My god! Is this true?

[conuly]

Brits don't have window screens? That can't be the case. What's next, you don't have bugs either?

(Please - reassure me that it's not true!)

Comments

[sayga.livejournal.com]

Our house in England did not have window screens. The only screen door I saw my entire childhood was when I would visit my grandparents in Wisconsin in the summer. I thought it was so weird that they couldn't just open their windows; they had screens on the inside, and a crank to open the window. And then when we moved to Houston, the screens were on the outside, but I missed being able to put my head out the window. We didn't really have mosquitos, though, it's a bit cold. And everyone just dealt with the flies and yellow jackets.

[conuly]

Ugh, flies. I'd rather have any number of bugs in my house than a single fly.

Our screens open, don't yours?

[sayga.livejournal.com]

I wish our screens opened! Ours here in AZ don't, and the ones in Texas didn't. In Utah, we had screens that were permanent, then storm windows that could be opened and closed and then the main window. But I've never lived in a place with openable screens! It makes sense to. I wish we had them (without having to pay for them that is).

[conuly]

How weird.

[amygooglegirl.livejournal.com]

I find that there are very, very few bugs in Britain generally (except one day a year when we get flying ants, and some areas where there are midges). I grew up in France where we get mosquitoes in the summer, but they're nearly non-existent in Britain (definitely in NW England where I live).

Also, most windows only open a tiny bit (which annoys me because if it's warm I like to have air flowing into the house, and that's not possible here), so the rare bugs are unlikely to get in even without screens. But then it doesn't get warm. If it's 25C (77F), it's one of the hottest days of the year. I think the hottest it's *ever* been is 30C (86F).

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

There are areas in the southern united states that don't typically use window screens as well. Both cities I've been to in Germany didn't have any that I saw either.

[ciara-belle.livejournal.com]

None of the places I stayed in Norwich or Cambridge had window screens. It was incredibly irritating. I know most Brits will insist that it's not very buggy, but it is in East Anglia! Cambridge has standing water galore and millions of midges around the river and I invested quite a bit in bug spray so I could row and sleep in peace.

[bookgirlwa.livejournal.com]

We never had window screens (flyscreens) in NZ when I grew up there, it's too cold in the South Island for most bugs, and I only ever visited the North Island briefly, but I don't think they had them there either.

They are a necessary feature here in Australia, though, but some cheap 'n' nasty rental places don't have them - slum-lords/ladies.

[concordantnexus.livejournal.com]

Having had the pleasure of hiking for a week in Exmoor, I can assure you that I saw and felt precious little in the way of flies and no mosquitoes. Although there were ticks as my mum found out.

All of the Brits that heard me remark in amazement at the lack of mosquitoes (which, as a Canadian, I expected in hordes) or black flies (which they call midges) assured me that there weren't many to begin with in the case of the former and that I should seek out the latter in Scotland if I missed them that much. o.O

[feralkoala.livejournal.com]

I would think not being able to open your window screens, if you have them, would be a fire hazard and violate some sort of law. Most places in the US require all officially zoned bedrooms to have an egress window to use in case of an emergency.

I find the no annoying bugs extremely weird. I'd love to be able to open my window again during summer, I kind of broke the screen last time I was locked out, but even with snow on the ground critters manage to find their way in. I'm okay with bugs being outside, but inside makes me freak. Especially if they're tiny and not predacious and I can imagine them colonizing my cereal boxes or something.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

Our house in England did not have window screens. The only screen door I saw my entire childhood was when I would visit my grandparents in Wisconsin in the summer. I thought it was so weird that they couldn't just open their windows; they had screens on the inside, and a crank to open the window. And then when we moved to Houston, the screens were on the outside, but I missed being able to put my head out the window. We didn't really have mosquitos, though, it's a bit cold. And everyone just dealt with the flies and yellow jackets.

[conuly]

Ugh, flies. I'd rather have any number of bugs in my house than a single fly.

Our screens open, don't yours?

[sayga.livejournal.com]

I wish our screens opened! Ours here in AZ don't, and the ones in Texas didn't. In Utah, we had screens that were permanent, then storm windows that could be opened and closed and then the main window. But I've never lived in a place with openable screens! It makes sense to. I wish we had them (without having to pay for them that is).

[conuly]

How weird.

[amygooglegirl.livejournal.com]

I find that there are very, very few bugs in Britain generally (except one day a year when we get flying ants, and some areas where there are midges). I grew up in France where we get mosquitoes in the summer, but they're nearly non-existent in Britain (definitely in NW England where I live).

Also, most windows only open a tiny bit (which annoys me because if it's warm I like to have air flowing into the house, and that's not possible here), so the rare bugs are unlikely to get in even without screens. But then it doesn't get warm. If it's 25C (77F), it's one of the hottest days of the year. I think the hottest it's *ever* been is 30C (86F).

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

There are areas in the southern united states that don't typically use window screens as well. Both cities I've been to in Germany didn't have any that I saw either.

[ciara-belle.livejournal.com]

None of the places I stayed in Norwich or Cambridge had window screens. It was incredibly irritating. I know most Brits will insist that it's not very buggy, but it is in East Anglia! Cambridge has standing water galore and millions of midges around the river and I invested quite a bit in bug spray so I could row and sleep in peace.

[bookgirlwa.livejournal.com]

We never had window screens (flyscreens) in NZ when I grew up there, it's too cold in the South Island for most bugs, and I only ever visited the North Island briefly, but I don't think they had them there either.

They are a necessary feature here in Australia, though, but some cheap 'n' nasty rental places don't have them - slum-lords/ladies.

[concordantnexus.livejournal.com]

Having had the pleasure of hiking for a week in Exmoor, I can assure you that I saw and felt precious little in the way of flies and no mosquitoes. Although there were ticks as my mum found out.

All of the Brits that heard me remark in amazement at the lack of mosquitoes (which, as a Canadian, I expected in hordes) or black flies (which they call midges) assured me that there weren't many to begin with in the case of the former and that I should seek out the latter in Scotland if I missed them that much. o.O

[feralkoala.livejournal.com]

I would think not being able to open your window screens, if you have them, would be a fire hazard and violate some sort of law. Most places in the US require all officially zoned bedrooms to have an egress window to use in case of an emergency.

I find the no annoying bugs extremely weird. I'd love to be able to open my window again during summer, I kind of broke the screen last time I was locked out, but even with snow on the ground critters manage to find their way in. I'm okay with bugs being outside, but inside makes me freak. Especially if they're tiny and not predacious and I can imagine them colonizing my cereal boxes or something.