There are head lice at Beechmont State School. We need to work together to try and get rid of them.
WHAT ARE HEAD LICE? Head lice are small, wingless, egg laying insects found on the human head. They grow to about 3.5mm (the size of a sesame seed or pin head). They live on the hair and feed by sucking blood from the scalp. Head lice are pale grey in colour before feeding and reddish brown after feeding. Live eggs (sometimes called nits) are glued to the hairshaft within a distance of 1.5 cm from the scalp. They hatch in 7-10 days as young lice (nymphs). It takes up to 10 days for the nymphs to become mature lice and begin laying eggs. Adults are larger than nymphs and a mature female lays up to 8 eggs per day.
Detection of adult lice or nymphs on the scalp is the best way to determine if head lice are present. Scratching and the presence of eggs are not reliable signs of head lice. Most people with head lice will not develop an itch. A small number of people develop an itch due to an allergic reaction to the saliva of the louse.
Parents can download an information pack on how to best manage Head Lice:
Managing Headlice at Home.pdf 483.39 KB
Some of the common myths about head lice:
| Myth |
Facts |
|
Head lice only live in dirty hair
|
Head lice have no preference for dirty or clean hair. As long as the scalp is warm and moist and you have blood (their food source), you're a good home... that's all of us! |
| Head lice jump and fly |
Head lice do not have wings or grasshopper legs. They have six strong claws, which they use to swing from hair-to-hair. |
| Head lice are effectively treated after one treatment session |
Neither chemical or non-chemical treatment kills or removes all the eggs. So young lice will hatch from the eggs after the initial treatment. It is necessary to have more than one treatment to remove the young immature lice before they breed. In this way you can break the head lice lifecycle. |
| Head lice live and breed in the house/classroom |
The lifecycle of the lice must be completed on the human head. They die very rapidly off the head from dehydration. The eggs need the warmth and moisture of the scalp to hatch. The lice need the warmth, moisture and food source of the head to live and breed. |
| Head lice carry disease and viruses |
Head lice do not carry or transmit disease. They are a nuisance to humans not a health hazard. |
