Mosquito Nets and Screening

Screen enclosures are big business in Tampa Bay. From the 1970s on many of the subdivisions developed around the Bay Area have had a welcome addition of an outdoor screen enclosure. The enclosures have been used not only to add some form of security from animals, snakes and unwanted guests, but to stave off hordes of hungry bloodsucking mosquitoes. Most Floridians couldn't imagine, having a swimming pool without a screen enclosure. In addition to screen enclosures, most Florida homes have been built to allow airflow during the tepid seasons of the year. Almost every home in Florida has pest screens on all the window enclosures. This again is due to mosquito problem that is so prevalent here. Maintenance of screens is paramount if homeowners want air flow from outdoors with some type of mosquito control in their dwellings. The desired mash for screens in Florida is 18 x 18 strands per square inch finer.

For those of us who don't have a roof over their head, the mosquito net may be the only thing that keeps us from bleeding out at night as we sleep in the sunshine state. Not only in Florida, but all over the tropics and subtropics mosquito netting is the first line of defense for reducing contact the disease bearing mosquitoes. I remember those days as a Boy Scout, lying in my tent, waiting for the sun to come up so I wouldn't have to hear that incessant buzzing of mosquitoes in my ear.

We are fortunate living where we do instead of living in a poor third world country. We take for granted, the fact that our homes are pretty much bug tight, with air-conditioning, window screens and not having to contend with a biting mosquitoes.