The appearance of lice is an unpleasant event for every person. This is not only the discomfort caused by the "new residents", but also the danger of infecting others. What kind of ailment is this, how to deal with it, is it possible to avoid infection, and how long do lice and nits live outside the head?
Lice is…
A louse is a parasitic insect that lives on the human or animal body. This type of insect is very dangerous, because they not only cause annoying inconvenience to their owner, but can also lead to serious diseases. An infestation with lice is called pediculosis. In order to get rid of the disease, you should find out what kind of lifestyle the lice have, how they reproduce and develop, as well as how many lice and their nits live outside the human head.
What does a louse look like?
In order to be sure that a person has head lice, you need to know what a louse looks like. This is a small insect, the body length of which is up to 3 mm. The louse, as a rule, is gray or brown in color, has all the parts of the body necessary for the insect: paws (6 pieces), abdomen, antennae and cephalothorax. At the same time, the parasite does not have wings at any stagedevelopment. If you look at a louse without magnifiers, then it resembles an ordinary grayish insect. And the insect, known as the body louse, has a white color. The pubic parasite is dark in color, closer to brown, and the body resembles a crab.
Signs of head lice infestation
To diagnose the disease "pediculosis", it is necessary to identify a number of symptoms. Typically this is:
- Reduced immunity.
- Increased sleepiness.
- Chronic fatigue.
- Depression.
- Frequent headaches and spasmodic pains in internal organs.
Also, the main sign that a person has lice is the detection of bites and scratches. The fact is that parasites feed on blood throughout the entire period of development and existence. This raises a logical question: how many lice live without a person outside their head?
Can a louse live without a human and for how long?
Almost every person is at risk of contracting head lice, regardless of their financial or social status, age or gender. Infection can occur in any public institution, in schools, hospitals, in an elevator or transport. Once on the human body, the parasite begins its reproduction very quickly. Infection can occur through contact with clothing, bedding, personal hygiene items (combs), or objects around people. But in the latter case, how long do lice live outsidehead, depends on the rate of colonization of the parasite per person. Also, personal hygiene does not provide 100% protection against lice, one contact with a sick person can lead to the transfer of the disease.
In the first days after contact, it is possible not to identify the disease, provided that the insect does not show itself. The fact is that the parasite in a single copy does not cause any inconvenience to humans. But you should not expect that a louse that has fallen on a person will leave on its own. The insect just won't let go of its new prey. The parasite clings tightly to the hair, while actively multiplying. For a period of thirty days, one female lays up to one hundred and fifty eggs - nits. This raises a logical question: how long does a louse live outside the head? The answer is simple: an insect can live no more than two days without food. But if the ambient temperature drops to 10 degrees Celsius, then the louse is able to survive the period of hunger for up to 10 days.
Can nits live apart from humans?
Nits are louse larvae. For its full and proper development, one condition is required - the human body and its warmth. Under other conditions, the larva may die. But under favorable temperature conditions, the nit safely goes through all stages of development, and the louse is born. But if for a short period of time the newly appeared parasite does not have access to food, that is, blood, then the insect will die. This means that how long lice live outside the head directly depends on access to human blood.
Life cyclelice
Reproduction and development of parasitic lice proceeds in a fairly short period of time. Under suitable conditions, the period of formation of an adult louse from an egg lasts an average of 15 days. But in case of unfavorable conditions, this period may increase to one month.
There are several stages of lice development:
- Adult female lays from two to five eggs at a time, which are fixed with particular strength by the parasite on a hair, a short distance from the surface of the scalp. This method of attachment is provided by a sticky substance in the outer shell of the egg, which is the nit. When trying to remove from the hair, difficulties arise due to strong fixation. The stage in which the nit develops before the appearance of the louse lasts from five to eight days.
- A larva is a small louse that emerges from an egg (nit). As a rule, the larva of common insects does not look like an adult, but this parasite is an exception. The larva is similar to an adult louse, but small in size, with an underdeveloped reproductive system. As soon as the larva takes food for the first time, it begins to molt, and it becomes a nymph. The period of initial development of the nymph lasts up to five days.
- Shedding occurs three times, which means that the nymph is in three stages of development. Molting is necessary for the parasite in order to throw off the chitinous shell. It cannot grow with the individual and must be replaced.
- After all three stages of chitin change, the louse turns into an adult. This stage is called imago. The female begins to mate immediately and after one day, and inin some cases, several hours, lays nits. Over the entire life period, the louse is able to lay up to one hundred and forty eggs. As a rule, a month and a half is the period for how long lice live. Out of the head, they cannot exist for a long time, up to a maximum of two days.
So, we can say that the life of a louse from the moment the egg is born to the death of the individual is up to two months maximum, provided that it exists on the human body.
Habitat of louse on a person
A louse is a parasite that is not adapted to exist without a person and his blood. Insects that parasitize the human body are not able to exist on other types of mammals. That is, the human louse lives only on a person and cannot survive on another animal. The only type of food for individuals is blood. Lice do not feed on hair, as some misguided people believe. Such an opinion could arise due to the fact that the louse clings tightly to the hair in order not to fall off the person when he is carrying out hygiene procedures or just scratching his head.
There are three types of human lice in nature:
- head;
- pubic;
- linen.
Head individuals parasitize on the human head, in preference - long hair. Insect transmission is possible from one carrier to a new host with minimal contact. And how long do lice live outside the head and body of a person without access to food? Duringmoving from one person to another, the maximum life span is up to forty-eight hours. The parasite must be fed or it will die. Lice feed for 24 hours, with numerous bites caused by parasites.
The pubic parasite infects areas with coarse hair. It can be a mustache, eyebrows or eyelashes, as well as the axillary region and vegetation on the human genitals. The route of transmission of such lice is sexual or contact.
Dressed type of insect lives on human clothes, in dirty bed linen, especially in its folds and seams. The parasite moves from tissue to person to saturate with blood. In the process of evolution, parasites have adapted to the environment so much that it is not so easy to get rid of them by conventional means.
How to deal with lice and nits
The fight against parasites can be done in several ways. It can be specialized preparations or folk methods. However, the most effective are special means - insecticides. However, their use has a number of contraindications. These are pregnancy, childhood, allergies and asthma. In such cases, softer agents can be used. Or resort to natural recipes. At the same time, one should remember how much lice live outside the human head - up to 48 hours.
Natural pest control products include:
- cranberry juice;
- vegetable oil;
- tansy decoction;
- juice or decoction of wild rosemary and wild rosemary;
- cosmetic hairspray.
When these products are applied to the hair, lice and nits die, after which they are usually combed out with a comb. If the louse managed to be combed out, but it is still alive, then you should remember how many lice live outside the head. It depends on how quickly the insect gets on the person again. Therefore, all combed individuals should be destroyed immediately.
How to avoid infestation with lice
The process of getting rid of lice is quite unpleasant, so you should follow some rules to avoid infection with parasites:
- do not use other people's personal hygiene products of the head and jewelry (towels, combs, combs, hairpins);
- keep hygiene;
- systematically check all family members for lice infection;
- don't wear other people's hats.
By following these simple precautions, you can save yourself and your loved ones from such an unpleasant disease as pediculosis. After all, everyone now knows how many lice live outside the head and body of a person.
