Successful Rain Harvesting gives you clean rainwater – and lots of it – for use around your home or property.
However, the presence of pests (large and small) in your gutters can compromise this water supply, reducing the volume of rainwater you collect or adversely affecting its quality.
Because of this, measures that will keep pests out of your gutters are an important consideration in the design of any Rain Harvesting system.
The problem with pests
Pests can create a range of problems for your rainwater system.
Pests that build nests or that die while on your roof can clog your gutters and reduce the volume of water that ends up in your tanks. This reduced quantity can prevent you from using your rainwater as much as you would like, and increases the negative effects of drought and low rainfall on you and your system.
Pests of all sizes can also contaminate your rainwater supply with urine, faeces, their own carcasses and other unpleasant things. In turn, this affects the opacity, colour and odour of your rainwater, and may even render it completely unfit for its intended uses, leading to water wastage and shortages.
Clogged or underperforming gutters can also become a breeding ground for the smallest pests of all, mosquitoes. These unwanted residents can seriously affect the health of your entire Rain Harvesting system (and your home, too).
Keeping pests out
The most effective way to prevent pest-related problems in your Rain Harvesting system is to keep pests out of your gutters, as this tends to keep them out of the rest of your system as well.
One recognised way for keeping pests out of your gutters and rainwater system is to install over-the-gutter metal gutter mesh. Over-the-gutter gutter mesh forms a physical barrier over your gutters, letting rainwater in but preventing pests (and leaves and debris) from entering. All Blue Mountain Co Gutter Mesh is strong enough to prevent pests from getting into your gutters.
By keeping pests out of your gutters, gutter mesh helps to preserve and improve the quality and quantity of your rainwater so you can enjoy a clear, colourless, odourless and plentiful supply.