One of the things that I get really busy with in spring/summer is INSECT-PROOFING our home. Moving from the Philipppines to Switzerland, I never thought that I would have a problem with insects. But one of the “perks” of our country-life is that we live across a FARM & CREEK and behind us is a FOREST.. so there are A LOT of insects trying to get into our home.

Look how big these insects are! Imagine one climbin your face as you sleep! Eeep!

The most common that we find are:

Spiders
Moths
Fruit flies
Mosquitos
Crane flies

But we’ve also had some small flying cockroaches from the forest. I’ll be discussing how we deal with them using chemical & none chemical methods and it’s up to you what you prefer to do.

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PREVENTION USING CHEMICAL SPRAYS

TD’s local colleague told me he sprayed something on the window & door jambs to prevent insects from coming in. It was too expensive to put screens on all the windows in one go, so I tried this method. It reduces the insects coming in, but it’s not 100% insect-proof.

IMPORTANT:

I wore a mask to prevent inhaling the toxic chemicals while applying.
Spray twice on the window/door jamb, once open & once closed.
Leave your home for 30mins to avoid inhaling the toxic ingredients.
Even the natural sprays need time to off-gas so as not to affect your health.

USING SCREENS AS A PHYSICAL BARRIER

For me using a physical barrier like a screen is still THE BEST, but even temporary, renter-friendly solutions are pricey, especially if you have a lot of windows/doors & if they are larger than normal.

There are 3 kinds of screens in my experience:

Tulle – cheapest, super soft & hardest to install & untidy looking. Only lasts 1 season. White & Black.
Fiberglass – more expensive, flexible but easy to handle & stays on for years. White & Gray options.
Aluminum – stiff but more permanent solution. Most expensive. Only in silver & black.

I chose FIBERGLASS because it’s the tidiest & looks beautiful in our all-white home. Best-value for money too, especially if you are only renting. #ContentToRent.

FIBERGLASS WINDOW SCREENS

There are many options now for Fiberglass Sreens. Even aluminum ones which are sturdier but might be better for long term renters or home owners becaue it’s hard to but and trickier to install. So far I’ve found 2 good brands for FIBERGLASS SCREENS:

1. INSECT PROTECT

I purchased in Carrefour France. I use it for our smaller windows & they are still going strong on their 3rd summer. If you see these, I can only recommend them.

2. WINDHAGER

You can buy Windhager Fiberglass screens on Amazon.de, Amazon.fr & in Jumbo hardware store. I use this for all our big windows because they have it in different sizes i.e. 100 x 120 cm or 100 x 250 cm.

For our extra wide double-panel windows, I sewed 2 rolls together. The sewing isn’t perfect but the screen works & that’s what’s important.

The sewed screens have held up 5 years and counting!

FIBERGLASS VS TULLE

When buying online, I noticed that they label some screens as FIBERGLASS, but it’s actually TULLE. So make sure you’re buying the correct thing. Tulle is cheap but a nightmare to install & will only last 1 or 2 seasons max. Here’s a surefire way to tell between the 2:

If it comes in a ROLL it’s FIBERGLASS. If it’s folded up inside a BOX it’s TULLE.

FASTENING TAPE

Usually, box sets come with a fastening tape, but if you only buy a screen roll then you need to buy the fastening tape separately. I had to buy extra FASTENING TAPES because our double-panel windows are so huge.

DOOR SCREENS

One of the things we would like to be able to do in summer is keep our balcony door open for some fresh air without massive flies coming in & trying to taste our food. Guys, you cannot believe how massive these flies are. They are as healthy as Swiss cows.

DOOR CURTAINS vs MAGNETIC CURTAINS

https://amzn.to/4w6iLF5We initially had these WINDHAGER DOOR CURTAINS but flies still get in & after wear & tear they only last 2 years before they had holes. I finally found THICK MAGNETIC CURTAINS & they have beent he best solution so far.

The friends I’ve recommended the THICK MAGNETIC CURTAINS have also told me how happy they are with it. It’s really made it easier to cool our spaces in summer insect-free. This is how it looks from the outside.

This is how it looks from the inside.

SEMI-PERMANENT OPTIONS

For homeowners or long term renters, who want semi-permanent options, there are FRAMED SCREENS where you will really need to measure and saw the frames like the ones below. They’re more expensive initially but in the long run will save money because they don’t need to be replaced every couple of years.

WINDHAGER SLIDING DOOR SCREEN

WINDHAGER SWING DOOR INSECT SCREEN

The only reason I haven’t gone for these doors is I am not so confident with my ability to cut it to size. I am afraid to make a mistake & waste money.

As it is now, we are very happy that once the sun is down we can easily cool the home by opening our windows. My big win for the summer is finally finding the perfect way to screen our VELUX WINDOWS.

Insect Proofing Our Home