ÂżWhat do you do with your pool while away? Â ÂżHow many Merida homeowners are allowing mosquitos to party in standing water which collects in their backyards while they travel? Â Last year I wrote about a biological control which can float in your untended pool, toxic only to mosquitos, introducing them to a deadly gut organism. Â This year, due to widespread problems afflicting humans, I decided to do more. Â While I was very happy with the biological product, I wanted to prevent access to the water altogether. Â So I contrived my own cover, seaming together pvc-mesh screen as a physical barrier. (The entire project cost me about $70-usd, not counting the galvanized pipes supporting the mesh or the flashing, which I already had, and which prices I’ve forgotten; Â and I still have almost a half roll of mesh left over.) Â Here’s the finished installation:
To start, I bought a roll of 60-inch x 30 meter pvc-mesh (malla) from a larger hardware supply, and a small can (una lata pequeña) of pvc cement (pegamento) from a local plumbing supply; and then I seamed together three lengths of screen, using a roll of aluminum flashing as a work surface so the cement didn’t bond with the paint on my roof, where I did the seaming. (Smaller hardware stores often sell mesh by the meter, but the ultra wide mesh may be more difficult to locate.)  I tested the bond for a week in the bright sun to be sure it would remain strong, trying two types of adhesive.  Both felt equally strong, so I went with the more neutral color.
Of course, there are other places for mosquitos to party, so we each need to do our part:
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