I guess since the kids are just crawling and not really walking or climbing, you're not concerned that they'd climb onto furniture and out the window. I suggest getting temporary screens for the windows. I think there are some that can clip to windows that aren't built with slats to hold screens.

try installing walk through screen doors

I'd honestly like to know a non-screen option as well since I have similar issues except the flying bugs that get in are big enough to be annoying and plentiful but small enough to fit through the screen mesh. :/

When you find the answer please address the problem of having my cake and eating it too!

I would suggest Magic Mesh (the walkthrough magnetic As Seen on TV screen), but after having just bought a set of it, having it arrive full of holes and then having to fight with people on the phone (who didn't believe me that I had even ordered it, despite the fact that my credit card was charged and the item had shipped and arrived) I finally got a replacement. Replacement lasted a full week before I ripped it down in exasperation (with the stick on velcro being left behind, permanently attached FOREVER) because it kept falling off, and has HUGE GAPS between the magnets where bees and small birds can fly through, and oh yeah...that magical thing that happens where the magnets just automatically clip closed after you walk through? Does not happen. You have to physically re-magnet them each time you walk through. So there you go. Free review. Avoid Magic Mesh as a solution. Maybe you can get a screen with a big enough doggie door for the kids to crawl in and out? ;) Hahaha.

we have screens on all our windows. perhaps you can find a few screens for the windows you open most often

I think even if the bugs can fit through the screens, it may deter them away. I have some half screens that you remove when you close the window & insert them when you open it. It sits safely in the window track, so it' won't fall in or out. There are 2 parts to the screen that you can either pull out or push in to fit into different size windows. The screened parts are framed like normally. They kind of operate like a baby gate if that gives better understanding.
Unfortunately, I dont know where they're from. My mom gave them to me and I can't find anything similar online. I don't even know how to search for it. Maybe someone else knows what i'm talking about? I hope you can find them though because theyre so great & you can use them in any window :)

perhaps if you sprayed some sort of bug spray around window frames and door frames and used some sort of citronella outdoors to deter bugs from coming near the house?

I spoke too soon, here's a link on amazon that's similar to what I suggested:

http://www.amazon.com/Thermwell-AWS1533-15x19-33EXT-Wind-Screen/dp/B0012S230E

Maybe one of those and a citronella candle will keep them away. The screens I have seem better then this one on amazon. Theyre framed with a nice heavy duty plastic and have a good quality screen.

If you don't want to deal with a screen door (which I would recommend if you really do leave the door open so much), you could always hang up mosquito netting over the doorway.

One big reason that bugs fly in is because they're attracted to the light. If you keep your home a little dimmer, maybe a few less critters will fly in.

@SPEAKABOOBOO Try the ones from Gardeners Supply Co. They are probably more money then the As Seen on TV version, but are quite substantial. http://www.gardeners.com/Hands-Free-Bug-Screen/12725,default,pd.html?start=5&q=screen

Do not get Magic Mesh. The velcro which fixes the mesh to the doorframe is stronger than the glue to hold the velcro pad to the doorframe. This reduces the Magic Mesh to a flapping piece of screen. Might as well get the more attractive mosquito netting and afix it to the top of the frame only.

I would love to know what does work. I still have the original 1920's windows on my house and unfortunately I can't find any screens that will fit! We are currently the favorite cool place for the bugs of the neighborhood.

My stepdad made custom screens for our windows - he made a frame out of wood that fit in the open window and then stapled mosquito net taught all around it.

Many hardware stores sell screen window kits that are easily custom cut to friction fit your window. It's quite simple to put together straight frame sections with the corner pieces then add the screen you cut to size from a roll. The black nylon screen is less visible than the shiny aluminum. I used to have a piece of screen hung from a friction fit curtain rod in the door using clip on curtain rings. It doesn't keep out all the bugs but it does make a huge difference. You could make yourself a custom screen door with a section in the bottom for kids to crawl in and out of, much like a doggy door, with a loose flap of screen in it that could easily be replaced with a fixed section once the kids grow out of that stage.

You said you wanted a non-screen option. Ever hear of air curtains?

You've no doubt experienced them in stores where you walk through a door and get a blast of air from above. Those aren't for drying you off or cooling you down or warming you up; they're for preventing outside air from getting in; including bugs in the outside air.

Do a search on Amazon for 36" air curtain. You could probably have it wired up so that it only turns on when someone walks close to it.

Bite the bullet and get a screen door and screen windows. It'll be worth it.
They have covers for the bottoms of screen doors to prevent your kids from falling through the screen which I would suggest using for a few years.
If you can't find screen windows that fit, you can buy a role of mesh and probably rig something up. I wonder if a high end hardware/window store could order you custom replacement screen windows?

@clgoggans
I just googled "replacement screen windows" and came across a whole bunch of websites where you can order parts or custom screen windows.
http://www.qualitywindowscreen.com/
http://www.metroscreenworks.com/
http://www.nationalscreenandglass.com/
You get my drift :-)

When I was a student I lived in a place that was air conditioned and had no opening windows, just a door to a balcony. The AC broke and it was 95 degrees out -- I HAD to keep that door open and in Austin there are many, many flying bugs in the summer. I went to the fabric store and bought fine tulle in a bit more than double the length of my door plus a tension rod. Draped the tulle over the rod and let it puddle on the floor. This kept out the lions share of bugs though it is not as good as an actual screen door. You have to pull it into place periodically. I don't know that it would be a great solution if you were using the door alot -- but maybe for windows? You could tack it to the sides of the frames.

First world problems FTW.

LittleMissSunshine, this is a decor site...EVERYTHING here is a first world problem.

http://www.radicalpossibility.com/2012/05/making-lace-window-screen.html

here's a beautiful, cheap and easy solution for your windows... lace

Either have custom made screens made which are quite inexpensive or have walk through screens affixed at the top.

Get the walk-through screens that attach with tension rods and/or velcro They cost about $10. If the bugs still get through, you could try hanging two up?

What about a fan that is aimed at the door opening? Kind of like the air curtain mentioned by JAMES COBALT, but a cute little oscillator or some such. It would not only keep bugs from flying in, but keep the air moving around, too. You could also try setting out bowls or jars of distilled white vinegar with a drop or two of dishwasing soap (ie, dawn) to attract the gnats and noseeums that do get in. The vinegar also helps with household odors :)

You might as well invest in a screen door now. The ones with a pneumatic slow-close feature are best with little kids around, nobody will get their fingers slammed. And you can order screens online made to any size, there are a bajillion places that will make them. We got the fancy '"invisible" mesh and it really is almost like it isn't there.

Yeah, the windows are prettier without them, but with the bugs it's not worth it. Take the screens off in the winter!

@LITTLEMISSSUNSHINE, keeping bugs out of a home is a problem all around the world, particularly in developing countries. Try googling "mosquito netting" and "malaria". Sheesh.

Hang strips of brightly colored cloth ribbons in your windows or doorways; I use thumbtacks. Invest in a variety of insect repellant essential oils. Regularly saturate each ribbon with drops of oil. The breeze in the openings will spread the scent both in and outside.
CEDARWOOD (Juniperus mexicana)
CITRONELLA (Cymbopagon nardus)
LEMONGRASS (Cymbopogon citratus)
PENNYROYAL (Mentha puleglum)
TEA TREE OIL ( Melaleuca alternifolia)
GERANIUM (Pelargonium graveolens)
CATNIP (Nepeta cataria) – Preliminary studies have shown catnip oil to be 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitos!
EUCALYPTUS OIL (Eucalyptus globulus) – Patch test before using on your skin. Keep out of mucus membranes.

Darn. I was hoping there would be a plethora of suggestions like this one: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/an-eco-friendly-and-safe-way-to-repel-flies-170971
I too have no screens partly because they were ugly and partly because one of my dog's hobbies is to scratch the slider door screens all to smithereens.
We use box fans when we are cooking but we mostly just suffer and think unkind thoughts about the bugs. It's kinda nice when a lizard wanders in though.

Sorry, my comment was a little snarky. Believe it or not it came from playfull jealousy after reading "Hollywood Hills". I didn't mean it to be mean or belittle the poster so I apologize for that. I would cover myself in honey stand in an open window to keep bugs from coming in if I had to.

To actually address the post, I think screens are the best option. I have casement windows in my house and the screens are on the inside (the windows open outwards). They are metal screens which I just personally like the look of better than the vinyl/ plastic or paint coated ones.

Also, I don't know what type of decor you have but mosquito net curtains might look nice, (nowadays they come in all sorts of colors) and you could just slide them closed when the window is open

***I would cover myself in honey stand in an open window to keep bugs from coming in if I could live there.

Also, I too was thinking of the idea of the air blower, but a quick and cheap fix would be to maybe put a floor fan at the edge.

I am not sure if this actually works but I have often seen at coffee shops and restaurants that leave their doors open in nice weather a ziploc bag with about an inch of water in it hanging above the door. I asked once and the said the reflection of the water confuses the bugs or something like that and they don't come in.

I heard the ziploc thing too but I haven't tried it. Which may be surprising because I live in Florida which surely is one of the bug capitals of the world?

When we first moved into the apartment every window was fitted with bug screens which totally ruined the gorgeous view of the garden. We work from home and always have the windows and door open because I love fresh air. We rarely use AC because of the high electricity usage.

Yes, bugs come in. But I'd rather have open windows. Mosquitoes come in at dusk every evening. We get the occasional bite but not often. The occasional bite is fine because it builds up your immunity to the venom or whatever it's called. Cruelly, I squish them if I see one on my skin.

If it was a problem, I'd plant mint under the windows because I've heard that keeps them away. But bugs are just a part of life that I've no objection to!

Replace your windows. This will bring them up to code and save you a bundle on heating and cooling....and it will give you screens.

What I have done is get screens made for the windows we use most for cross breezes, and leave them off the bigger view windows.

And sometimes I do put a fly trap outside, far from the house. If you have ever used those stinky traps from the hardware store, they work because basically they smell like something died after pooping itself a week ago. If you can hang one downwind without having to smell it (or your neighbors either), they work for a large area of flies.

If I'm not mistaken lace curtains were originally invented not necessarily to look pretty but to keep bugs out, like angelinethebaker said, they aren't 100% and your kids may or may not rip them down but they are a lot better than nothing.

Very interesting.

I was raised in Minnesota where the winters are cold. Later, living in the South, we had snow and ice and I learned that there were people chose not to own or wear winter coats because they were 'heavy' and 'uncomfortable', which is true, but I had never noticed it before. In Minnesota you wear winter clothes or you die.

I am feeling kind of the same way reading this. I can't imagine not having/ wanting screens on your windows & doors. Everything negative that people say is sort of true, still, it would never have occurred to me to not have screens to keep out the bugs - also birds, squirrels, neighborhood cats, raccoons,etc.

That said, all over Europe one sees streamers of ribbon or plastic hanging across doorways to keep out the bugs. I don't know how well they work, but they must help because everyone does it.

I've sprayed a rosemary & thyme non toxic bug spray (I found it at a local supermarket in the by the bug repellant) around the whole frame of my doors. Bugs won't come near it now! I used to have spiders cross the threshold all the time. I haven't seen any since - it's fantastic.

I don't have a screen door leading out to the roof top deck so got a spring tension rod, stuck it in the doorway, and hung a cheap ikea net curtains on it, and a couple of narrow (about 8 inches wide) fabric panels on the side for looks, with wider black cotton panels to draw across the doorway for privacy (skinny panel, wide panel, net, wide panel, skinny panel). It is easy to push the curtains around on the rod, depending on what I want covering the doorway. It even looks better in the winter time with the door closed. Sometimes I tie the net in a knot near the bottom to let the cats run in and out. Here are the curtains: http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/90111980/

The window in the hallway doesn't have a screen either so I have a long lace curtain in front of that window. The odd bug comes in (as does the neighbour's cat) but it doesn't happen that often.

@Vanilla, loved that lace link and the super cute blog!

But since the problem here is the door, something super cheap to try without a lot of fuss or expense, would be the thin draping that pools at the floor also mentioned above.

Won't solve the kid problem, but that sounds like a baby gate deal which unfortunately are a total pain in the...

Wow, view or no view, I can't imagine not having screens! We have a few windows without, where we put our air conditioners in the summer. We never open them otherwise. Our cats would probably go right out, and I don't even want to think about what might come in.

Some of the windows in our sunroom have retractable screens. They are mounted on the insides of the windows so you can pull them down when the windows are open, but they roll up when the windows are closed (sort of like roller blinds, but hidden in the frame).

I was going to suggest growing some thyme near the doors and windows that are left open. You can actually distill the thyme or brew thyme tea and spray it around the openings. We've had fewer bugs since I planted my herb garden on our patio. We also currently have that magnetic mesh screen door up at our door, but it's a pain and is as poor quality as others have described. I'm planning on replacing it with a better-looking, better functioning, home-made version that I'll create this summer when I have more time on my hands.

I'm really not understanding this question.

You want to keep out bugs and you are concerned about the safety of your family and you have babies/toddlers, why on God's green earth don't you just get screen doors?

I guess some of these other suggestions would at least partially work- but again- why on God's green earth don't you just get screen doors?

Dear Pi: Decor is a "problem" for everyone. First world or not. Look around.

I think it is not a problem that the kids crawl in and out, just that the bugs come in. I think it is great to live somewhere where kids can come and go and just be outside. Have to laugh at the image of the kid sized 'doggie door'. I want to know more about the herbal ideas. I know that the dryer sheet in the doorway had no effect on wasps or flies. Screen doors after the kids are bigger. Was going to say faster, but remembered how fast some can craw and scoot.

http://www.4us2be.com/health-fitness/natural-homemade-mosquito-repellent/

http://www.anniesremedy.com/chart_remedy.php?tag=insect_repellent

I think the stock photo used to illustrate this post has confused the issue. Bad choice, AT.

Bugs coming in open first-floor *windows* is an easy fix: flyscreen. This person wants to leave her *doors* open so that her kids can crawl in and out at will, right?

Cheapest/easiest fix would be those hanging plastic strips. Depends how bad your insect situation is, though. I live in Australia, and in summer here the flies are so bad that there's no way I'd *not* be putting screens on those doors. Kids'd just have to wait.

Suggestion: if you have a window that opens from top or bottom then put the adjustable screen in at the top. That way you can have air circulation, no bugs, and a view through your windows. The adjustable screens come in several heights...the 12" high one I bought at my hardware store only cost about $15. Same with the mesh magnet door...I agree that the attachment to the doorframe is poor but the thing works great once you install it with stronger nails or a rod across. What do you expect for $15 bucks?

I live in S Florida,we can have our door open in winter time .
I have a sheer white curtain panel from Target in the door opening.
Close the door and open the curtain.

What about a Venus Fly Trap plant on the window sill? It may help a little bit. There are other bug eating varieties too. I found some info here: http://www.springboardmagazine.com/science/carnivorousplants.htm

My mom used to plant some anti-mosquito plants on pots, and place them around near windows and entrances. I forgot the name of that specific plant she used to grow, but I found a link in the internet:

http://eartheasy.com/blog/2011/04/5-easy-to-grow-mosquito-repelling-plants/

I used to work for a screen door company. There are a number of options you can use. Removable screens, pull down screens.

A sheer curtain covering the window will deflect the bugs without keeping out the air. Or shutters like they used in the days before screens. Even sheers blinds.

Cafeterias install fans over the windows. Flying critters don't like moving air.

I understand you don't want to restrict air flow. Candles and plants will only do so much.

This may go against having the doors and windows open to get some fresh air, but having a fan blowing, does blow some insects away. Perhaps you could have one of those stand fans blowing air out the window?

I have some friends that have an outdoor fan on their outdoor patio to keep mosquitoes away. And it does help to some extent.

I love to watch movies with beautiful gardens in them, rambling roses crawling along open windows etc....in REALITY, I have to go with screens. I live in an apartment. Came here looking for solutions to tiny tiny bugs getting through the patio and window screens.

I have a patio garden. The building is literally surrounded by trees. Evergreen, pines, Maple, Ash. So close to the building and patio. Bugs are a major issue for me during garden season. Especially the ones that like to creep under the patio door and creep across my floors and even find corners to breed. It's hideous. Save the gorgeous views for the movies.

I didn't always have a problem with the tiny gnats who can get through the screens. But I think when I took down my sheer curtains in the bedroom is when they became a problem. Put them back up. Will see if that helps. Also had the owner send maintenance last year to caulk along the windows and patio door to seal places where time has worn away the sealing. It's the end of April and the bugs are just beginning to come out. They love my patio. Birds are great at keeping down the bug population. So I don't want toxic solutions.

I live in the Midwest. The only relief from bugs is late Fall, Winter and early Spring. Summer. Forget it. Can't imagine open doors and windows without screens. Birds, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits all roam through my urban neighborhood and garden. Thanks for all the great comments. Especially the herb garden. I grow flowers. I don't grow veggies because they attract too many little animals and come with a whole set of new pests and problems. But I was planning on trying some herbs out there and always heard Rosemary and Thyme repel bugs.

Old folks back in the day used fans in the window as someone said and sheer curtains because of the movement in the breeze. They indeed don't like moving air. I will have to buy a few fans. Tired of my patio door being closed all Summer.

I hope you decide on the screens at least. You're giving an awful lot of bugs a source for food and breeding when they enter your home. Many are looking for moisture too.

Some great suggestions in the comments. I wrote them down. Thanks everyone.