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• What are head lice?
• How do people get head lice?
• How do I spot head lice?

Head lice are greyish-white, tiny flat-backed insects about 1 to 2 mm in length that live on the hair and scalp of human beings (their hosts).

Lice

• Have strong legs and claws that help them hold on to strands of hair
• Feed on the blood of their hosts
• Need a warm environment (about 30 ^oC) to survive
• Can only survive for about 48 hours at room temperature
• Are unable to fly or jump and are not found on any household pets
• Female lice lay eggs, which are referred to as nits
• Attach to hair close to the scalp with a cement-like substance
• Are deposited in a halo pattern around the temples, above the ears or at the nape of the neck
• Are brownish in colour when live (empty nits appear whitish)

Nits
• Attach to hair close to the scalp with a cement-like substance
• Are deposited in a halo pattern around the temples, above the ears or at the nape of the neck
• Are brownish in colour when live (empty nits appear whitish)

Understanding the louse life cycle
In order to successfully identify and get rid of an infestation it is important to understand the life cycle of the louse.

The life cycle of the louse from nit to adult to nit may
take as few as 17 days


1		The adult female louse lays nits
2		The nits take about 6 to 9 days to hatch into nymphs.
3		Nymphs take another 7-10 days to become adults.
4		The adult period lasts about 20 days, during which the female louse lays 5 or more eggs per day on average.

Breaking the louse life cycle means killing newly hatched
nymphs before they can lay eggs.

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Head lice are transmitted mainly through close head to head contact. This is why they increase so rapidly if introduced into an elementary school environment where children are working and playing in groups.

Head lice may also be transmitted by sharing personal items such as combs,brushes, towels, earphones, hats, stuffed toys, pillows and clothing.

It is important to get rid of lice as soon as possible so that other members of the family or close associates may avoid infestation.

Head lice are not related in any way to cleanliness and anyone can become infested by them. They are as easily transmitted as the common cold.

The most common sign of head lice is persistent itching, especially around the ears.

You can also examine the head for nits by parting the hair in narrow, vertical sections with a comb or toothpick.

In severe cases the glands of the neck and underarms may be swollen

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