A mosquito’s mouthparts can easily penetrate most thin fabrics.
Borkin Vadim/Shutterstock
By experimenting with patterns made on a knitting machine, we developed a thin fabric that is resistant to mosquito bites.
John Beckman of Auburn University in Alabama set out to create anti-bite clothing after the clothes he bought for canoe trips didn’t protect him. “I was eaten alive,” he says.
Beckman said clothing thicker than the length of a mosquito’s proboscis is less likely to be bitten, but it’s not suitable for warmer climates where mosquitoes typically thrive.
His team started by testing the bite…
