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Torn window screen?

Posted on: 04-11-2022 by Elizabeth Yokel

As the spring season approaches, are you prepared for the warm weather?

Have you cautiously inspected each and every one of the window screens?

Why make inspecting window screens a priority (instead of an afterthought)?

Screen tears. Insects may misinterpret a torn window screen as an invitation.

Window screens without any tears protect your family from menacing insects that somehow find a way into your home. Some insects that break and enter into your home are not as harmful as others. Mosquitoes might be harmful.

How so? They feed on blood. A mosquito's diet really isn't much unlike that of the vampires; depicted in fictional movies. However, mosquitoes don't exclusively feed on human blood. They also have other sources of food. Mosquitoes also feed on the nectar from certain flowering plants, as well as the blood from birds, humans, mammals, snakes and others. What makes the mosquito harmful to people certainly isn't blood loss, as they are small insects that drink a little amount blood. It's the viruses they carry and leave behind.

India Today and Macleans report that mosquitoes carry viruses in their saliva.

The virus-infected mosquito saliva left behind enters into your bloodstream.

What types of harmful viruses have been found within the mosquito's saliva?

Dengue, Encephalitis, Heartworm, Malaria, West Nile, Yellow Fever and Zika.

Yikes! What about prevention? Window screens usually act as an effective method of prevention against mosquito bites, unless your window screen happens to have a tear. Mosquitoes make it past torn screens into a home.

Mosquitoes are patient predators. They hide and wait until you lower your guard in spaces you'd otherwise consider safe. They bite you when you least expect it. By the time you feel the bite, it's already too late; as you've already been bitten.

You can be eating, lounging and other tasks that we've neglected to mention!

Screens are popular in seasonal climates and where it is warm all year round.

What makes screens so popular? They allow the flow of fresh air into your home, while keeping the harmful insects out. While screens serve as an effective method of prevention against mosquitoes, it's also a fragile material that tears easily. When that happens, torn screens (even ones with really small tears) are usually removed and replaced by a new screen.

Some people view this approach as a wasteful practice and have done something about it: ScreenMend is a screen repair kit that can repair torn window screens and door screens. How does it work? It mends screen rips, tears and gaps. It is available in patches and rolls. It's sold in two (2) colors: charcoal and silver gray in order to match the screen's color! What is needed?

Scissors.

Hair Dryer.

A few minutes of time!

How's it applied? Remove a sheet from the package. Separate the sheet from its removable paper backing. Use scissors to cut a patch from the sheet; sized a bit larger than the damaged area. Place the cut out patch against the tear with the adhesive side; facing toward the screen. Use the hair dryer to affix the cut out patch onto the damaged area for about 30 to 45 seconds.

Repair a torn window screen with an affordable solution that reduces waste.