Frequently Asked Questions About Head Lice The National Pediculosis Association (NPA) answers your most common questions... Do pets get head lice? Head lice cannot thrive on pets… they are human parasites. Where do head lice come from? Head lice do not come "out of the air" or from the ground. They are human parasites and have probably been here since the beginning of time. Desiccated (dried up) head lice and their eggs have been found on the hair and scalps of Egyptian mummies. Are certain people more at risk to chemical lice shampoos than others? Parents should be informed before they shampoo with any product about the potential risks. This is just one of the reasons the FDA requires testing for safety before they give their approval. Safety varies from person to person just as the status of one's health varies from person to person. Children who have had earlier repeated lice treatments may also be more vulnerable to side effects. The NPA warns against the use of any chemicals designed to kill or destroy head lice in individuals who have pre-existing illness. This would include but not be limited to those with epilepsy, asthma, brain tumors, cancer or AIDS. Those on medication should also be aware that there can be unspecified chemical interactions. Of course pregnant or nursing women should avoid chemical lice treatments for use on themselves or for applying them to others. What product should I use to treat my child? There are no safe pesticides, "natural" or otherwise, scientifically proven to be 100% effective against head lice, nits or nit glue. Reliance on head lice treatment products alone promotes repeated use of potentially harmful chemicals and continues to ongoing infestations, outbreaks, and resistant strains of head lice. Parents should be discouraged from spending unnecessary time and money on "concoctions" for which there is no scientific basis for claims or evidence of efficacy and human safety. A wide variety of such "lice remedies" are vigorously marketed to consumers especially via the Internet. The result is more confusion for families already deluged with conflicting and unfounded treatment recommendations. Manual removal is the safe alternative and necessary component to any head lice treatment regimen. The NPA recommends the LiceMeister® combing tool to enable families to screen often, detect head lice early and thoroughly remove lice and nits. The LiceMeister combing tool can be purchased from the UIHS Pharmacy for $10. Should fluorescent lights be used for head lice screenings? Some health professionals believe that fluorescent lights are helpful in screenings, but others have reported that it confuses the diagnosis because the light fluoresces the nits but also lint, hair debris and dry skin. Nits are visible to the naked eye in natural light. If you are unsure whether you are seeing a nit, use a the or a magnifying glass to take a closer look or for even better results…use the LiceMeister® combing tool to screen through the hair. It will collect even that which you cannot see. Too often nits are confused with hair debris, and children are being treated unnecessarily. Make sure that screeners know the difference! Do head lice jump? Head lice do not have hind legs to hop or jump, nor wings with which to fly. What is the life cycle of the head louse? Head lice can survive on a human host for approximately 30 days. Head lice generally cannot survive longer than 24 hours off the host. A female louse lays up to 3-5 eggs per day. It takes 7-10 days for the eggs to hatch and another 7-10 days for the louse to mature and lay their own eggs. How do I clean my home for lice? Homes don’t get head lice – people do. Head lice are human parasites and require human blood to survive. Please do not use any pesticidal sprays in your home. They are unwarranted and may pose personal and environmental hazards. Vacuuming is the safest and best way to remove lice or fallen hairs with attached nits from upholstered furniture, rugs, stuffed animals and cars. It is unnecessary to bag objects that can be washed. Vacuum them instead. Save your time and energy for that which benefits you the most – thorough nit removal. How do I know if the nits are dead or alive? The NPA does not get into "dead or alive" – the time it would take to make the distinction is time better spent by removing ALL nits. Children, like adults, do not want them left in their hair – dead or alive.