The Bugs Standard Screens Miss
No-see-ums — biting midges — are tiny enough to walk through standard 18/14 screen mesh. They swarm at dawn and dusk, they love waterfront homes, and their bites itch for days. If your lanai is unusable at sunset despite intact screens, no-see-ums are probably why. The fix is 20/20 mesh: woven tight enough to stop them.
Where 20/20 Belongs
You do not need it on the whole cage. No-see-um mesh belongs on the panels near where you sit — lanai walls, the seating area of the pool enclosure, anywhere evening air comes through. Roof panels and high walls can stay standard mesh. Mixing keeps the cost down and preserves airflow where bugs are not the problem.
The Trade-Offs, Honestly
- Cost. 20/20 mesh costs more per roll than standard fiberglass — budget for the upgrade on the panels that get it.
- Airflow. Tighter weave moves less air. On still summer evenings you will notice it — which is why we do not blanket the whole cage.
- View. Slightly dimmer than standard mesh. Most homeowners stop noticing after a day.
For most waterfront and bayside homes, the trade is worth it — an unusable lanai at dusk is the bigger cost. Our mesh comparison guide lays out all the options.
Upgrade Timing
The smart time to upgrade is during a rescreen — the labor is already happening. But individual panels can be swapped to 20/20 anytime; send us the form and tell us which panels bug you (pun intended).
Our Process: From Bite Complaint to Bite-Free Evenings
- The bug interview. We ask when and where the bugs hit — dawn and dusk near the water is the classic no-see-um pattern. This tells us which panels matter.
- Panel mapping. We map your enclosure: seating areas and evening-use zones get 20/20; roof, high walls, and low-traffic areas stay standard. You see the map before we start.
- Written quote. Panel count, mesh spec per area, total. The upgrade price is itemized separately from any standard rescreen work so you can see exactly what the 20/20 costs.
- Installation. Panels get cut out and re-rolled in 20/20 with fresh spline, tensioned the same tight standard as every panel we touch.
- Evening test. We cannot summon no-see-ums on demand, but we check the weave against light to confirm full coverage — no gaps, no missed panels.
What the Upgrade Costs
20/20 mesh costs more per roll than standard fiberglass, so the upgrade adds to the materials side of any job. As a standalone panel-swap project, expect the per-panel price to run higher than standard panel replacement — typically in the hundreds per panel depending on size and height. Folded into a full rescreen, the upgrade is the difference between the standard-mesh quote and the mixed-mesh quote, and we show you both. Starting ranges only; your written estimate is free and the final quote is fixed before we start.
Where No-See-Ums Come From
No-see-ums (biting midges) breed in moist soil, marsh edges, and mangroves — which describes half the Pinellas County waterfront. They are most active at dawn and dusk, in still air, and they are drawn to the carbon dioxide you breathe out. If your lanai is unbearable at sunset but fine at noon, that is the no-see-um signature. Standard 18/14 mesh has openings they walk right through; 20/20 mesh does not. Screens are only part of the answer — still-evening air, nearby vegetation, and standing water all feed the problem — but the mesh is the part we control, and it makes the biggest single difference.
Airflow Management: The Real Trade-Off
The honest downside of 20/20 mesh is airflow. A tighter weave moves less breeze, and on a still August evening you feel it. Three ways we manage it:
- Zoned placement. 20/20 only where the bugs are worst — usually the seating-area walls. Everywhere else stays standard mesh and breathes freely.
- Ceiling fans. A lanai or patio ceiling fan compensates for most of the airflow difference. If you do not have one, the upgrade is a good time to think about it.
- Door discipline. Tighter mesh helps less if the screen door stands open. A working closer and latched doors are part of the bug strategy.
20/20 vs. Just Living With It
Some homeowners try everything else first: bug zappers, citronella, fans, sprays. Those help at the margins. But if no-see-ums are keeping you off your lanai at dusk — the best hour of a Florida evening — the mesh is the fix that actually fixes it. We hear the same story after every upgrade: "we should have done this years ago."
Pairing With a Rescreen
The most economical time to upgrade is during a full rescreen — the labor is already happening, so you are only paying the mesh difference. But standalone upgrades are normal too: we swap individual panels to 20/20 any time. Tell us which panels bug you.