The best outdoor screens for keeping insects off a porch or patio use the right mesh for the bugs around your house, seal at the sides, top and bottom so nothing gets in around the edges, and stay in their tracks when the wind picks up. Standard insect mesh stops mosquitoes, flies and wasps. A finer no-see-um mesh is worth it near marshes, ponds and the coast, where tiny biting midges come out at dusk. Bugs usually get in around the edges of a screen, so how it is mounted matters as much as what it is made of.
Why bugs matter in New England
Mosquitoes are the main reason people screen a porch here. Beyond being a nuisance, mosquitoes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island can carry West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). The Massachusetts Department of Public Health tests mosquitoes every summer and publishes risk levels by town, and some towns move outdoor events earlier in the evening when risk is high. A screened porch lets you stay outside at dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
Ticks are the other big concern, but screens are not much help with them. Deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, don’t fly. They wait in tall grass, brush and leaf litter and catch a ride on people and pets. Keep a mowed or mulched border around the porch and patio, keep leaves cleared from the edges, and check yourself and your pets after time in the yard.
Other pests worth planning for:
- No-see-ums (biting midges) near salt marshes, ponds and the shore
- Black flies in late spring, especially near streams and woods
- Yellow jackets and wasps in late summer, when they are drawn to food and drinks outside
Types of insect mesh
- Fiberglass: the most common mesh on fixed screens. It is flexible, won’t dent and costs the least, but it tears more easily than metal.
- Aluminum: stronger than fiberglass, but it dents and can corrode near salt water.
- Stainless steel: very strong and resists corrosion, which makes it a good choice for coastal homes. It also costs the most.
- Vinyl-coated polyester: what most motorized screens use. It is strong, holds up to sun and rolls up into a housing without creasing.
- No-see-um mesh: a tighter weave that stops biting midges. It slightly reduces airflow and view, so many homes use it only on the sides that face water or woods.
- Pet-resistant mesh: a heavier weave that stands up to dogs and cats pushing against it.
- Solar mesh: blocks heat and glare and, in tighter weaves, keeps most insects out too. On a sunny patio, one screen can handle both.
Gaps are where bugs get in
A screen is only as good as its edges. Check these points on any system you are considering:
- Sides: the fabric edge needs to stay locked in its side tracks. On motorized screens, a zipper edge or a magnetic track does this. We install MagnaTrack screens, which use magnets in the track to hold the screen edge and guide it back into place if a gust pushes it out.
- Bottom: a weighted bottom bar with a seal closes the gap at the floor. Porch floors are often sloped for drainage, so the bottom bar and seal need to account for that slope.
- Top: the housing should close tightly against the header.
- Doors: plan how people will get in and out. With motorized screens, you can raise one screen to walk through, or keep a hinged screen door in a fixed panel for everyday use.
Fixed, retractable or motorized?
- Fixed screen panels cost the least and are always in place. The downside is a permanent layer between you and the view, and panels that take a beating in winter.
- Manual retractable screens work well on doors and smaller openings. They pull across and roll away when not needed.
- Motorized screens make sense for large porch and patio openings. They come down at dusk with a button or a schedule, and they disappear into a housing when you want the open view. They can also join the rest of your home’s controls, so one button lowers the screens and turns on the porch lights.
For a full comparison of motorized screen options, including solar and vinyl screens and how they handle weather, see our guide on how to choose automated screens for outdoor spaces.
Sizing and installation
Measure carefully, or better, have the installer measure. Porch posts are rarely plumb and openings are rarely square, and a screen that is a little small leaves a gap bugs will find. Tracks need solid framing to mount to, and very wide openings may need an added post. Motorized screens also need power at each opening, which an electrician runs before the housings go up.
Keeping your screens working
- Rinse the mesh with a hose or wash it with mild soap and water. Avoid harsh cleaners, which break down the coating.
- Let the screen dry before rolling it up, so mildew doesn’t form inside the housing.
- Brush leaves and debris out of the tracks and off the bottom bar.
- Check for small tears and loose seals each spring, before the bugs return.
- Raise screens before ice storms and heavy snow.
Other ways to cut down on mosquitoes
Screens work best alongside a few simple habits. Empty standing water in planters, buckets, toys and clogged gutters every week, since that is where mosquitoes breed. A ceiling fan on the porch helps too, because mosquitoes are weak fliers and struggle in moving air. Warm white or yellow outdoor lighting draws fewer insects than bright cool white light.
Planning a screened porch or patio?
We install MagnaTrack motorized insect and solar screens on porches and patios across Greater Boston, the South Shore and Rhode Island. Book a free consultation or read more about our outdoor automated screens.
