Insect mesh, or fly screen, is a very popular and tensile insect repellent. It’s perfect for covering windows, doors or gaps in the wall. It’s also commonly used as soffit mesh as it has great ventilation whilst preventing insects like flies, mosquitos and bees from getting through even the largest of gaps.
Fly mesh can also stop larger pests such as rats and mice. This is because fly screen is a very fine mesh that can stop even the smallest of insects from getting through a gap.
Insect screen has many uses because of its versatility and malleability, such as:
- Vent mesh – as fly screen has great air flow through the open areas, it makes it a great method of ventilation.
- Pest control – especially in the summer months, fly mesh is perfect for preventing flies, bees and mosquitoes from getting into your house or a building.
- Window/door screen – insect mesh can be used to cover windows and doors which will prevent insects from getting inside.
- Building/construction – on both large scale and small scale projects, insect mesh can be used to build with as internal or external cladding or just as a screen to keep insects out.
- Filter mesh – as it’s a finer mesh, fly mesh is also suitable for using as filter mesh or a sieve.

Benefits of insect mesh
- Keeps out insects and rodents
- Adds a layer or privacy
- More cost effective than exterminators
- Can still see into your garden
- Great ventilation
- Save money or air conditioning in summer
- Flexible, lightweight and easy to use
- Weatherproof – great for outdoor use
Drawbacks of insect mesh
The only drawbacks of insect mesh is that fibreglass mesh can reduce sunlight and view to your garden. Also fibreglass and aluminium are not very durable materials despite them being weatherproof, their insect screen can tear and dent quite easy. Stainless steel is the only metal that won’t dent or tear. If you require better visibility, we suggest on a mesh with a higher percentage open area.
Soffit Mesh
Soffit mesh can be made from a few different types of metals such as aluminium, galvanised steel, stainless steel and fiberglass. A soffit mesh roll is essentially a roll of mesh mainly used to cover soffit vents in a house or building. It’s also great for using as insect meshing, DIY projects or for building with.
Types of Insect Mesh
Like soffit mesh, insect mesh is made with a few different types of metals.
Aluminium – Aluminium is great for insect mesh and is easy to work with because it’s lightweight and flexible. It’s also resistant to corrosion and weatherproof therefore it can be used outside and will last a long time. Furthermore, you can cut this mesh with standard scissors however the downsides to aluminium is that it’s not as strong as other metals like stainless steel. Aluminium can dent and tear easier and can also be more expensive than stainless steel and fiberglass.
Stainless Steel – Stainless steel 304 grade the perfect metal for fly mesh if you’re looking for something durable, resistant to corrosion, long lasting and weatherproof. Stainless steel is heaver than aluminium and fiberglass. It’s also the toughest and most versatile metal for insect screen and it’s more cost affective than aluminium.
Fibreglass – Fibreglass mesh is a fabric-like plastic mesh with a coloured PVC coating so it’s waterproof and durable which means the material is long-lasting and can be used outdoors. Fibreglass is also great as it’s lightweight and easy to use therefore any project is quick and simple. It comes in a few different colours: black, grey and white.
What tools do I need to fit insect mesh for windows?
There are a few ways in which you can fit fly mesh screen to your windows, we recommend using detachable bonds such as Velcro or magnets. This is so you can remove the mesh netting in the winter months and replace it in the summer when necessary.
However you can also use more permanent attachments like staples which will require a staple gun or tape. You will also need a pen and scissors which are essential in the next part.
How do you fit the mosquito net to the window?
Firstly, you will need to measure the perimeter of your window using a tape measure. Then with your insect soffit mesh roll, unravel the necessary amount needed to cover the window then mark the corners of the perimeter with a pen. Note that you also need to leave an inch border around the perimeter which allows space for the attachments to bond to the window frame.
Next, you can use scissors to cut around the edge of the border before attaching the magnets or Velcro around the inch border section. Lastly with the window screen mesh, attach the other side of the bonds to the window frame.
If you want to use permanent bonds such as staples or tape, use the staple gun to attach the border to the frame. You could also use double sided tape around the border and stick to the frame.

How to install insect screen mesh
For those who are considering fitting some insect screen mesh onto their windows or door, here’s our expert guide on how to do it yourself.
What insect mesh do I need for window fly screen?
Ideally, you will need either aluminium, stainless steel or fiberglass mesh. Aluminium is a lightweight, flexible mesh that can be cut with scissors. Stainless steel is a corrosion-resistant, durable mesh great for outdoor use. Fibreglass is a plastic fabric-like mesh with a PVC coating which is lightweight and easy to use.
As always, thank you for checking out our blog. We hope that this helps you with your project. We try to launch a couple of new guides every week. Eventually we will have covered everything there is to cover about mesh.
You may be interested in our blog that explores everything that you need to know about stainless steel insect mesh.
Our goal for our blogs and help guides is to answer as many questions as possible to help to explain the possibilities of mesh to our customers.

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