Lice infestation, known as pedicular, is not a matter of personal hygiene, because plain old soap or shampoo won't detach the little insects. These little critters the size of a sesame seed cement their eggs to hair strands. Because of their adhesiveness, specially treated solutions must be used to detach the lice and their eggs. Itching is the No. 1 indication of lice, and that means lice are biting and sucking blood from the scalp. Nits, which are louse eggs, also need to be combed out of the hair.
Nits hatch in about one week, and the females are capable of laying eggs less than two weeks later.
Families need to take precautions to rid their home of lice and to inspect other family members. People don't have to worry about pets because lice don't feed from animals. Concern about pesticides has directed companies, including Heartland Products Inc., to market new treatment methods such as Lice Arrest, an-enzyme based solution. The substance devours the exoskeleton and helps wash away nits from hair shafts. Hughes said that in her 15 years as a school nurse, she generally sees the younger students with lice.