- Head lice are tiny, six-legged blood sucking parasites.
- Head lice are able to adapt to their environments and take on the
color of the hair they infest. - Head lice are primarily spread from head to head contact.
- Head lice do NOT jump, fly, or burrow. Their anatomy makes this
impossible. - A mature female louse lays eggs twice a day and can lay up to
five eggs at a time. - Nits (eggs) are small yellowish-white to dark brown, oval-shaped
eggs that are “glued” to the hair shaft at an angle. - Head Lice have to feed on human blood for survival.
- Head lice do not carry or transmit diseases
- Pets cannot transmit lice.
- Lice leave a scent in the hair that attracts other lice telling them
you are a good food source. - Head lice prefer clean hair, but can infest anyone regardless of
personal hygiene. - Recent studies prove that head lice are becoming increasingly resistant to the chemicals and pesticides (which
potentially contain neurological toxins) commonly found in over the counter and prescription treatments. Not only are
these treatments being proven ineffective, they also do not kill the nits. - Head lice will die 24-48 hours after being separated for their human host.
- Head lice will not infest your home the way fleas or bed bugs do.
- The life span for a louse is 30 – 33 days.
- The itching caused by head lice is an allergic reaction to their saliva; 50% of individuals are not allergic and will NOT
itch. - There are an estimated 6-12 million cases of head lice per year.
- A mother with one affected child has a 54% chance of contracting head lice. If she has two children affected by head
lice at the same time her chances increase to 87%.