How to cover external vents to stop bees getting in?

[MC178]

Hello I need to stop bees going into the external vents on a federation house. Looking at fry screen mesh to keep air flow but how do I attach it? What do I use?  I have 16 vents to cover. 

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @MC178,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

Do you have access to the inside of the vent?

While it is certainly possible to block it from the outside, I just thought it might be a bit easier from the inside and it is worth checking.

If not, then I would suggest running your flyscreen over the vent and slightly out on to the surrounding bricks. See below for an approximate location.

I'd suggest going this wide, so you can attach the flyscreen to the bricks, rather than the mortar, which won't give a strong hold.

You can use masonry plugs to screw a timber frame, made from 42 x 11mm H3 Treated Pine, over the flyscreen to lock it in place. A couple of staples into the mortar will hold the flyscreen in place until you can screw the timber over the top to lock it in place.

Allow me to tag @Dave-1, @Nailbag and @R4addZ to see if they've got any other ideas.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

[R4addZ]

Hi @MC178 

If you don't want to get into basic joinery, to make a frame, You could use a pre made vent and glue the fly screen mesh to the back of it then screw that over the existing vent. Something like this would probably do....

https://www.bunnings.com.au/haron-300-x-300mm-silver-aluminium-pressed-wall-vent_p0814362

And if you can manage to position it so that the screws go into the mortar, should you ever want to remove it, it will be easy to patch up without being visible. There are other vents and colours available, I just stopped looking when I found one that would be big enough.

[Dave-1]

Good Afternoon @MC178

Yeah having bees move in is a pain, I had bees start to try and do that so I filled the vertical slots in my bricks with stainless steel scourer. It still allowed the vents to breath but stopped the bees in their tracks.

I do like the idea of a small flyscreen mesh covereing each vent, maybe liquid nail some velcro strips to the brick work and then glue the screen to velcro so you can easily remove them to rinse them ocasionally?

Last idea and possibly the worst one for the bees tho they will avoid the area afterwards I think is to spray WD40 on the grill. They will probarlly go elsewhere from that point. I have done it with wasps and it worked so am gambling with the bees. I would try one vent first (the one they use the most) and see if it deters them. Note your house will have the WD40 scent for a little )

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @MC178 

I would use pet-proof grade flyscreen mesh just for long term durability of life and then use dabs of clear roof and gutter silicone to secure it to the vents. It provides a quick non-permanent easy solution thats easy to clean with that rigidity. 

Nailbag