There is only one species of feline lice: Felicola subrostrata, also called feline chewing louse. This louse will get up to 1.3 mm long and is characterized by its triangular head. As a biting lice, it is quite peaceful as it eats skin flakes, etc. This does not usually bother the cat. However, biting lice […]
Lice in dogs
Dogs can have two different species of lice. One is a blood-sucking kind of louse, and the other is a biting kind of louse. The sucking louse, linagnathus setosus, sucks blood like the lice found on people. It lives on dogs and foxes and never bites humans. This species of canine lice can grow to […]
Control
The treatments used against crab lice are the same as the once you use to eradicate head lice and body lice. Shampoos are most suitable because they do not sting the thin-skinned places. Apply on the body and on the scalp hair and eyebrows if these are also infected, however, do not apply on the […]
Detection
Many people only experience a little itching discover the crab lice by accident. For other, itching, especially in the crotch, is an outstanding symptom of crab lice. Itching in the groin area can have many other causes (among the animals, the flagellate Trichomonas vaginalis or pin worm Oxyuris vermicularis, may cause itching. These two kinds […]
Spreading of crab lice
Crab lice are spread by intimate contact – either through intercourse or simply by sharing a bed with an infected person. However, there are cases of crab lice which cannot be explained by intercourse or sharing a bed. The lice rarely leave their host but they cause itching which can result in them being scratched […]
Crab louse bites
The crab louse does not move much. When it has chosen its sucking place, it keeps the mouth inside the skin – also in the periods where it does not suck blood. Crab lice suck blood almost all the time. That is probably why they do not tolerate being away from their host for long […]
Occurrence
The crab louse has adapted to sparse hair. The scalp hairs are too close (about 220 hairs / cm 2). The pubic hair (about 34 hairs / cm 2) is better suited for crab louse. The crab louse primarily live in pubic hair but is also seen in the hair on the chest and in […]
Biology
An adult female lives about a week. It lays three nits a day and only mate once in her short lifetime. The nits hatch after 7-8 days. The three nymph stages lasts a total of 13-17 days. The total development time from nit to nit is therefore 20-25 days.
The crab louse
The crab louse is called Phthirus pubis or pubic lice. It’s easy to tell the difference between human lice and crab lice. The human louse has a large abdomen. The abdomen of the crab louse is wider than it is long and has small protuberances on each side. Crab louse nits are smaller than those […]
The body louse
The body louse, Pediculus humanus corporis, is similar to the head louse. The differences that separate it from the head louse are small and uncertain. Even specialists may find it difficult to distinguish between the two subspecies. Body lice lay their nits in the clothes etc. we wear on the body. One can assume that […]
Lice control
Lice can be killed between two nails or between the front teeth. It takes a pinch of approx. l kg. Mechanical methods such as these have been used for millennia. Combing the hair with a fine-tooth comb can be an effective method; however, this method can be both painful and laborious. These methods plus shaving […]
Spreading of head lice
Head lice are transmitted by direct contact between human heads. Other ways of transmission is highly unlikely. In what stage of a lice infestation, lice is most infectious is not known. Biologically speaking, it is logical that the lice migrate as soon as possible, once they have established themselves in the head, and when they […]
Detection
To detect lice requires experience, patience and good eyesight. It is important that as many people as possible have this experience – especially in periods with very few lice infestations. The lice should be shown to others; however, respect and consideration of the infected person should be kept in mind. Lice. If moving lice are […]
Suspicion of head lice
The five different indications listed here, each contributes to the suspicion that there are lice in the hair. Suspicion should not result in a headlong eradication process; however, it can be a cause for inspection. 1. If you see one or more small, red patches on the scalp especially behind the ears the back of […]
Life cycle
Head lice glue their eggs (called nits) to the base of the hairs. The glue hardens within 20 seconds, and then is insoluble. The glue is made up of a substance which – chemically speaking – is similar to hair. The nits are laid one by one and are quite large compared to the lice. […]
Lice bites
A louse about to suck, stations itself with the body perpendicular to the skin. A short tube appears from the mouth. It has many small and sharp chitin teeth in the front of the tube. They act as barbs when the louse head is anchored to the skin. Then three long, elastic rods are shot […]
Occurrence
In scalp hair, the lice mainly keep to the quietest areas: In the neck and behind the ears. Age and sex. Lice are not equally common to all people. In young children – under 4 years – head lice are seen equally often among boys and girls. As children get older lice are more common […]
The head louse
The head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis, is a small, flat and elongated insect. The adult females measure 2.4 to 3.3 mm in length. Lice in other stages of their life and the males are smaller. In the front, there is a small head with a mouth and two antennae and two simple eyes. The chest […]
Lice
Lice form an insect order Anoplura, or sucking lice, that do not have close relations to other insects. Lice are bloodsuckers. They live in the fur of mammals but not all kinds of mammals. They only live on one family of predators, namely the Canidae. Pediculus humanus is a species of louse that infects humans. […]
Biting lice
( Latin: Mallophaga ) These insects are somewhat similar in appearance to the true lice, but the head is broader, they usually have two claws on each leg, and they do not suck blood.They feed by gnawing fur and feathers and also scraps of skins. They do not affect man. Biting lice attach their eggs firmly […]
Dog louse
( Latin: Linognathus setosus ) Although very similar to the human louse, there is very little chance of a human becoming infested with dog lice. Like their relatives these parasites are very much tied to their own specific host. They mostly live on the back, flanks and at the root of the tail of dogs. In […]
Crab louse
(Latin: Phthirius pubis) A crab louse is almost as broad as it is long. Its ‘claws’ are extraordinarily well developed and together with the shape of the body give it a crab-like appearance. Its preferred habitat is among the body hairs and particularly among the pubic hairs. The large claws are well adapted for gripping […]
Head louse
(Latin: Pediculus humanus var. capitis) The head louse attaches its eggs firmly to hairs close to the scalp. The eggs are extremely tenacious and can only be removed from the hair by using a fine comb and much effort. Even frequent washing of the hair may not be sufficient to remove them. The empty eggshells […]
Body louse
( Latin: Pediculus humanus var. corporis ) Found only on the body and in clothing, the body louse lays its eggs in the seams and in similar sheltered places. It is somewhat hardier than the head louse and at 23° C it can live for 4 days without access to blood. The best conditions for […]