Clothing can significantly reduce mosquito bites, but effectiveness depends on fabric type, thickness, weave, fit, and color. Loose-fitting, tightly woven, light-colored clothing provides the best protection.
If you've been told to wear long sleeves and pants to avoid mosquito bites but still gotten bitten through your shirt, you already know that not all clothing will give you the protection that you hope for when it comes to mosquitoes. And it’s always annoying to find that out the hard way.
Mosquitoes are able to bite through fabric because their needle-like proboscis is small enough to fit through the weave. Thin, stretchy, or loosely woven fabrics like standard cotton T-shirts offer little in the way of resistance. A mosquito can bite through a fitted cotton sleeve almost as easily as it can bite exposed skin. Thicker, more tightly woven fabrics like denim, nylon ripstop, or treated outdoor clothing make it physically harder for the proboscis to slip through the weave.
Fit matters as much as fabric, as unfortunately, tight clothing presses against the skin, giving a mosquito a stable surface to bite through. Loose-fitting clothing makes it to where the proboscis can't reach skin even if it penetrates the weave. A baggy long-sleeve linen shirt provides more protection than a fitted athletic top made of the same material.
Color also plays a role in how visible you are to mosquitoes. Mosquitoes locate hosts partly through visual contrast, and they're more attracted to dark colors. Black, navy, and dark red clothing makes you more visible to mosquitoes at close range. Light colors like khaki, white, and pale blue are harder for them to see.
That said, if you’re not a fan of mosquitoes dictating your fashion choices, you can always treat your clothes with permethrin. It’s an EPA-registered insect repellent that can be applied to clothing and gear. Mosquitoes and ticks that land on permethrin-treated fabric are controlled on contact. The treatment survives multiple washes and is widely used by outdoor professionals and the military.
For Boston Metro South homeowners who want to spend time outside without dressing for an expedition, Mosquito Squad of Boston Metro South's barrier treatments reduce the mosquito population across your property so there are simply fewer of them trying to bite—regardless of what you're wearing.
