Inside the Life of a Louse

November 1, 2017

Inside the Life of a Louse

lice

Inside the Life of a Louse

November 1, 2017

Since our evolution as a separate species, we humans have been the hosts of these creepy bugs.

Lice have also evolved to stay with particular areas of our bodies. This way, they have been divided into three parts: head lice, body lice and pubic lice.

Our focus will be on head lice—the most common ones.

The Lice Life Cycle Explained

Head lice or Pediculus humanus capitis is a creepy, six-legged creature that lives on the human scalp and feeds on human blood.

Head lice go through three stages. They are eggs, nymphs and adults. Let’s explore them a bit further:

Eggs

Lice lay eggs that are called nits. They are quite difficult to detect and can be confused with dandruff.

The adult female louse lays these eggs. After an egg has been laid, it takes around 6 to 9 days to hatch.

It should be remembered that these nits can only live on a human head. The human scalp provides it the right environment to hatch. If a nit falls off the hair shaft, it won’t be able to survive.

Nymphs

After the egg hatches, it releases a nymph. It looks like an adult head louse and its size is equal to that of a pinhead. It takes around 7 days for the nymph to actually become an adult.

Adult Head Louse

The adult head louse has 6 legs and is about the size of a sesame seed. It is the adult head louse that causes all the itching and scratching. The female head louse is the key player here. She is larger and can lay up to 8 nits every day. An adult louse can easily live for a month on a human head.

Transferring Methodology

The claws of the head louse help them cling to the shafts of hair. This means that they can crawl from one head to another. However, for that to happen, the heads must be in close contact with each other.

It should be remembered that lice can only crawl—they cannot jump, hop or fly.

Can They Survive on Other Objects?

Head lice can live up to 24 hours without the human scalp. Some of the surfaces that they can live on can include carpets, floors, clothing items, head phones, etc.

If your kid has gone through lice treatment, it is very important that you clean the entire house, especially the surfaces mentioned above.

With a complete understanding of the lice life cycle, we at Lice Busters offer lice removal Plantation based services. Applying pesticide free lice treatment methods, we ensure that you completely get rid of lice. Book an appointment with us.

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