Common Head Lice Questions

Head lice can make for a huge annoyance in your life and you may have some questions regarding the little pests. In this article, we'll answer some of the more commonly asked questions regarding head lice to clear things up for you.

How did head lice come to exist?

We're still unfamiliar with the answer to this question. Since head lice are unable to feed off of animals, needing exclusively human blood to survive, odds are that they evolved with us throughout thousands of years. There are other types of lice that feed off of animals, but they are unable to feed off of humans. One thing that we do know is that they've been around for countless years. We've actually found mummies from ancient Egypt with dried-up head lice on their scalps!

Should I spray my house when there is a head lice outbreak?

Contrary to popular belief, it can actually be a bad idea to have your house sprayed when someone in it has lice. The sprays that are used can be harmful to you and your family, and it will do little to prevent reinfestation. Head lice can only live on human hosts, and if they are separated from their host for more than 24 hours, they will die. For that reason, you just need to be wary of your person to person contact, ensuring that you are not sharing pillows or bed linens. Along with lice treatments such as 'Nix', you can easily rid your household of the problem without paying for harmful and unnecessary pesticides.

Are there any harmless ways of removing lice?

Most of the solutions that are used to rid a head of lice involve harmful pesticides which can be damaging to you and your family. If you want to clear up the infestation with as little toxicity as possible, your best bet is to remove all the lice and nits by hand. Have two people comb over the infected person's hair, wearing gloves. When you find nits, the eggs of the head louse, use distilled white vinegar to loose them from the hair follicle. If you go through this ritual every day until you find no lice or nits for two weeks, you've likely successfully removed the lice problem. Another method of destroying lice that some have found to be effective is the use of a common household hair dryer. By heating the lice to a sufficient degree, you'll be able to kill them off. Lice can withstand water and shampoo without a problem, but they are susceptible to heat. You need to employ caution when using this method, however, because it may cause you to burn the infested person's scalp. Using a combination of these two techniques may be the most beneficial to ridding yourself of a lice problem.

Now that you know the answers to these common questions, you'll be better suited to deal with a head lice infestation should one arise. These bugs have been around since the beginning of humanity, and there are ways of destroying them without using sprays or harmful pesticides. Best of luck!