The Pen | Hans Becks

The screen has a new and important function added

Probably the first thing you think of when you think of mosquito nets is keeping unwanted guests out. After all, insects in your home are a source of annoyance. With a good screen, you keep the insects where they belong - out in nature. So for years, our industry has been selling screens to provide people with the comfort of an insect-free home. 

In recent years, fly screens have gained another function: to protect insects! This is desperately needed in today's world, where biologists are sounding the alarm when it comes to the survival of insects. The death rate of bees has never been higher and other insect species are also declining rapidly. 

A screen keeps insects out of the house, which by definition increases their chance of survival. After all, you are not the first and certainly not the last to attack insects with a fly swatter or spray can. This is certainly not an accusation against you, but simply a fact. So with a screen you not only do yourself and your housemates a favor, but above all the insects that are unaware of the dangers lurking once they cross your threshold. 

For specialty retailers, this is a selling point that can be critical. More and more people are aware that we humans have a huge impact on the nature around us and are happy to go the extra mile to help nature. The purchase of a screen is therefore not only in the service of one's own living comfort, but can safely be seen as a good deed towards insects. Last year, ALUKON thought it would be a good idea to raise awareness of the disappearance of insects by offering a real insect hotel as a business gift. An insect hotel in the right place in the garden provides a safe overwintering place for our little friends. 

Given their important function in nature, a world without insects is unthinkable. Yet we are heading there if we do not take action. Fruit and other fruits only grow if bees, bumblebees or hoverflies pollinate the flowers first. Without insects, we will soon have no fruit. There are also birds that depend on insects as a food source. Insects therefore perform an indispensable function in our ecosystem and keep many processes in motion. 

Here goes, "hear and tell! The trade is thus given the rewarding task of reinforcing screen sales with a genuine story about nature conservation. Every screen sold is one. So the buzzword - bzzz-word - for 2019 and the years to come is 'screens'!