# Mosquitos bite \*through\* my jeans when I have short sleeves. Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311 "2004-07-09T16:39:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/1 "2004-07-09T16:39:54Z")
All this summer, whenever I’ve been outdoors in an area with a decent amount of trees, I’ve been bitten multiple times by mosquitos. I’ll get a couple on my hands, maybe one or two on an elbow or upper arm… but every single time I’ve been multiple-bitten, I’ve had at least two, and sometimes up to six, bites on my hips and behind (mostly hips). I’m wearing jeans, which is a thicker cloth, I’d think, than my thin summer t-shirts. And heck, I wear short sleeves with most of my arms bare and exposed. So why do these mosquitos take the time and effort to bite me through a layer of denim? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/2 "2004-07-10T06:35:41Z")
Strange, very strange. Are you sure it is mosquitos biting and not some other bug that has crawled up your leg? Personally, mosquitos hate to bite me. The other night I was out cooking streaks and 13 mosquitos were sitting on a wall withing a foot of me (not counting all the ones flying around). Not a bite, except I think one tried to bite thru my shirt and then decided she’d (only the females bite)\* made a mistake. \*The males buzz to attract females, so if you hear them buzzing don’t worry, but if there’s no buzzing **WATCH OUT!**. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/3 "2004-07-10T12:08:15Z")
I didn’t know that mosquitos could bite through jeans. But assuming they can, there may be relatively simple answer for you - awareness. Given that you’re being attacked by mosquitos, you’re going to notice the ones closer to your head (you hear them, or see them) and you’ll feel the ones on your thin shirt, so you most likely shoo them away. You probably won’t notice a stealth mosquito, who’s smart enough to sneak up from behind and land on your jeans. ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/4 "2004-07-10T12:38:38Z")
Just a guess, Since all the advice I’ve seen for reducing mosquito bites includes reducing exposed skin area, I assume they really do prefer an easy bite. According to pictures and micrographs on the web, the proboscis of most species that bite humans don’t seem long enough to easily penetrate 1/8" of denim and then deep enough into the skin to draw the blood they want. Of course, there may be animal-biting species that can (and may prefer to) bite through dense fur, and I’m not sure what it would take to interest them in biting a person Since it only occurs in areas with a fair amount of vegetation, is it possible that it’s some other insect? When I have that kind of bite pattern -often particularly heavy a the “belt line” I always attribute it to bugs that aren’t really interested in biting me, but do it out of ‘self-defense’ if trapped between my clothing and skin. Was your shirt tucked in? Is the pattern of bites you see consistent with small bugs falling/landing on your shirt and getting trapped in your pants as they climb down (In your pants leg, they’d have more free room, and not be pinned between clothing and skin. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/5 "2004-07-10T15:48:53Z")
Hmm… Well, I don’t think that the mosquito/whatever other bug it might be climbed up from my pant leg or down from my waistband, because I have the trendy-ish girl jeans that are tighter and stretchy; they’d be squished between the fabric and my skin before they got to my hips. 😃 The jeans I wear, since they’re the stretchy ones, are also less thick; they’re still thicker than a t-shirt but definitely thinner than normal, non-stretchy jeans. I suppose it’s possible that it could be another bug. I simply assumed they were from mosquitos because the bites look and itch the same way. It’s strange, because I didn’t really used to get bitten very much, but suddenly this year they’re _lovin’_ me! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/6 "2004-07-10T16:27:51Z")
IIRC [dark colors](http://www.netl.doe.gov/coolscience/res_archive/q&a_469.html) , & esp. dark blue for some reason seem to attract mosquitoes. > [@](#): > > And mosquitoes are most active at dawn, early evening, and dusk. They like to feed in low and romantic lighting conditions. Also, dark colors attract mosquitoes and so do heavy perfumes. Dress accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/7 "2004-07-10T23:43:59Z")
Are you sure they are mosquito bites and not chiggers? ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/8 "2004-07-10T23:54:35Z")
Science World in Vancouver has ads around town saying that mosquitoes like the colour blue, but since I haven’t been to Science World, I can’t tell you why they believe that. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/9 "2004-07-11T00:00:20Z")
[QUOTE=kniz] only the females bite [QUOTE] What do the males eat?? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/10 "2004-07-11T02:55:31Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > > [@kniz](#): > > > > only the females bite > > What do the males eat?? As long as it wasn’t humans, I guess the researchers didn’t think it was important enough to pass along. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/11 "2004-07-11T03:04:46Z")
[indent][indent][indent][indent]:mad: [sup] **O.K. so I did a google for you.** [/sup] [/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent] > [@](#): > > [**ask.yahoo.com**](http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20011017.html) > Few people realize that mosquitoes rely on sugar as their main source of energy. Both male and female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar, fruit juices and liquids that ooze from plants. The sugar is burned as fuel for flight and is replenished on a daily basis. Blood is reserved for egg production and is imbibed less frequently. [indent][indent][indent][indent]😉 [sup] **Happy?** [/sup][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent] ---
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquitos-bite-through-my-jeans-when-i-have-short-sleeves-why/254311/12 "2004-07-13T22:28:08Z")
They do love sugar…As I am a diabetic…I get nailed by the mosquitos even though the distance from the garage to the house is only 50 feet. And I can attest to the fact that they they probe right through my shirts or long trousers including sweats. Deet spray works when I spray it on all my clothes and skin.