Why No Window Screens?

[Redpossum]

I love the absence of window screens, and the way that, five minutes after sunset, I have three full squadrons of mosquitoes in my house, with some kind of flying beetle for a FAC, and two flights of giant fruit flies performing Iron Hand, (oops, SEAD these days).

And I've been trying to figure this out. Given that window screens are not a high-tech item, and the concept has been around since the use of mosquito netting centuries ago, obviously there is some sort of deep-seated cultural imperative at work here.

Is it perhaps that 200 years ago, General San Martin gave a brave and stirring patriotic speech about how being chewed on by mosquitoes makes us stronger than the Brazilians? Or were window screens banned by Juan Peron, on the grounds that they are a decadent European indulgence which symbolizes the exploitation of the working class by the rich elites? The only flaw in the latter theory is that I've yet to see any sign that porteños find decadence or indulgence particularly objectionable.

Or maybe it's to support the sale of locally-produced over-the-counter remedies, Caladryl para todos!

What do you think?

 

[internationalguy]

I think that you'll revisit this thread in November.

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

I have no idea, either. From where I'm from the poorest of the poor have window screens. They might be duct-taped, but they have screens.

 

[Toastedwaves]

...

Or maybe it's to support the sale of locally-produced over-the-counter remedies, Caladryl para todos!

What do you think?

that's very interesting Red. I never thought about that possibility. It make sense and wouldn't surprise me that it might be the case. Friends of the administration have a strong grip on what goes. Just try to find vitamin C supplement without aspartame here, and you will see that something funky is going on.

 

[RichardP]

We had them installed in my mom-in-law's house in La Boca. They do exist here but are not as common as say in the US South. They are called "mosqueteros" and are often metal. Many years ago I thought about starting a business here installing screens.

Most people seem content to fill the air indoors with a cloud of Raid and leave it at that. Another WTF moment.

 

[Redpossum]

I have no idea, either. From where I'm from the poorest of the poor have window screens. They might be duct-taped, but they have screens.

Haha, yeah, I've duct-taped screens before. The trick is to use two pieces, one inside and one outside, because the only thing duct tape REALLY sticks to is duct tape.

Best screen story ever. I'm at Claudia's house, and there's a fly buzzing around in the middle of one screen. Her small, adolescent Siamese leaps at the fly and hits the screen hard enough to pop it out of the frame. The screen goes sailing away across the yard like a frisbee, with the Siamese in the middle, frantically holding on with all 20 claws.

The same cat could always be tricked by placing a single sheet of newspaper draped across the top of an empty trashcan. Every time, the cat would try to jump up on top, and wind up in the trashcan trying desperately to look like, "I meant to do that!"

 

[ajoknoblauch]

¡Mosquiteros para todos!

 

[Redpossum]

¡Mosquiteros para todos!

Los Tres Mosqueteros?

 

[Chet]

This is not particularly an Argentine thing. No screens in Costa Rica or Romania either. Egypt no screens and sometimes no roof, but the mosquitoes didn't bother me there.

 

[PhilipDT]

Guys they sell window screens at easy, they're not that expensive and come standard in a lot of apartments. Just go buy some.