Information about Lice

• Lice live on human heads and feed on human blood

• Lice do not live on animals

• Lice can't fly, jump or hop

• Lice are unlikely to re-infest after coming off a head

• Lice are spread mainly by head-to-head contact

• Lice like clean or dirty hair

• Lice do not carry disease

• Lice lay 3 to 10 eggs (nits) a day; nits hatch after 5 to 10 days

• Lice lay 100 to 300 eggs (nits) before they die

How to Prevent Head Lice

• Avoid direct head-to-head contact with people

• Don't share brushes, combs, ribbons, hats, helmets, or hair ties

• Keep long hair tied up or pulled back

• Brush hair regularly with a close bristled brush

Treatments

• Lice can be resistant to pediculicides (chemical treatments- not recommended for children under 3 years of age)

• No matter what treatment is used, all nits must be removed to eradicate lice.

• Recommend the use of a metal nit comb and manual removal (nit picking) to remove all nits.

• Olive oil on hair for 8 or more hours, it has its own insecticidal properties, it smothers and kills active head lice. Use it daily for up to 3 weeks.

• Treatment is not complete until ALL nits are removed.

For More Information Contact Your School Nurse