Pest Spotlight: Lice

Lice are tiny, parasitic insects that feed on human blood, and they are easily spread from person-to-person through body contact. Since these insects are wingless, they cannot fly or hop, but move by crawling.

Types of common lice include:

Head lice

These tiny bugs are about 2-3 mm long, and they cling on your scalp and neck as they feast on your blood. They usually lay and attach their eggs (nits), which are white or yellow, at the base of your hair shaft. However, these eggs can easily go unnoticed since they blend with some people's hair color and can be confused for dandruff.
Head lice can survive up to 2 days without a blood meal, and if left untreated, they can multiply fast by laying ten eggs a day. While head lice are very common in elementary and preschool-aged children, anyone can get them.

Body lice
An adult body louse is about 2.3-3.6 mm in length, and they live on clothing. Unfortunately, body lice can spread diseases, and they thrive in conditions of poor hygiene and crowding. Therefore, if you want to get rid of them, improving your hygiene and regularly changing into clean clothes can significantly help.

Dealing with a lice infestation

As mentioned earlier, lice multiply fast and can spread between family members within no time. Thus, if you suspect your kid has lice from school, it's vital to use the necessary medication to get rid of them. You should also comb out the lice from your children's hair since some medications don't kill the eggs.

Bayou Cajun provides quality pest control services in South Louisiana to protect you and your loved ones from pest infestation. Contact us today for a free home evaluation.