5 Grim Facts about Lice that You Don’t (want to) Know

March 21, 2018

5 Grim Facts about Lice that You Don’t (want to) Know

Lice under the microscope

5 Grim Facts about Lice that You Don’t (want to) Know

March 21, 2018

Lice have been around for pretty much as long as us. Not just that, research suggests that certain species of these pests pretty much migrated, spread and evolved alongside humans!

Though there are over 500 different species of lice that feed on mammals, only a few of these are known to feel on humans. This is a relief! The few that do however; can cause us enough trouble to visit a lice clinic or, go in for serious lice treatment every now and then.

What You Don’t Know

We’re going to share a few facts about lice over the course of this blog that you might not know. Though some of you might find these facts fascinating, we guarantee they might also make you want to shave your head!

Without further delay; here are 5 grim facts about life you don’t want to know!

Three is a Crowd

As we said earlier, out of all the lice species out there, there are three in particular that feed on human beings. These are:

  1. Head lice: These are between 2 and 3.5 millimeters in length and lay their eggs on the base of the hair follicle. Head lice as the name suggests tend to infest the head and the neck.
  2. Body lice: These lice are found to infest the human body. They can be between 2.2 and 3.8 millimeters in length. They stick their eggs to clothing and migrate to the skin when they need to feed. They are almost the same species as head lice.

 

  1. Pubic lice: Pubic lice are very different from head and body lice. They are evolved to attach to coarser hairs like those in the pubic region. They can also attach to eyelashes and eyebrows in extreme cases. Body lice are an approximate length of between 1 and 2 millimeters.

Werewolves and Vampires

Werewolves and vampires are both fictional characters. Werewolves bite and vampires suck blood. Maybe the ideas for these came from lice. Want to know why? This is because there are two types of lice:

Biting or Chewing Lice

Chewing lice usually feed on blood or organic material such as skin, scales or bird feathers. These lice have jaw like structures which allow them to bite. That being said they are more commonly found around animals.

Sucking Lice

Sucking lice are parasites that live on animals and feed on blood through suction like mouthpieces!

Itching or Worse

Though head and pubic lice are serious health and hygiene concerns, for the most part, they only cause extreme discomfort due to itching. They do not usually carry disease.

Body lice on the other hand are known to carry diseases. These include trench fever, louse born relapsing fever and typhus. Both typhus and louse born relapsing fever can cause death if not addressed.

What is worse? The bacteria for these diseases are transferred through lice feces. The louse defecates on human skin. If that area of skin has also been fed on and is scratched due to itching, the feces and bacteria within enter the blood stream. This causes infection.

Good enough reason to get lice screening!

Super lice

Many lice are now resistant to certain chemicals which were once effective in getting rid of them. The way this works is chemicals act on insect nervous systems. A number of lice develop genetic mutations that make them resistant to the effects of these chemicals.

When a lice removal or extermination is done, only the chemical resistant ones survive. They then proceed to multiply. The result? A whole new army of chemical resistant lice!

Sci-Fi

Lice are like something out of a sci–fi movie. They have claws through which they hook onto and crawl on hair, they stick their eggs onto hair follicles with glue like substance, and last but not least, they can survive under water for over hours. In other words, you can’t just wash them off!

Conclusion

As you can see, these creatures are tough, deadly and a health concern for good reason! If you or someone in your family seems to have caught a few, get rid of them before they spread!

If you’re looking for a lice clinic and inspection service that does home lice treatment in Miami or Orlando, we’ve got you covered! Check out what we can do and give us a shout. Just remember, it doesn’t take long for a few lice to turn into a full blown infestation!

 

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