Lice Facts
Lice Lifecycle
WE AGREE! Nobody wants head lice in their kid's hair!!!
Lice develop in three stages: nit, nymph, and adult louse.
NIT
NITS ARE OVAL-SHAPED LICE EGGS THAT ARE LAID BY AN ADULT FEMALE NEAR THE BASE OF THE SCALP.
- Nits are approximately 0.8 mm in size (similar to a sesame seed) and they resemble dandruff.
- Nits will emulate the color of their host’s hair.
- Females lay their eggs with glue, which makes them difficult to remove from the hair.
- Nits will hatch in 7-10 days.
- Each female louse will lay 7-10 eggs per day for 30 days.
NYMPH
WHEN A NIT HATCHES, A NYMPH IS BORN.
- Nymphs are just smaller versions of adult lice, with six legs that each have a claw attached to the tip.
- Growing nymphs must feed on human blood five to six times per day to survive.
- The nymph molts as they grow until they finally reach the adult phase of life.
ADULT LOUSE
A FULLY GROWN ADULT LOUSE WILL REACH 2.5-3 MM IN LENGTH.
- Lice are actually quite transparent and will often emulate the color of their host’s hair.
- They do not have wings and are only able to transport themselves by crawling from hair strand to hair strand (or, from head to head)
- If a louse falls off of its host’s head it has 24-48 hours to find a new food source.
- The females will lay 7-10 eggs per day for 30 days.