If the current set up keeps the mosquitoes out, I'd weigh the cost of occasional repairs (how often does a major hurricane come through?) vs the expense of building a pergola (no guarantees it won't be damaged, as well.) So if a pergola costs $15k (I have no idea if that's realistic - I just picked a figure) and the screen costs $1000 to repair, you could have 15 hurricanes and break even with good mosquito coverage. Run the figures with correct amounts and see what you get. Maybe the screen costs $5k to fix each time.. Maybe the pergola costs $25k to build...I have no idea!

I always look to history. There was a reason these pool coverings were invented and are sooo very common and popular in your region. Spend the money on better more substantial framing. You'll be sorry when it's gone.

I agree a better cover for the pool if the mosquitos are that bad a pergola will not help. I do not like a cover over my pool but we also do not have a huge mosquito problem where the pool is since it is on the south side of the house and the heat keeps them away

Survey friends and neighbors who have each. We can make guesses from afar but on the ground research is going to be your best answers. That said ... I would think mosquito control would be quite important and couldn't a pergola get damaged in the hurricaines as well? Talk to some screened in vendors and see what options are stronger for hurricaines. You cannot be the only one facing this decision now as hurricanes become more frequent.

I had a sunroom once with removable screen panels. They could be stored away for a weather event. Perhaps such options are available to you.

If you do not need mosquito protection over the pool, I do think a pergola would look nicer.

One more voice for prioritizing your health and safety. No amount of aesthetics or fewer repair bills will make up for the regret of suffering long term ill effects from a mosquito-borne illness. Suggest getting with a good provider of screens and structures and see what's optimal for bad weather events but that still means you have screens to keep mosquitoes away from you and your loved ones.

What gets damaged? The screening or the frame. The frame over you pool looks pretty sturdy.

I don't know where you live but iguanas are becoming a huge problem in our area. Our neighborhood doesn't allow permanent screen enclosures but I wish they did. While I love a natural open look, give me a cage. Hosing the iguana gifts off my pool deck every morning is worse than mosquitos or no see ums. >:(

Perhaps you build a pergola style frame with support beams that could house Phantom Screens or something similar. They roll up into themselves with the touch of a button. That's what I would do if I could.

We have bad mosquitos, but they spray and I seem to have luck with these spartan tubes (traps) hung around the property. They changed the formula so now I make my own and use it with the old tubes and it’s pretty cheap. I have not been here long enough to be sure this works consistently. I also don’t have standing water on the property.

HOWEVER, the gnats are awful, and other bugs are plentiful but most don’t try to land on you as often as the gnats.

So, if bugs outside the screen are a problem for you, keep the screen. I dislike screens but I stay inside more during bug seasons.

Fans are also good for deterring bugs from smaller spaces. Probably not as much for a pool.

If you cook outside and there are bugs, a screen would probably be better.

I live in SW Florida. My BIL saved his pool screen enclosure when all of his neighbors lost theirs by simply removing the two screen doors from the enclosure and thereby allowing the winds to pass through the enclosure. He took the doors off and stored them in the garage during the hurricane and reinstalled them after it was over.

It's the water that gets caught in the fine screening that acts like a sail. When the winds blow and cannot pass through the screening, it puts heavy pressure on the structure & it collapses the aluminum framework.

Ian came through our area last year, but not a direct hit. The screen enclosures that were damaged in my neighborhood were the older style ones with thinner support posts and thin beams. The newer screen enclosures with larger beams and posts had little to no damage.

Our brand new screen enclosure only had the spring break on one door and the latch on another. It was $40 worth of parts that we were able to repair ourselves.

I would also price out a new screened cage with the latest hurricane codes.

Just sharing, perhaps you already landscape with these mosquito deterrents.

More than mosquitos, which I never see, are the Noseeums, which are not deterred by anything but bug spray. The screen enclosure companies have specific screening materials that are designed to keep out the Noseeums which are teeny tiny.

Thousands of Noseeums killed themselves in my pool this past spring! They can get through the screens and were probably drawn in by the pool lights that are on a timer. You can definitely '"seeum" when hundreds of them are clumped together floating in the pool!