Head lice prefer to live on the hair of the head although they have been known to wander to other parts of the body.
Body lice tend to aggregate where clothing most frequently touches the skin.
Body louse nymphs spend the greater part of their time in the clothing, and feeding on the host only takes place when the host is resting or sleeping. All stages of the body louse congregate together, being attracted to each other by smell, e.g., the odor of the excrement. Body lice crawl about the clothing, generally keeping close to the host's body, although in heavy infestations they may be seen crawling outside on the outer garments. Lice are most often transmitted from person to person by direct contact, and they can be easily dislodged from a lousy person onto an uninfested person. They are most often a problem in unsanitary conditions.