It is possible to have a bee/mosquito free greenhouse?

East Hampton, United States

Im severly allergic to bees and mildly allergic to mosquitos (allergic, not just sensitive). Both insects come between me and my dream garden every year. This year I bought a greenhouse in hopes of being able to achieve a vegetable garden, with a few fruits and flowers.

My greenhouse has two sliding doors and 4 vents which when closed are very well sealed. I know to control temperature and humidity I am going to need to open the vents. Is there anyway to deter bees and mosquitos from entering through the vents? Are there natural irritants like essentail oils that I can use? Or a plant to plant around the greenhouse that will help deter them? I dont want to use pesticides. I do plan to tediously hand pollinate my plants and to hang a bug zapper.

Is there anything I am over looking? Any other prevention methods?

Dublin, CA(Zone 9a)

I think your best bet to keep as much stuff as possible out of the greenhouse will be to put screens over the vents. That way the air can get through but the bugs can't--similar to how you keep them out of your house.

Magnolia, TX(Zone 9a)

Citronella plants for mosquitoes, but in honesty u might just want to spray with off before goin outside, mason bees do not sting but are not smart enuff to keep out of the zapper poor things. Gardening without a challenge isn't much fun., I also am allergic to skeeters, but if I don't claw the bites with plant blood and dirt under my nails, I can avoid the weeping hives and prednisone shots, bees, skeeters, snakes- you are giving them everything they ever wanted in life, chuckl

Prairieville, LA(Zone 9a)

You can also purchase removable door screens to cover the inside of the sliding doors.

https://www.buymagicmesh.com/?tag=im|sm|go|gn&a_aid=011&a_bid=d330313e

Ayrshire Scotland, United Kingdom

Old net curtains will help if tacked over the openers, I find mosquitoes are never as bad IF there is not a lot of stagnant water laying around the trays or saucers within my greenhouse, as for myself being protected, over here we use Avon Skin So Soft, It smells nice, keeps your skin soft and prevents that leather look some folk have with too much sun, but don't know if it scares the bugs off or when you have it on they stick to it before they get the chance to bight, I am very allergic to the bites of most bugs and come out in huge raised spots that in bed you can scratch till they bleed, I get stuff from Doctor when really bad (Antihistamine) as for those and bee's which I love, you either lock yourself in the house or you cover yourself up with light long sleeved tops for when the time of day these bugs are at their worst. I would hate folks to hang traps up to kill off all the bees and flying insects, we are now struggling to help keep those busy insects (Bee's) alive as they are being destroyed by disease and hives are emptying so very fast.
Good Luck. WeeNel.

As already said, you'll a net. Even if you plant lavender and lemon eucalyptus and citronella, mosquitoes will still be around, and bees,too. So to stop them, you'll need a mesh. As for the mosquito bites, here in Florida those pests are really bad. I hate harsh chemicals like DEET, and also tried the Avon Skin So Soft. Last one helped a little bit, but only if you kinda soak in it and that makes you just oily, and still getting bitten after a short time. Now I use Repel Lemon Eucalyptus and that stuff uses the citronella oil from the Eucalyptus and it really works! Both thumbs up. Also I have a small Lemon Eucalyptus Tree now, which smells so much more like a lemon than my lemon tree....

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