Lice are tiny, six legged insects that crawl and lay eggs on the hair and feed off the scalp. A louse, on the head, can live up to 30 days. Each female louse can lay 6-10 eggs a day. Within a week or so, a nit hatches and goes through three stages as a Nymph before reaching adulthood.

A female louse, once fertilized, can immediately begin to lay eggs. One male louse can fertilize every present female. Off the head, a louse can live up to 24 hours but can not lay eggs without the presence of hair. A nit removed from the hair cannot hatch without the incubation and warmth of the head.

No one knows for sure, but evidence of lice goes back many centuries. Their shells have been found on mummies once sealed in ancient tombs, as well as in prehistoric burial grounds in North America. Scientist have found nits on the hair of Egyptian mummies.

Head lice are primarily spread through head-to-head contact. That is why communicating with individuals with whom you’ve had recent contact is so important.

Too much emphasis has been placed on sharing items such as hats and brushes. The bugs can’t live off the head for more than 24 hours, and sharing items is not as big an issue as we once thought it was.

Parents should watch for symptoms such as itching, swollen glands, sleepiness after what was assumed to be a good night’s rest, or a rash at the back of the child’s neck.

No, it’s another myth associated with head lice. It’s anatomically impossible for head lice jump or fly, as they have no hind legs or wings.

I don’t encourage anyone to shave heads. While some boys might consider that a great option, do we really want to do that to the girls? Many boys would be devastated to give up their locks of hair.

Absolutely not! While While it’s more commonly spread among children, parents and other adults are not immune. Keep in mind they are always looking for a new food supply. Likewise, as one host head becomes overcrowded, a louse will seek a new home.

Absolutely not! While is true that they are less likely to get head lice due to their ova-shaped hair, they are far from immune. Anyone can get lice.

While it may seem like more cases of head lice occur during the school months, it is not due to a lice season. Lice happen all year round.

We always ask our clients. “Which is easier to walk on—a clean floor or a dirty, greasy floor?” It’s the same with head lice. It’s much easier for them to move around on a clean head of hair. This doesn’t mean that an individual with a dirty head of hair won’t get lice and is certainly no reason to encourage poor hygiene in our children. Head lice need blood to survive. As long as we have blood, we are at risk.

The only difference that a warmer climate makes is that the bugs have the ability to move more freely about the hair and therefore can lay eggs throughout the hair. In colder climates they generally stay closer to the scalp. Head lice exist virtually everywhere!

Many treatment options are available, including prescription, over-the counter and homeopathic ones. Treatment options include prescription products such as Qwell and Ovide, pyrethrin products like Nix, or permethrin products like Rid, which are available over the counter, as well as a wealth of other safe, non-toxic products. Homeopathic methods like olive oil and mayonnaise are popular in many households, but we urge caution when trying home remedies.

We encourage people to use safe, non-toxic products whenever possible. If, however, you could use one tool or product only, we would recommend a good lice comb. The most important thing is that you do something. Head lice left unattended will only escalate and spread to others.

There is no perfect product. The real secret is to know what you are looking for and take the time to treat it correctly. We also encourage you to pay close attention to newer and safer alternatives frequently entering the market.

Finally, never resort to dangerous treatments of the past like kerosene, flea shampoos or insects sprays. Always act wisely and safely!

Many animals have lice, but these tend to be species-specific breeds of these parasitic insects. Lice that have evolved to become those that infest humans are acclimated to the temperature and environment on our scalp and can’t live for long on animals. The six legs on human head lice are adept at helping them grab onto and move along human hair strands. The temperature at our scalp is also fairly unique to us, and your pets just won’t be the same. Your dog’s head would be some kind of an alien environment out of a Star Trek episode to any lice that accidentally fell off you and landed on your dog. They would die in about 24 hours just as they would if they fell off onto a carpet or couch without the nourishing environment that they require from our head.

Since lice can only live for a couple of days on a stuffed animal or pillow, you can put it in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes or seal it in a plastic bag for 2 days and they’ll be dead by then.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Head lice actually prefer clear hair - the cleaner the better. Lice are equal opportunity parasites. They don’t care about the size of your wallet, whether your house is clean or dirty or what your personal hygiene is. A louse’s only concern is for its own survival. To accomplish this, the louse needs to feed and is always seeking the most convenient means of doing so.

No. They are more of an annoyance than dangerous and are not known to transmit disease. However, excessive scratching to the scalp could result in an infection.

Super Lice is the name given to the newer strains of lice that are physically tougher, have thicker exoskeletons, and are more resilient to chemicals than previous strains of lice. Head lice that survive chemical treatments pass on their genes and that leads to resistant lice. They adapt in order to survive.

Unfortunately no. The nits are coated with a glue-like substance that cements them to the hair shaft and washing will not remove them.