The warm summer months may be the coolest season to spend time outdoors. But it isn’t often the rosiest period given the influx of mosquito population. Before these fuckers look to settle down for the autumn, they’ll stop at absolutely nothing to suck as much blood as they can out of you.
It turns out that it’s not just how you smell or how much heat you produce that attract these annoying biters. They can as easily even bite through some of the clothes that you wear to outdoor events and indoor activities.
The question now is:
Can Mosquitoes Bite Through Clothes
What kind of clothes can mosquitoes bite easily? And what kind of clothing should your wear in the season where mosquito bites are a commonplace?
Let’s find out.
How much protection do fabrics offer against mosquito bites?
Knowing how much protection different fabrics offer against mosquito bites will make it easy for you to choose your clothes wisely during the summer months.
| Â | Strong Protection | Medium Protection | Poor Protection |
| Nylon ripstop | Yes | Â | Â |
| Velvet | Yes | Â | Â |
| Denim | Yes | Â | Â |
| Tight knit wool | Yes | Â | Â |
| Polyester | Â | Yes | Â |
| Silk cotton blend | Â | Yes | Â |
| Gingham | Â | Yes | Â |
| Voile | Â | Â | Yes |
| Gauze | Â | Â | Yes |
| Spandex | Â | Â | Yes |
As you can see from the table above, any clothing made of voile, spandex, or gauze offers the least protection from mosquito bites.
Clothes made of polyester, silk cotton blend, and gingham offers medium protection, so you can enhance your resistance to mosquitos by applying lotion with organic bug repellent scents or bug spray with DEET.
Can mosquitoes bite through socks?
As much as socks are thick, they aren’t strong enough to prevent mosquito bites. The thread used to make them have many spaces in between, which the six sharp mouthparts of mosquitoes can easily penetrate.
Moreover, socks tend to be considerably tight. So when mosquitoes poke through the spaces between the threads, they can easily reach the underlying skin, bite, and suck as much blood from you as they can.
Can mosquitoes bite through jeans?
The consensus is that mosquitoes can’t bite through jeans so they tend to find easier targets. That’s because jeans are made of denim, which is a thick fabric that the mouthparts of a mosquito can’t easily penetrate.
Because mosquitoes can’t bite through tightly woven fabrics, such clothes as jeans are suitable for children
Why do mosquito bites itch?. Instead of spraying them with bug repellents containing DEET, consider dressing them from head to toes. The thick fabric alone will provide them with the best defense against mosquitoes.
We recommend going for lighter denim. So you shouldn’t shy away from wearing brighter jeans, mostly because mosquitoes also hate bright colors.
Related reading How to get rid of mosquito bites on feet
Can mosquitoes bite through tights?
Don’t wear tight fitting and thin clothes in the summer months because mosquitoes can easily penetrate through them to your skin.
If you think about it, mosquitoes can bite through tights because the fabric used to make them is thin. Not to mention that it tends to hold your skin tightly. As such, they don’t offer any protection from mosquito bites.
Mosquitoes may or may not bite through yoga pants. If wear loose yoga pants, the space between the fabric and your skin fills up with air, making it difficult for mosquitoes to find your skin and feast on you.
Tight yoga pants, on the other hand, will not offer you any protection. Since the fabric used in making these pants is thinner than the one used in making leggings, you’re at more risk of mosquito bites if you wear tight yoga pants.
If you must wear tights, leggings, and tight yoga pants, make sure you apply some mosquito repellent lotions to protect yourself from bites.
Frequently asked questions
What fabrics offer the most protection against mosquitoes?
Mosquitoes can’t bite through clothes made from nylon ripstop, denim, tight knit wools, and velvet fabrics.
Wear clothes made of these fabrics in the warm summer months and you’ll always be on the safe side.
What type of clothes shouldn’t I wear to protect against mosquitoes?
Don’t wear clothes whose fabrics are easy for the mosquitoes’ mouthparts to penetrate. Summer isn’t the best time to wear clothes made from spandex, gauze, or voile.
Even the ones made of fabrics such as silk cotton blend and polyester won’t offer the best protection against mosquitoes.
Does the color of my clothing really matter?
Yes, color is important, which is why we recommend wearing light colored clothes instead of dark ones.
Since mosquitoes are only attracted to dark colors, as they hold more heat, they’ll hardly notice you if wear light-colored clothing such as yellow.
What can I do to make my clothing mosquito repellent?
An effective way to make your clothes mosquito repellent is to apply bug sprays. Look for sprays containing DEET and spray on the clothes.
Set the clothes aside for about 30 seconds for the DEET chemical to soak in. You can then wear the clothes, go and enjoy the outdoors, and never have to worry about bug bites.
Final Words
The takeaway on whether mosquitoes can bite through clothes is this:
The bugs will always find their way to the underlying skin if they can bite through certain fabrics. Unfortunately, it’s challenging to wear in a certain way all the time. And obviously it would be silly to be in an astronauts’ suit all day every day in the summer season.
So if you must wear clothes made of thin fabrics, and sometimes you will, it’s best to follow the best practices that keep mosquitoes as far away from you as possible.
You can wear bright clothes to scare away mosquitoes. This technique is effective because mosquitoes often shun light and only prefer to hide in dark spots.
If you have to, then use bug sprays. These are important because, while they won’t kill all the mosquitoes in your surroundings, they’ll make sure none bites you.
There are even certain foods that you can eat to repel mosquitoes from biting you. For example, garlic and onion are good because they produce a scent that’s toxic to the bugs.
If you like, you can even apply lavender essential oil on your skin, which is quite effective in repelling bugs.
Related reading How to prevent mosquito bites while sleeping at home
