What Causes Head Lice Infestation and How are Lice Spread?

What causes head lice?

Head lice cannot jump, nor crawl very far. Head lice are extremely well adapted to moving through the hair of their host however.

Head lice affect people from all socio-economic classes and all walks of life. Head lice actually prefer clean hair, as greasy hair is difficult for lice to attach their eggs to. Contrary to popular belief, regular washing will not prevent or deter head lice. In fact, it attracts them.

Head lice do not infect pets or other animals, as they do not feed on anything but human blood.

Where do head lice come from?

Head lice have probably been around since time began. They are a human parasite and can only survive on humans, so therefore do not reside in the ground or on pets. Head lice simply travel from host to host. They are not fussy where they live as long as it is clean so they can attach their eggs.

You are very unlucky if you catch head lice from clothing or bedding. It has been proven in many studies that head lice are transferred through head to head contact alone, and not through any other means.

Watch when two children play together. If they are concentrating on something with heads touching, the head louse will simply be travelling through the hair, and transfer readily to another head. It may not even do this on purpose.

Do I need to rid my home of lice and eggs and wash everything in hot water to stop the spread of head lice?

Under normal circumstances, the life of a louse separated from the head can be measured in hours rather than days as the adult louse is highly susceptible to dehydration and will quickly starve.

Adults and nymphs are only able to survive for 2-3 days off the host in optimal conditions. Most conditions are not optimal. Lice need warmth, humidity and food. They do not find this anywhere but the human head.

It is preferable to take preventative steps to ensure they don't return to the head than to the home. Eggs can survive away from the head for up to 7 days but will not hatch without the warmth of a human host. With this in mind it is fairly obvious that compulsively cleaning is not required in preference to killing all the adult lice and eggs.

Vacuuming and wiping surfaces with hot soapy water is all that is required to rid your home of head lice. Do not be persuaded to use pesticide bombs that unnecessarily expose your family to dangerous chemicals.

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