Head lice are parasites that only infect human scalps. They are spread by head to head contact but do not cause disease. They do affect the health of our children through cost to families for treatment, frustration, unnecessary embarrassment and sometimes education time lost.

• Lice love clean human hair
• Lice do not jump or fly
• Lice bites make the scalp itchy
• Nits are lice eggs, which are attached to the hair, close to the scalp. They are as tiny as dandruff or about 1/3 the size of a sesame seed
• You can't get rid of nits by brushing, or with a hair dryer
• After the head lice hatch, the shell of the nit stays stuck to the hair. If it is more than 12 mm (1/2 inch) away from the scalp, it is probably empty
• Lice are spread by head-to-head contact and by sharing brushes, hats, or other items that come in contact with the head
• Head lice are common where children play or work closely together
• Lice do not cause disease....they just bug us!

Photos of head lice and their eggs can be seen at the Harvard website.

• Adult head lice lay about 10 eggs (called nits) every day. These nits are stuck to the hair near the scalp.
• It takes 7-10 days for the nits to hatch.
• It takes 6-10 days for lice to become adult. During that time, it stays on the head, but does not lay.