Fly screens keep out flies. That's obvious. But they actually provide an abundance of benefits beyond that which you may have overlooked. For homes and businesses alike they provide solutions to a great many issues related to health, hygiene and aesthetics. Here we'll outline the principal benefits and suggest where the screens are most useful.

Keep the bugs out

Fly screens keep the creepy-crawlies outside and let the fresh air inside. They're perfect for preventing pests like flies, mosquitoes, bees, hornets, wasps, ticks, spiders, cockroaches and other insects from entering your home, office or other interior space.

Prevent insect stings and bites

In the UK, there are a number of insects that can give a nasty sting or bite. Wasps, bees and hornets can inflict a painful venomous sting while mosquitoes, flies, ticks and spiders can be the culprits of unpleasant bites. In a best-case scenario, a bite or sting will result in a small local skin reaction and nothing more; however, allergic reactions can also occur. An allergic reaction may be either localised or systemic, and while the latter case is rare it can be life-threatening. Skin infections can also result. In the case of tick bites, infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the organism responsible for Lyme disease, is possible.

Improve hygiene and protect your health

Flies and cockroaches are exceptional vectors for disease. The house fly alone is capable of spreading 100 different pathogens which infect humans and animals. The gut of a single fly can host up to 33 million microorganisms, while the outer surface of its body and legs is the potential home of a half-billion more. The fly's proclivity for feasting on human food and utensils after degusting rotting trash and faeces makes for the especially efficient spread of germs, while its need to land frequently means it can contaminate that much more.

Cockroaches can spread pathogens on contact and via their droppings. Dysentery, gastroenteritis, poliomyelitis and food poisoning organisms are among them, and since cockroaches have a penchant for everything from faeces and fermenting substances to human food, they easily contaminate the latter. What's more, cockroach skins, dead bodies and droppings can provoke allergies and asthma in sensitive individuals either through the inhalation of dust made up of these substances or the ingestion of contaminated food.

In this way fly screens help companies to achieve compliance with legal requirements dictated by legislation on food hygiene and health and safety. In the home, the installation of fly screens in kitchens, bathrooms and nurseries will improve hygiene in places where cleanliness is essential.

Avoid exposure to harmful pesticides

Using fly screens to prevent infestations is an excellent way to reduce your reliance on pesticides. Pesticides, by their very nature, are toxic and exposure to them can be very detrimental to your health and that of your pets. Exposure can lead to liver and kidney damage, impairment of the nervous and endocrine systems, cancer and other diseases.

Reduce indoor air pollution by improving ventilation

There's nothing more refreshing than the caress of a fragrant summer breeze. With fly screens you can let in all of the fresh air you desire without being concerned about unwanted guests. But there's an even better reason why you should open your windows: good ventilation improves indoor air quality.

Keeping the air we breathe at home and at work clean is of utmost importance considering the amount of time we spend in each place. For more vulnerable individuals this is especially true梖or instance, infants, children, pregnant women and their unborn children, the elderly and those with respiratory diseases or allergic conditions like asthma. Air pollution can come from a wide variety of sources, for instance burning fuels in flueless appliances, do-it-yourself projects like painting and stripping, laying loft insulation, cigarette smoke, dust mites, mould spores and radon gas.

For this reason, it's a good idea to install fly screens all over your home in doors of all kinds (French, patio, pet, etc.), windows, porches and conservatories.

Additional benefits

Fly screens also offer you a number of ancillary benefits like these: they add value to your home, help keep your pets inside and create a fresh, clean company environment to enhance your business image. They even reduce the amount of dust that enters your home or business, which means that furniture and other surfaces remain cleaner for longer.