HEAD LICE 101: THE BASICS Head lice are small, wing-

less parasitic insects. They

• Do not panic! Head lice are not an emergency and, in most cases, do not pose any health risk. are typically 1/6-1/8 inch
However, misuse of pesticides and use of unlabeled treatments (ex., kerosene) can pose a health long, brownish in color
with darker margins. The
risk. claws on the end of each
of their six legs are well
• Head lice CANNOT live off a human host for more than adapted to grasping a hair
Figure 1:
24-48 hours. Head lice CANNOT live on pets. Head lice Head Louse strand.
CANNOT reproduce in carpets, furniture or other house- Pediculus capitis

hold furnishings.
A child cannot “catch nits.” Nits (lice
• PESTICIDE SPRAYS DO LITTLE OR NOTHING TO eggs) can only be laid by live lice.
CONTROL LICE. NEVER treat your home, car, furni-
Female head lice glue
ture, beds, pillows, or clothing with pesticides (e.g. ‘lice their grayish-white to
bombs,’ flea bombs, sprays, etc.) in an attempt to control brown eggs (nits) se-
head lice. You will expose yourself and your family to unnecessary pesticide risk. curely to hair shafts. The
eggs are resistant to pes-
• If your school sprays rooms, buses, furniture, etc., to control head lice, ask them to stop immedi- ticides, and they are dif-
ficult to remove without
ately. Refer your school to the Cooperative Extension Service brochure entitled A School’s a special ‘nit-comb.’
Guide to the ‘Nitty-Gritty’ About Head Lice. The nits are generally
Figure 2:
near the scalp, but they Nits (lice eggs)
• Head lice are very common among all classes of people. More may be found anywhere (photo courtesy of the
than 12 million people, mostly children and school personnel, get head on the hair shaft. University of Florida)
lice per year.
The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the
• Direct head-to-head contact with an infested person is the main U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state co-
operating. The Cooperative Extension Service, the University
way head lice are transmitted, but they may also be transmitted by of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sci-
ences offers educational programs, assistance and materials
sharing hats, scarves, headphones, combs and other hair accessories. to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age,
sex or disability.
Lice cannot hop, jump or fly, but they can crawl rapidly. Circular 851 September 2000
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/Affirmative Action
Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force
• The best treatment for head lice is manual removal (see ‘10 Tips for Manual Removal’ in this
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of
brochure). May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. De-
• If a lice shampoo is warranted, ask your doctor or pharmacist for specifics on the product and partment of Agriculture cooperating.
Gale A. Buchanan, Dean and Director
follow all label instructions exactly. Misapplications can be ineffective and dangerous as well. Funded by a grant from NFIPME and USEPA.
 10 TIPS FOR
HOW TO AVOID A
‘HAIR RAISING’ EXPERIENCE MANUAL REMOVAL A PARENT’S
1 Work in a well lighted area or use a
flashlight and hand lens. GUIDE TO THE
• Watch for signs of head lice. Check your 2 Use a grooming comb or hairbrush to re-
children every few days if head lice are re-
ported at their school. Lice are easier to
move tangles. A hair detangler spray or other hair
conditioner may aid in this process.
‘NITTY-GRITTY’
ABOUT
eliminate if caught early. 3 Divide the hair into sections and fasten off the hair
that is not being worked on.
• Teach your children not to share hats, head-
4 Use a lice comb to detect and remove lice and nits.

HEAD LICE
gear, scarves, headphones and grooming See figure 1 and figure 2 in this brochure.
items (combs, hairbrushes, etc.) and to 5 Go through hair sections from the scalp to the end of
avoid direct head-to-head contact. the hair. Nits are usually found close to the scalp.
• To kill lice on bedding, clothes, etc., wash 6 Dip the comb in a cup of hot, soapy
water or use tape to remove lice, nits or
and dry them as you would ordinarily.
debris from the comb.
NEVER add any pesticide. Vacuum materi-
7 Sift through the same section of hair and look for
als that cannot be washed. attached nits and live lice.
• If you are concerned about head lice on car- 8 Move on to the next section until the entire scalp and
pets or furniture, vacuum them thoroughly all hair has been checked.
or wipe smooth surfaces with a damp cloth. 9 Screen the infested person every day for 10 days and
regularly thereafter.
• Wash stuffed animals or vacuum them thor- 10 If additional nits (at least 3-5 per day) are discov-
oughly. NEVER spray them with a pesti- ered, another manual search is recommended.
cide.
• To kill lice on brushes, combs or hair acces-
sories, wash them with hot, soapy water.
NEVER spray them with a pesticide.
• Cooperate with your school’s head lice pol-
icy. Your child may be temporarily excluded THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
from the school , but the policy helps avoid COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
widespread head lice outbreaks. COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCES / ATHENS, GEORGIA 30602

Paul Guillebeau and Gretchen Van De Mark

Department of Entomology