Mosquito screen, fly screen, insect protection – same term, same product?
Anyone searching for insect protection in Dortmund, Bochum or Hagen will come across several terms: mosquito screen, fly screen, insect protection, fly protection, mosquito protection. In everyday use they are mostly thrown together. But do they all mean the same thing?
The short answer: technically yes, in detail no. In this guide we bring some order to the terms and show what really matters when choosing.
What is a mosquito screen?
A mosquito screen (German: "Mückengitter") is the colloquial name for an insect-screen mesh designed specifically to keep mosquitoes out of living spaces. In plain technical language: a fly screen with a mesh size that mosquitoes cannot pass through.
Mosquitoes are not really a challenge here – even very coarse meshes reliably keep them outside, because their body size is significantly larger than the mesh openings of standard screens.
What is a fly screen?
The fly screen (German: "Fliegengitter") is the established technical term in German-speaking countries. It refers to the whole system consisting of:
- check_circleFrame (usually aluminium)
- check_circleMesh (fibreglass, polyester or stainless steel)
- check_circleFixing (clips, adhesive strips or screws)
The word "fly" stands here for all insects – mosquitoes, wasps, houseflies, butterflies, small beetles. Linguistically, "fly screen" is therefore the umbrella term.
And "insect protection"?
Insect protection is the neutral, technically correct term. It is preferred by the trade and specialist retailers because it covers not only flies but all insects and mosquitoes.
In our product range you will therefore find terms such as:
- check_circleInsect-screen fixed frames
- check_circleRoller insect screens
- check_circleInsect-screen mesh
At their core, these are all synonyms for fly screens and mosquito screens.
Mesh size – the decisive detail
Where there really are technical differences is in the mesh size of the fabric. It determines which insects and particles are reliably kept out.
| Mesh size | Keeps out | Application | |---|---|---| | approx. 2.5 × 2.5 mm | coarse insects | Ventilation grilles, cellar windows | | 1.2 × 1.5 mm (standard) | Mosquitoes, flies, wasps | Standard fly screen | | 0.8 × 0.8 mm | Small flies, fungus gnats | Specialist use | | Pollen-filtering mesh (very fine) | Pollen, fine dust | Allergy sufferers |
Important to know: The terms "mosquito screen" and "fly screen" almost always refer in practice to the standard mesh size of 1.2 × 1.5 mm. This reliably keeps mosquitoes, flies and wasps outside.
Which protection for which insect?
Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes in Germany are between 5 and 15 mm long – standard fly screens stop them with no problem. Anyone living close to water and rivers, such as in Wetter (Ruhr), at the Phoenix-See in Dortmund or at the Kemnader See in Bochum, knows the problem well in summer.
Flies (houseflies and blowflies): Flies are a similar size to mosquitoes. Standard mesh is entirely sufficient here. Anyone with a farmstead or a garden with a compost heap benefits especially.
Wasps and hornets: These are also stopped by standard mesh. Important: pay attention to a stable aluminium frame – wasps can try to chew through thin plastic.
Small flies, fungus gnats, thrips: These micro-insects only really come into play in special cases (e.g. houseplants) and need finer mesh sizes of 0.8 × 0.8 mm or less.
Pollen and fine dust: Normal meshes do not help here. Allergy sufferers should choose a pollen-filtering mesh with a considerably finer structure, which filters up to 90% of the pollen out of the incoming air.
Does the term make a difference when buying?
If you ask us for a mosquito screen, a fly screen or insect protection, in the standard case you get the same product: a made-to-measure fixed frame with fibreglass mesh in standard mesh size.
The difference lies not in the term but in:
- check_circle**Frame material** (aluminium vs. plastic)
- check_circle**Corner joints** (milled vs. clipped)
- check_circle**Mesh quality** (fibreglass vs. polyester)
- check_circle**Precision of fit** (millimetre-precise made-to-measure vs. standard size)
- check_circle**Fixing** (drill-free vs. screwed)
These points determine the quality – not the name on the packaging.
Our tip from Waltrop
Whether you are searching for "mosquito screen for windows", "fly screen door" or "made-to-measure insect protection": don't let the terminology confuse you. Pay attention to the quality of the product and ask:
1. What mesh size do you use? 2. What material is the frame made of? 3. How is the screen fixed in place? 4. Is the size made-to-measure or standard?
From our base in Waltrop, we are happy to come to you – in Dortmund, Bochum, Hagen, Wetter (Ruhr) or anywhere in the Ruhr region – and advise you in person. The consultation is free and without obligation.