1. HEAD LICE What to look for, what to worry about, how to prevent or treat it, & where we stand!

2. What is head lice? Head lice are small, wingless parasitic insects. They are typically 1/6 to 1/8 inch long, brownish in color with darker margins. The claws on the end of each of their six legs are well adapted to grasping a hair strand. Head lice are small, wingless parasitic insects. They are typically 1/6 to 1/8 inch long, brownish in color with darker margins. The claws on the end of each of their six legs are well adapted to grasping a hair strand.

3. What does head lice look like?

5. It’s a FACT…

6. Head lice are parasites. They lay five or six eggs every day at the base of scalp hair shafts. Head lice are most often found behind the ears and at the back of the neck. Head lice never leave the head unless forced to do so. Head lice feed on blood every three to six hours. This feeding can cause itching, but most of the time there are no symptoms.

7. How do I check for head lice???

8. NATURAL 2. Search the head under bright, NATURAL light. 1. Find a comfortable area for you and the person you are checking. 3. Have the person you are checking sit down so you can easily maneuver around him/her while checking for lice.

9. 4. Put on gloves…for safety 5. Ask the person you are checking to take down their hair, and remove any head coverings

10. 5. Begin at the nape (bottom) of the neck and work your way up. Lice and eggs can be anywhere on the head but they do prefer warmer places to hide. The lower hairline is a good place to start. 6. Using either your fingers or a tail comb, slowly part the hair down the middle, from the crown to the nape of the neck. Check the part for eggs on the hair shaft (small white specks attached to the hair shaft) or adult lice. The eggs will be well attached and should only be able to be removed by scraping off the hair with your finger nail.

11. 7. Once the first section is checked, part the hair either to the left or right of your original part in very small sections. Check this new parting for eggs and adult lice. 8. Repeat this process throughout the entire back of the head, paying extra attention to the warmer spots at the nape, hairline and close to the ears. 9. When the entire back portion of the head is complete, part the camper’s hair from the crown to the front hairline and repeat the process for the front of the hair.

12. 10. Look for small white-to-yellow specks the size of poppy seeds, and for adult lice moving quickly away from the light. To distinguish between lice eggs and dandruff, try to dislodge them with a fine-toothed comb. If they are resistant to removal, they are probably eggs.

13. Common Head Lice Myths Exposed!

14. You are more likely to find nits on a head than actual adult lice, an adult louse can move very quickly, and when exposed to light they will scatter since they prefer dark places All children with lice DO NOT itch and scratch, an infestation may take 4-6 weeks to produce any sort of actual itching Lice DO NOT jump or fly from head to head. It is very easy for the bug to become dislodged from hair that does give the appearance of flying. The nits however are very hard to move off the shaft of the hair. Lice CANNOT live away from the body for more than 24 hours but the eggs can survive for up to two weeks. Head lice DO NOT care about the length of your hair or how clean or dirty it is. They actually prefer the cleaner hair because it is easier to grasp. Head lice DO NOT carry any disease. However they can make the skin itch and persistent scratching can cause skin infections.

15. What are we going to do about it?

16. If you find a camper with head lice during a lice check OR during a session: 1.We have a no nit policy here at camp. 2.If you find a camper with head lice during a check the camper is required to leave camp and if possible they may return the following day IF they are nit free. Another lice check must be done upon arrival the day they return.

17. ANY QUESTIONS?