These human-infesting lice receive their common names from the area of the human body that they usually infest. It must be realized that infestation of any of these is a medical problem, not a pest control problem.
- Adults are small between 1/16th and 1/8th inches. They are flat and dirty white to grayish black in color.
- Head lice are about 1/8th inches long, they occur almost exclusively on the head and attaches its eggs to hairs.
- Body Lice are about 1/8th inches long and they occur primarily in clothing and moves to adjacent body areas to feed. It attaches its eggs to clothing fibers.
- Crabs/Pubic Lice are about 1/16th inches long, they occur where flat hairs are present (Pubic Region, arm pits, eyebrows, and beards). They attach their eggs to body hairs.
Signs of infestation:
For Head lice and Crabs the most important indication is the presence of eggs. Itching and general discomfort is cause to suspect lice. For crabs, blue dots tend to form around feeding sites as well.
Body Lice can be observed on the outside of clothing. Infestation is more likely to occur on people that wear multiple layers of clothing.
Control:
The control of Head, Body, and Pubic Lice is a medical problem. This is because these lice spend essentially all their time on the host or host’s clothes and can only survive a short time off of the host.
Control on the human host consists of these 6 steps:
- Prescribed shampoo or lotion treatments.
- Follow instructions on the label.
- 2 or more treatments may be necessary to kill all the eggs.
- Antibiotic therapy may be necessary if a secondary infection occurs from scratching.
- Non-infested family members that shared a bed, bedding, or clothing, or sexual partners should be examined for lice also.
- Required sanitation includes hot cycle washing and drying of all bedding, clothing, and towels of the infected individuals.
Please contact Westex Pest Management if you are interested in purchasing a Robi Comb.