How Mosquitoes Bite Through Clothes
WouterBesides being a nuisance, mosquitoes are also responsible for spreading diseases. Luckily, there are certain types of clothes that help prevent mosquito bites.
The most common type of clothing to wear in order to protect yourself from mosquito bites is long sleeves. You can also wear light colors, such as white, gray, or blue.
Mosquitoes prefer to attack exposed skin. They use their proboscis to penetrate the skin and drink blood. It is a needle-like mouth part with six thin stylets.
Mosquitoes’ mouth parts can penetrate thin fabrics, especially close-knit weaves. They can bite through thicker materials, but this is not as easy. The EPA recommends wearing long pants outdoors to reduce the chance of a mosquito bite.
Another type of clothes that can be used to help prevent mosquito bites is a scarf. It should be long enough to drape around your neck and head. This way, mosquitoes cannot attack the area around your ears or neck.
You can also spray your clothes with repellent. DEET is a good choice for this. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
Lastly, be sure to avoid dark clothing. You should also avoid areas where there are a lot of bees. A video shows a mosquito trying to bite through a loose netting.
The best protection from mosquitoes is to use clothes that are made of thick, dense material. These types of clothes have larger pores, which make it more difficult for mosquitoes to bite through. You should also wear long sleeved shirts and pants.
