Kill Head Lice By Understanding The Facts
To defeat head lice, you need to have a clear understanding of what you are up against before you start. These pests can attack a person or family anytime, anyplace, and at any age. They do not discriminate. They are simply looking for opportunities where they can find a clean scalp to reside on.
Lice are a human parasite and must have blood from the human scalp to survive. They feed through the scalp and lay their nits (lice eggs) on the hair shaft. They generally live for about a month but can only survive off the scalp for one to two days. They do not live on animals.
Lice can not jump or fly. They are passed simply through close personal contact. They are most often found on children aged 3-12 and more often on girls than boys. They can easily be passed in close group situations such as schools, churches, camps, sports, or any social gathering where individuals come into close personal contact.
Lice have three life stages: the nit (lice eggs), nymph (young louse), and adult. Nits are small, yellow or tan, and oval shaped. The adult female lays her eggs on the shaft of the hair as close to the scalp as possible. After hatching, the nymph grows through three exoskeletons in a week or so before it is considered an adult. The adult louse eats multiple times per day and the female can often lay 5 or 6 nits per day. An adult is generally tan and the size of a sesame seed.
Lice and nits are often mistaken for dandruff. They can easily be differentiated by rubbing them between your fingers. Dandruff has no feeling, while you can feel the nit shells between your fingers.
Generally, lice are transferred by direct personal contact but can also be transferred by secondary objects. Since they can live off the body for one to two days, clothing, bedding, upholstered furniture, and even automobiles can act as transfer hosts. Louse and nits are often found in hair care items and clothing, particularly hats and scarfs. They can even be transferred by mobile phones and music players. All items that come into contact with the head are potential transfer points.
By understanding their life cycles, transfer options, and basic needs, a family can quickly act to control all these areas. By minimizing the opportunity of transfer and killing those that have been found, you can rid your family of these parasites in as efficient manner as possible.
Lice are a human parasite and must have blood from the human scalp to survive. They feed through the scalp and lay their nits (lice eggs) on the hair shaft. They generally live for about a month but can only survive off the scalp for one to two days. They do not live on animals.
Lice can not jump or fly. They are passed simply through close personal contact. They are most often found on children aged 3-12 and more often on girls than boys. They can easily be passed in close group situations such as schools, churches, camps, sports, or any social gathering where individuals come into close personal contact.
Lice have three life stages: the nit (lice eggs), nymph (young louse), and adult. Nits are small, yellow or tan, and oval shaped. The adult female lays her eggs on the shaft of the hair as close to the scalp as possible. After hatching, the nymph grows through three exoskeletons in a week or so before it is considered an adult. The adult louse eats multiple times per day and the female can often lay 5 or 6 nits per day. An adult is generally tan and the size of a sesame seed.
Lice and nits are often mistaken for dandruff. They can easily be differentiated by rubbing them between your fingers. Dandruff has no feeling, while you can feel the nit shells between your fingers.
Generally, lice are transferred by direct personal contact but can also be transferred by secondary objects. Since they can live off the body for one to two days, clothing, bedding, upholstered furniture, and even automobiles can act as transfer hosts. Louse and nits are often found in hair care items and clothing, particularly hats and scarfs. They can even be transferred by mobile phones and music players. All items that come into contact with the head are potential transfer points.
By understanding their life cycles, transfer options, and basic needs, a family can quickly act to control all these areas. By minimizing the opportunity of transfer and killing those that have been found, you can rid your family of these parasites in as efficient manner as possible.
Source...