Bed bugs do not bite through clothing. This common misconception stems from how these pests interact with garments. While their feeding apparatus cannot penetrate fabric, their behavior can lead to bites on seemingly covered skin. Understanding their feeding habits and how bites manifest clarifies why bites occur even when wearing clothes.
How Bed Bugs Bite
Bed bugs possess specialized mouthparts, known as a proboscis, adapted for piercing skin and drawing blood. This proboscis consists of two stylets that form a feeding tube and a salivary channel. When a bed bug bites, it inserts these needle-like stylets directly into the skin to locate a capillary and feed on blood. This feeding mechanism requires direct skin contact, as their mouthparts are not strong or long enough to pierce most clothing materials.
Bed bugs inject an anesthetic and an anticoagulant into the skin during a bite. This numbs the area and prevents blood from clotting, allowing them to feed for several minutes, typically 3 to 10 minutes, often without the host realizing they are being bitten. They prefer to feed on exposed skin, making areas like the face, neck, arms, and legs common targets.
Factors Influencing Bite Location
People assume bed bugs bite through clothes because they wake up with bites on seemingly covered areas. Bed bugs are attracted to body heat and the carbon dioxide exhaled by a sleeping person. Rather than biting through fabric, these insects crawl under loose-fitting clothing or through gaps in pajamas to reach bare skin. If clothing shifts during sleep or has loose openings, bed bugs can navigate underneath to find an accessible feeding spot.
Even thin or mesh-like materials allow bed bugs to slip through and access the skin underneath. Bites on skin under clothing indicate direct skin access, not fabric penetration. Wearing tighter-fitting pajamas might reduce bites by limiting skin access, but it is not a complete preventative measure.
Identifying Bed Bug Bites
Bed bug bites appear as small, red, itchy bumps, often resembling mosquito bites or small pimples. A distinguishing characteristic is their appearance in clusters or a linear pattern, often called a “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” arrangement, as a single bed bug may bite multiple times during one feeding session. These bites occur on areas of the body exposed during sleep, such as the arms, neck, face, and legs.
The reaction to bed bug bites varies significantly among individuals. Some people develop noticeable welts within hours, while others might not show any signs for several days, and some may not react at all. On lighter skin tones, bites appear pink or red, while on darker skin tones, they might look brown, violet, or skin-colored.