Just the thoughts of having lice in your Iowa or Omaha home can be enough to make anyone’s skin crawl. These tiny little mites can infect your skin and scalp, causing intense itching that can result in a rash developing around your hairline. While lice will not make you sick and they don’t spread disease, these pesky little creatures need to be removed as soon as they are detected.
To ensure your home is kept lice-free, it’s vital that you take preventative measures to keep lice out of your house. However, if lice do find their way into your home, it’s critical that you can identify that it is lice that you are dealing with. Below, our team of lice removal experts at Genie Pest Control has outlined three of the most common lice stages so you can recognize a lice problem and take the necessary steps to resolve it.
What You Need To Know About Lice
Lice are a particular type of insect, known as a parasite. This means that they need human blood to stay alive. There are three main types of lice; head lice, pubic lice, and body lice. Head lice are the most common and typically stay close to the scalp and behind your ears, where they hide easily. Although less common, lice may also be found on your eyebrows or eyelashes. If you find lice, be sure to take action as soon as possible to get these pesky things under control. They can spread quickly to other members of your household if left untreated, so we recommend doing a treatment on each person of your home and calling us for our lice removal services as soon as you see the first signs of lice.
Our Iowa and Omaha lice removal experts know that it can be stressful in knowing what lice might look like and what level a lice infestation might be at, so below, we have provided the three most common descriptions of lice;
Lice Eggs, or Nits
Lice eggs are difficult to see due to their incredibly small size. Each lice egg, or nit as they are often called, is only about the size of a pinhead. They are typically oval in shape and will either be white, yellow or the same color as your hair. Nits can often be confused with dandruff, which is a different condition entirely. Lice eggs hatch within ten days, leaving clear grey-colored shells behind, which stick to the first one or two inches of your hair, nearest to your scalp.
If you have lice eggs or nits, it’s recommended to hire a lice removal expert immediately as we can get rid of these pesky pests quickly and quietly.
Nymphs
Baby lice are known as nymphs. After they have hatched, nymphs will feed on blood from your scalp for between ten and fourteen days. Nymphs move quickly and tend to avoid the light. You may notice mites appearing on your skin, hair, and anything your head has come into contact with. Nymphs are tricky to spot, but with a keen eye for detail, they can be identified. If you spot one or more nymphs, call Genie Pest Control at (712) 325-0808 for Iowa or (402) 346-7810 for Omaha. Immediate action is needed, so these do not spread to other community environments such as schools, stores, even car seats.
Adult Lice
Measuring about two to three millimeters in length, adult lice are a grey-white color. They are often toned to match your hair color, so they are more difficult to see. Fully-grown lice have six legs complete with claws at the end of each to allow these mites to latch onto your hair with ease. Adult lice need human blood to survive and can live for up to one month when attached to your hair or scalp. Detached from your head, they will die in one to two days unless they find a new host. Same as above, we recommend getting in touch with our lice removal experts if you see adult lice as they can inspect your home to see if the adult lice came together with a handful of other adult lice or if it was just once lice then transferred to your scalp.
Remove Lice From Your Home For Good
Here at Genie Pest Control, our Iowa and Omaha lice removal experts have the skills, knowledge, and expertise to help you to make your Iowa or Omaha home a lice-free zone. Get in touch with our team at Genie Pest Control, and let us help you eliminate lice from your house for good.