Sometimes you think you’ve done everything to protect yourself, but you still end up with mosquito bites. Why is this happening?

The answer could come down to the clothes you’re wearing. You might think you’re safe wearing leggings down to your ankles, high socks, and a long-sleeved shirt, but you still end up with mosquito bites. How are mosquitoes able to find a way in?

Can A Mosquito Bite Through Clothes?

Many of us have wondered this at one point or another, and unfortunately, the answer is yes, mosquitoes can bite through clothes. You might think that mosquitoes landing on your shirt or pants won’t be able to get to your skin, but they are actually able to bite us through the fabric of many types of material that we commonly wear. This is because mosquitoes have a needle-like proboscis that can slip through tiny gaps.

A mosquito’s proboscis is an intricate system of long, pointed tubes extending from its face in place of a mouth. This is the tool that a mosquito uses to pierce our skin, draw our blood, and exchange it with saliva and chemicals. Being extremely thin, a mosquito’s proboscis can reach our skin through many kinds of fabrics, including:

• Silk
• Cotton
• Linen
• Rayon
• Spandex, and more

Mosquitoes can even bite through our jeans, but will usually choose not to try to breach denim in favor of an easier place to draw blood.

Mosquito Repellent Clothes

Some people believe that mosquitoes won’t be able to draw blood through leggings or yoga pants, but these kinds of materials actually make the mosquito’s job easier because of how close they are to the skin. The mosquito already has no trouble getting past the material, so although it’s not preferable to them, it’s almost as easy for them as drawing blood from exposed skin.

So what clothing works best to prevent mosquito bites? Here are three ways you can dress to make yourself less of a target:

1. Wear loose-fitting clothing. This technique allows the clothing to sit further away from your skin, giving the mosquito a smaller chance of finding an easy access point.
2. Choose tightly-woven fabrics, such as polyester, nylon, and corduroy. These not be your top choice for summer clothes, but materials with very close weaves are a deterrent to mosquitoes, and they will likely try to bite you instead on any exposed skin they can find, or find someone else to feed on.
3. Apply insect repellent to your clothes. Products like DEET can be sprayed directly onto your clothing to ward off pests. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label when using any kind of bug spray.

Best Way to Repel Mosquitoes

When you feel like you’ve tried everything and you’re still ridden with mosquito bites, it’s time to contact your local pest control company. An overwhelming amount of mosquitoes in the area could be your real problem, so a professional mosquito extermination specialist can come assess your yard to eliminate factors that could be attracting them, like standing water. Contact us at Heron Home & Outdoor today for a free quote!