What are Lice
Head lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp and feed on human blood. An individual louse is about as big as a sesame seed (approximately 1/8 of an inch in size). These tiny bugs cannot fly or jump from one person to another; they can only crawl at a rapid rate.
What are Nits (Or Eggs)?
Nits are eggs laid by the female louse. They are about the size of a poppy seed and are difficult to see because of their nearly transparent colour that blends easily with any colour of hair. Nits are attached to hair by the adult female with a waterproof, glue-like substance that can't be washed, brushed or blown away.
How Long do Lice Live?
Lice live approximately 40-50 days and go through three stages in their life cycle:
- Stage 1 – Nits: The female louse lays eggs in sacks known as nits. Each nit is attached to a single strand of hair with a special glue-like substance that cements it in place on the hair shaft, near the root at the scalp.
- Stage 2 – Nymphs: Once the louse hatches, it is called a nymph and is barely visible to the naked eye. The nymph looks just like an adult louse except that it is smaller and cannot reproduce because it is not fully developed. The nymph stage can last from Day 11 to Day 22, or longer in cold weather.
- Stage 3 – Adults: The female adult louse can lay 4-10 eggs a day (50-150 eggs in her lifetime), starting another generation of lice. The adult stage can last 38 days or so (Day 23 – Day 50).