How To Prevent Head Lice
by pest expert Matthew S. Hess, 05/20/2024
Summer is passing by quickly here in Somerset, KY, and soon your children will be back in school. This means more opportunities for lice to become a problem. Four Seasons Pest Solutions is committed to educating our customers and the public about pest issues, especially those that directly impact people. Understanding what head lice look like, how they are transmitted, what to do if someone in your family gets them, and how to prevent them is essential for maintaining good health.
If you or someone close to you has head lice, it’s important to contact your family healthcare provider as soon as possible. While Four Seasons Pest Solutions can provide guidance on many matters, consulting a doctor is necessary when it comes to head lice.
What Do Head Lice Look Like?
Head lice, (pediculosis capitas) are difficult to see clearly without a little magnification, but they are not invisible to the naked eye. An adult louse measures around 1/8 inch long (the size of a poppy seed) and is large enough to be seen with the naked eye. These pests have a flat, elongated body and six legs above the abdomen. They are grayish-white to tan in color and can blend in with darker hair. Louse eggs (nits), on the other hand, might be more clearly visible since they are white or yellowish brown.
Adult head louse on human hair, magnified.
Head Lice Life Cycle
Head lice live their entire life on the host and live only 30 to 35 days. Off the host, they won’t usually survive longer than 1 to 2 days. While on the host, females lay about 6-7 eggs per day that will hatch in about 7-10 days. Females only need to mate once to lay eggs for the duration of their lifespan. Once hatched from the egg, they will have their first molt (shedding of the outer layer giving way to the next growth stage) in about 2 days. Their second molt will occur approximately 3 days later and their third and final molt will take place around day 10 and they are now fully functional adults and will begin mating immediately. By day 12, it is possible for the female to begin laying eggs and she may do so for the next 16 days or so, until she dies.
Head Lice lifecycle chart
What Are Head Lice?
Head lice are tiny, wingless ectoparasites that feed on blood from the scalps of humans, most often children. Though they may be found on personal belongings, clothes, bedding and other similar areas, they live only on the human head. These insects move about by crawling and cannot fly, jump, hop, or even teleport (ha-ha). They have specially designed legs that help them hold onto the shaft of human hair. Although they affect primarily the hair of the human scalp, they are also known to infest human eyebrows. Once off the human head, they have a very difficult time attaching to other surfaces.
Once a female has found a human host, she will attach her eggs at the base of the host’s hair (essentially against the scalp). This can help indicate the length of time an infestation has been present. Simply measure the distance from the scalp to the furthest nit AWAY from the scalp and compare this to the hair’s rate of growth. If nits are ¼ inch or further from the scalp, this is an old infestation of well over two weeks.
Louse eggs clearly visible on child’s hair
How Are Head Lice Transmitted?
It’s a misconception that head lice jump from person to person. Transmission occurs when person-to-person contact is made and by sharing personal items like hats, hairbrushes, combs, headphones, earbuds, cell phones, and other similar items. This is the reason children, especially elementary children, are most likely to get and transmit head lice. In fact, a 2022 review of studies estimated that approximately 19% of school-aged children have head lice. That’s nearly 2 out of every 10 children! In the U.S. alone, out of 72.5 million children, there are an estimated 6 to 12 million between 3 and 11 years old who contract head lice each year, or approximately 8% to 16%. Young girls have around a 5% greater chance of contracting head lice than do young boys.
Another misconception is that dirty heads are the culprit when it comes to head lice. Studies have shown that head lice may even prefer clean hair! What is often noted, however, is that those living at or below the poverty level tend to keep head lice longer than those above the poverty level. This could be due, in part, to the lack of financial ability to afford Doctor care and/or products to combat the head lice. If you know of someone who is struggling to afford care for head lice control, be a good Samaritan and gift them the necessary products either privately or anonymously through a school or other entity.
How to Prevent Head Lice
Preventing head lice can become quite difficult when it comes to children. Close contact and sharing personal items are the primary ways head lice are transmitted. Of course, children are much more likely to do these things and, therefore, are more likely to spread head lice. Prevention amongst elementary students is best achieved with regular head inspections at home and at school. This helps catch infestations early so that they have less ability to spread amongst the students.
Encouraging children not to share belongings such as clothing, hairbrushes, combs, hats, hair bows, earbuds, cell phones, and similar items can help reduce the likelihood of transmittal. Additionally, disinfection of brushes and combs in hot water (above 130 degrees) will kill all life stages of head lice.
Adults often contract head lice from their children during the early stage of infestation. This is why regular head inspections of school-aged children are crucial for prevention. Once the infested head is inside the home, couches, beds, chairs, pillows, stuffed animals, and other similar items become potential short-term transmittal areas.
dead lice combed from treated hair
How to Control Head Lice
Many people panic when they discover head lice in the family. Although control can be time-consuming, it is usually very effective. You should begin by taking the student out of school until the infestation is eliminated. You may then either visit a doctor (telling them up-front that this is a head lice visit is the proper thing to do), or you can purchase over-the-counter lice control products.
Control products often come in the form of small bottles of shampoo to be applied according to the label instructions. A comb is usually also provided and is used to comb out both live and dead lice during the treatment process. Look especially for metal combs in the Head Lice kit, as these are much more effective than plastic ones.
If infestation is caught early, these areas and items should be treated along with the head of the infested individual. Machine wash all items labeled for this type of washing that have been used or worn within the last two or three days before the day of the treatment of the individual’s head. Items not labeled for machine washing can be treated with over-the-counter products labeled for head lice treatment (often included in head-lice kits), can be sealed in plastic containers or bags for a couple of weeks or can be professionally treated with Sterifab by licensed pest control professionals like Four Seasons Pest Solutions. But remember, the only thing a pest control professional can do to help eliminate head lice is to treat furniture, toys, and other similar items.
Using over-the-counter or prescription head lice shampoo with metal comb is very effective.
Conclusion
As the new 2024-2025 school year approaches, we hope these tips help you and your students have a head lice-free school year. If you’re financially able, donations for head lice supplies will most certainly be appreciated by school personnel and families who cannot afford such supplies.
Remember, it’s okay to live AMONG pests… but you don’t have to live WITH them!
