, and safe from predators. Here is how to tell whether squirrels have moved in under your panels, what they actually do once they are there, and how to get them out — and keep them out — the right way.

How do I know squirrels are under my panels?

The most reliable signs are scratching or pattering sounds overhead, shredded nesting material at the panel edges, and chewed debris on the roof or in the gutters.

Squirrels are most active in the hours after dawn and before dusk, so that is when the noise gives them away — a scratchy scrambling across the ceiling below the array, distinctly faster and lighter than the sounds a raccoon makes. Visual signs you can spot from the ground with binoculars:

• Nesting material — leaves, twigs, and shredded insulation poking out from under the panel edges
• Chewed debris — fragments of wire insulation or plastic conduit on the roof or in gutters below the array
• Traffic — squirrels running the same route along the roofline or a nearby branch multiple times a day
• Gnaw marks on the panel frames or nearby trim

The CT DEEP gray squirrel fact sheet describes the species’ habits in detail — the same denning instincts that put them in attics and soffits put them under solar arrays.

Do squirrels chew solar panel wires?

Yes — constantly. Squirrels’ incisors grow throughout their lives, and gnawing is how they keep them worn down. The exposed DC wiring under a solar array is at exactly the height where they nest.

This is not occasional or theoretical damage. Chewed insulation exposes conductors, which causes production loss, ground faults, and system shutdowns — and in the worst cases, electrical arcing, which is a genuine fire risk on a roof. In one case documented by the UK insurer LV=, a single squirrel chewed through the wiring of 17 solar panels before being discovered, resulting in a £2,600 insurance claim and a system that had stopped working entirely.

The repair economics are ugly, too: a standard wire-repair service call runs $300–$700 according to Boston Solar, and that assumes the damage is caught early. Every week a fault goes unnoticed, you are also paying for the electricity your system is not producing.

When are Connecticut squirrels most active under panels?

Late winter through spring, again in mid-summer, and heavily in the fall — which means there is no true off-season.

Per CT DEEP, gray squirrels mate in late winter and spring, and a second litter is usually born in July. Each breeding cycle sends females looking for protected den sites — and a solar array is a ready-made one. In fall, squirrels shift to nest-building and food caching ahead of winter, which brings another wave of activity on rooftops.

Practically, that calendar means two things: if you hear activity, a litter may already be in place; and the best time to seal an array is when it is verifiably empty. We cover the full month-by-month picture in When Is Squirrel Season in Connecticut?

What should I do first?

Inspect before you seal — never block the gap while animals might still be underneath.

Sealing an occupied array traps animals against your wiring, which is worse for the system (a trapped squirrel chews everything trying to get out) and inhumane besides. The right order of operations:

1. Confirm what you are dealing with. Sounds at dawn and dusk point to squirrels; daytime cooing means pigeons. Our guide to scratching noises under solar panels walks through the diagnosis.
2. Get eyes under the array. A professional inspection documents nests, droppings, and any wiring damage with photos — before anything is disturbed.
3. Clean up lawfully. Debris and inactive nests are removed; anything involving protected wildlife is assessed first.
4. Then exclude. Only after the space is verified clear does the mesh go on.

How do I keep squirrels out permanently?

A fitted critter guard — rigid mesh closing the gap between the panels and the roof — is the only permanent fix. Deterrents, decoys, and repellents do not hold up against a motivated squirrel.

The guard is UV-resistant, PVC-coated wire mesh, cut to your array on site and secured with no-drill clips on the panel frames. Done properly, it closes the full perimeter without blocking the airflow and drainage the panels need, nothing penetrates your roof or panels, and the mesh lasts 15–20 years — roughly the life of the system. Under-panel cleanup comes first on every job, so the problem is removed rather than sealed in.

Solar panel critter guard installation with SolarWash CT starts at $300 with cleanup included, across all 26 towns we serve in South Central Connecticut and Fairfield County. For the full pricing picture, see our Connecticut critter guard cost guide — and if you are hearing scratching right now, call or text (203) 677-0875 and we will take a look.