Head lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp.

They lay eggs called nits, which stick to hair very close to the scalp.

By contact with an already infested person. Contact is common during play at school and at home (slumber parties, sports activities, at camp, on a playground).

By wearing infested clothing, such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, or hair ribbons.

By using infested combs, brushes, or towels.

By lying on a bed, couch, pillow, carpet, or stuffed animal that has recently been in contact with an infested person.

Nits are head lice eggs. They are cemented at the base of the hair shaft nearest the scalp. Nits take about 1 week to hatch (range 6 to 9 days)

The egg hatches to release a nymph. Nymphs mature after three molts and become adults about 7 days after hatching.

Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person’s head. A maximum of 6 to 10 nits are laid each day by each female.

Lice like clean, healthy heads the best

Lice are nearly as common as the common cold

Pets do not transmit head lice to humans or vice versa.

Anyone can get Lice

You may not have any symptoms at first.

Itchy scalp may start weeks or months after lice have started to spread.
- May be worse behind your ears or on the back of your neck.

Sores on the scalp (caused by scratching) that may become infected.

Tiny grayish white, football-shaped eggs (about the size of a poppy seed) clinging to hairs close to the scalp.

The products sold in drugstores or prescribed by doctors are called Pediculicide (Nix, Rid, Clear, etc)

- Pediculicides are the insecticidal shampoos and creme rinses used to treat head lice. These products contain pesticides.

For several years the media, mothers, school nurses, and entomologists have been reporting that many head louse populations have become resistant to the chemicals used to treat them.

- Heads Up: "Products that have been working aren't working anymore," -John Erdmann, entomologist, University of Massachusetts