Mosquitoes can get inside
your house through many inlets, including windows. This is the reason why
screens are installed on windows in homes located in places having a high
mosquito population. However, many people complain that mosquitoes get inside
their houses despite window screens. This begins the question, do the
mosquitoes pass through screen windows? The answer is yes, the mosquitoes can
pass through screen windows in case of holes large enough on the screen or if
there is some other problem with the screen.
Hole in the screen
If the hole is large
enough, the mosquitoes can pass through it. The lengths of mosquitoes usually
range between 3 and 6 millimetres. The number of strands per inch of a screen is
usually between 16 and 18. Taking the space occupied by the strands into
consideration, the usual size of holes on a screen is 1 millimetre. Thus, the
hole is small enough to prevent mosquitoes from passing through the screen.
Research showed that mosquitoes could not pass through holes less than 10
millimetres in length. Therefore, holes of larger sizes enable mosquitoes to
get inside.
The mosquitos fly into the
screen, change their positions and fly into the screen again. If a hole large
enough is detected, the mosquitos get through it. Some species of mosquitoes
try a few times before giving up while many species try many times. Mosquitoes
can also crawl on the screens to look for large holes through their legs.
Space
The space between the
screen and the window frame also provides access to the mosquitoes into the
house. A mesh screen designed specifically as per the size of the window does
not leave gaps between it and the window frame.
Attractants for
mosquitoes
Mosquitoes get attracted to
windows due to a number of factors such as heat, light and humidity which
provide them with the opportunity to exploit the holes and other imperfections
in the screen to get inside. A warm lamp or tea kept near the screened window
attracts mosquitoes. Similarly, potted plant or a container filled with
standing water also attracts mosquitoes since they are sources of moisture.
Thus, such things must not be placed near windows. You should buy a mosquito net for windows.
How to avoid?
Sealants can be used to
close small holes on the screen. The most suitable sealant for closing holes on
metal screens is silicone adhesive. For fibreglass and vinyl screens, the best
sealant is clear nail polish. The hole on a metal screen can also be repaired
by sewing a spare metal strand on the hole using a conventional sewing
needle.
To repair a large hole on
the screen, a piece of material similar to the screen material can be glued
over the hole. The size of the piece must be at least an inch bigger than the
hole. The screen repair kit can also be used to repair a large hole. Such kits
are widely available in the market.
In case there are gaps
between the screen and the window frame, seal those gaps using silicone caulk
or some other sealant.
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