Bed bugs are tricky creatures. They are intelligent enough to recognize patterns. They also know when to back away if a host starts moving while they are trying to feed. With these traits you may wonder what else they are capable of. This is especially true if you have or suspect you have an infestation. Can bed bugs bite through clothes? We will explore the answer to that question in this article!
How Bed Bugs Feed
While we are exploring the idea of whether bed bugs can bite through clothes, we should look at how they feed. They have an elongated beak which helps them to pierce the skin of their host. Their saliva has an anesthetic property, so you do not feel it when they bite.
Only after the bites have happened and the bed bug is gone do you start to itch. Bed bugs can feed an impressive amount of time around three minutes to ten minutes. Once they have gotten their fill they leave and go back to the hiding places they have designated for themselves.
Biting Through Clothes
Bed bugs can pierce skin with their beaks, they do not have beaks powerful enough to bite through clothing. With this in mind bed bugs typically go for exposed areas of skin. However, bed bugs will crawl under clothing if it is loose enough to allow them to do so. If you spot bites under your clothes and wondered how they got there since the skin was not exposed this would be your answer! .
Identifying Potential Infestation
If you have bites and you suspect that bed bugs could be the potential culprits, you can check for signs of infestation a few ways. The first way is to check your bed and other furniture for any dark spots. You can also check around the edge of your mattress for eggs, eggshells, or their shed skin. If you find these chances, are you are dealing with them, and you will want to treat right away.
How To Treat Infestation
Once you spot the signs of potential infestation you will want to check your clothing. To get rid of any potential bed bugs in your clothes you would want to first seal them in a plastic bag. Keep this bag away from any areas that can potentially become infested. One suggestion is storing them outside until you can treat and clean them. Once you are ready to wash them use the highest hot water setting you can and dump the entire sealed bag of clothing in. Once they have been washed you would want to use the highest heat setting on your dryer as well. High heat is effective in killing them and you can prevent reinfestation. Also, there are some over the counter products that are said to be effective in treatment when washing clothing with suspected infestation.
What Next…
We learned a lot about bed bugs and their beaks. We know they cannot pierce clothing but can crawl under loose clothing. Also, we learned that there are effective treatment methods for clothes that are suspected to harbor bed bugs. If you feel your problem is severe and you cannot handle it on your own a professional exterminator is an excellent option!
