Bed bugs do not eat clothes. They feed exclusively on blood, using needle-like mouthparts designed to pierce skin and draw a meal. They have no ability to chew, bite through, or digest fabric of any kind. If you’re finding holes in your clothing, a different pest is almost certainly responsible.
That said, bed bugs have a close and troubling relationship with your wardrobe. They hide in clothing, travel in it, and lay eggs on it. Understanding what bed bugs actually do with your clothes (and what’s really eating them, if something is) can save you time, money, and a lot of frustration.
Why Bed Bugs Can’t Eat Fabric
Bed bugs belong to a group called “true bugs,” all of which have piercing and sucking mouthparts. Think of their mouth like a pair of tiny hypodermic needles. They insert these into your skin, inject saliva that prevents clotting, and suck blood. That’s all the equipment they have. There are no jaws, no mandibles for chewing, and no digestive system capable of breaking down fibers. Blood is their only food source at every life stage, from newly hatched nymph to full-grown adult.
So if you’re seeing damage to your clothes and suspect bed bugs, the bugs themselves aren’t the culprit. They may be present in your home, but the fabric damage has a different source entirely.
What Actually Chews Holes in Clothes
The most common fabric-destroying insects are clothes moths and carpet beetles. Both feed on keratin, a protein found in animal-based materials like wool, silk, leather, fur, and feathers. Clothes moth larvae chew off individual fibers and leave behind a trail of damage, often in dark, protected spots: under collars, inside cuffs, or on garments stored in the back of a closet.
If the damaged item is made of cotton or synthetic material, the cause is less likely to be an insect at all. Snags from belt buckles, manufacturing defects, and normal wear are far more common explanations for small holes in plant-based or synthetic fabrics. The one exception is heavily soiled cotton. A favorite gym shirt with built-up sweat and body oil in the armpits can attract clothes moth larvae, which feed on the organic residue and leave holes behind.
Identifying the right pest matters because the treatment strategies are completely different. Bed bug protocols won’t solve a clothes moth problem, and vice versa.
How Bed Bugs Use Your Clothes
While bed bugs don’t eat clothes, they absolutely use them. Clothing piles on the floor near a bed make excellent hiding spots. Bed bugs prefer dark, tight spaces close to where you sleep, and a heap of laundry checks every box. They’ll also tuck themselves into shoes, backpacks, and duffel bags.
Unlike body lice, bed bugs don’t live on clothing while you wear it. They hide in clothes that are stationary, waiting until nighttime to crawl out and feed. The real danger with clothing is transportation. Bed bugs hitchhike in luggage, laundry bags, and folded garments, which is one of the primary ways infestations spread between homes, hotel rooms, and apartments. You can also spot their presence on fabrics through brown or reddish-rust colored blood spots on sheets, pillowcases, and clothing.
Treating Clothes During an Infestation
If you’re dealing with bed bugs, laundering your clothing is a critical step, not because the bugs are damaging the fabric, but because clothes can harbor live bugs and eggs that reinfest your space after treatment.
A loosely filled dryer set on high heat kills all bed bug life stages, including eggs, in 30 minutes. That’s the single most effective tool you have for clothing. You don’t necessarily need to wash items first. Running them through the dryer on high heat is what does the work. After drying, you can wash and iron as normal.
For delicate items that can’t handle high heat, freezing is an alternative. At 0°F (a typical household freezer temperature), all life stages die after three days. If you’re unsure of your freezer’s exact temperature, leave items sealed inside for two weeks to be safe. Flash-freezing at -15°F kills eggs instantly, but most home freezers don’t reach that temperature.
Handling and Bagging
How you move clothing matters as much as how you treat it. Before carrying potentially infested clothes through your home, seal them in plastic trash bags. This prevents bugs from dropping off and spreading to new areas. The same applies if you’re heading to a laundromat: keep bags sealed during transport and reseal them before placing them back in your vehicle.
Never leave potentially infested clothing or bags next to a dumpster or donation bin where someone else might pick them up. If you’re discarding items, bag them and place them directly into a closed trash container.
After traveling, avoid unpacking luggage in your bedroom. Open bags outdoors, in a garage, or in a bathtub where you can easily spot any bugs. Transfer washable clothing directly into a trash bag and then into the dryer. Luggage itself can be double-bagged in trash bags and sealed with tape or knotted shut. Do not spray clothing, luggage, or your skin with pesticides.
Keeping Clean Clothes Safe
One common mistake during an infestation is piling freshly laundered clothing on the floor or a countertop near unwashed items. Bed bugs can crawl out of dirty laundry and reinfest the clean pile within minutes. Once clothes have been through the dryer, store them in sealed bags or bins until the infestation is fully resolved. Backpacks, duffel bags, and similar items can often go through the dryer on high heat without damage, so don’t overlook those as potential hiding spots.
Carefully inspect the clothing you’re wearing after handling anything you suspect is infested. Bugs can crawl onto you during sorting and bagging, and you can unknowingly carry them to other rooms or even other buildings.