Head lice live for around 30 days and will spend their entire life on a human ‘host’ (this may be one or more people over its lifetime).
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The Eggs |
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The female louse, once fertilised by a male louse, will a number of eggs, carefully gluing each one to the base of the hair shaft where the temperature is right. After approximately 7 days a nymph will emerge from the egg leaving behind an empty egg shell (the nit) that remains glued in position. |
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The Nymph |
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Once hatched, the nymph will go through three stages of development, shedding its skin (moulting) each time (every three days). After approximately 10 days the louse becomes an adult and is able to start the reproduction cycle again. |
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The Adult Louse |
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The adult louse will live for a maximum of 30 days, feeding and reproducing on the scalp. Females can lay 5-10 eggs per day but will lay fewer, as she gets older. |
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Aside from dying of old age, there are several other ways a louse can die: combing, brushing, braiding and generally disturbing the hair may damage them physically but won’t kill them off completely. To find out more about treating head louse infections go to the Treatment section.
Education
Click here to download an infants educational colouring in poster.