Head Lice
Headlice or nits only live on humans, setting up camp on or close to the scalp where they can bite and suck up blood. They can only be passed from person to person by close head to head contact and cannot jump, fly or swim. The adult head louse will lay about 4-5 eggs a day and can live for up to five weeks. The eggs are attached to individual hairs close to the scalp. After 7-10 days the eggs hatch leaving an empty egg case on the hair. The newly-hatched headlice feed on the scalp for about 7-10 days until they begin laying eggs. Left unchecked this cycle will continue. The first telltale sign of an infection is usually a child absent-mindedly scratching their head. This can create sores that, if left untreated, may become infected.
