Can Bed Bugs Penetrate Clothing?
WouterOne of the most common questions regarding bedbugs is, “Can bed bugs penetrate clothing?” The answer is no. Although bedbugs can enter the skin through the mouthparts, they don’t have the ability to pierce clothing. Because their mandibles are very weak, they tend to break the surface of the skin as they try to penetrate it. While the common bedbug doesn’t have the ability to chew through most fabrics, bedbugs found in tropical climates can reach through thin clothing.
These insects are oval and small, so they can easily squeeze through fabric. Unlike other pests, they cannot hide in the skin, so you should wear tight clothing. Bedbugs cannot penetrate more than six or eight feet away from the bed. However, if they do find you, they will bite through the skin.
While they cannot bite through clothing, they are attracted to the warmth of the human body and the carbon dioxide from the human body. If they’re hungry, they’ll pierce your skin with a thin, sharp beak called a proboscis. Once they’re done feeding, they will stay under the body.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that these pests don’t prefer live hosts. This means that they can survive in clothing for six months or more, if they aren’t disturbed. The bugs usually prefer areas where there is little human activity. Therefore, they prefer to live in dark places where they are unlikely to be disturbed.
