Lice Like a Warm Head During Chilly Winter Days - Davis, CA Patch

Lice Like a Warm Head During Chilly Winter Days - Davis, CA Patch:

Lice Like a Warm Head During Chilly Winter Days

As parents, we have all worried and wondered about it: lice. Just hearing the word makes you itchy and stressed. What parent doesn't dread getting that note sent home in their child's backpack that there has been a case of lice in the classroom?
With winter being a particularly active time for outbreaks—thanks primarily to extra clothing like hats and coats that provide a convenient way for bugs to spread—we bring you some tips to help you survive an outbreak without losing your mind.
Lice (Pediculus capitis), tiny insects about the size of a sesame seed, are hardy creatures. They have been around since humans have been on this earth. Lice do not discriminate between male or female, if a person has more money or less money, young or old, clean or dirty. In fact, according to the Nit-Wits website, "lice thrive on clean hair." Lice need warm hosts to feed and reproduce. Lice are parasitic bugs that live only off of the blood of humans, and not on dogs or cats.
They are most often found in the hair (head lice), but there are also body lice. Lice move fast and tend to avoid light. In school-age children, lice are easily spread due to the close contact. Adult lice can live on the human