Lice FAQs: Here’s What You Need to Know About Lice Treatment & Removal
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Lice FAQs

Finding lice in your hair, or of a loved one, can be a horrifying experience. Lice are hardy, tough to remove, and potentially carry threatening diseases. A louse-infected person can infect many others, such as in crowded M>Trams or Melbourne trains. However, adequate precautions and treatment can bring life back to normal.

Here are a few facts you absolutely need to know.


Q. How are head lice spread?

Lice cannot jump, so they can only spread from head to head. This often happens in crowded places like Melbourne's trams, buses and trains. At home they easily spread between family members. They can also spread if people use a sofa, bed or chair within a very short time of someone infected using them.

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Q. How do I get rid of lice in my home?

You don't treat the home, but those inside it. Headlice don't survive outside human heads for very long. However, if the members of your home all have lice, there may be nits and live adults shed from the hair. Alongside treating your family members, thoroughly vacuum the home, brush carpets and scrub floors. Pesticide sprays are unnecessary. If you think the infection is severe, ask for someone from Protech Pest control for an inspection.

Q. My child's school has lice. What should I do?

Locate and quarantine lice-infected children and get medical help to rid them of lice. Ensure that classrooms are scrubbed clean.

If you suspect lice in your children's school, ensure they carry everything they need and do not share them with anyone else, or borrow anything from anyone. Especially handkerchiefs and other cloth items, lunch boxes etc.

Q. How long do lice live on mattress?

Lice can only survive on human heads - where they can hide among the hairs and suck human blood. However, for very short periods, they may harbour on furniture, mattresses, pillows, cushions etc after someone who has lice in their hair has rested on them. If you suspect someone with lice has used a bed (such as in a hotel) before you, ask for it to be changed with fresh ones.

Q. How Do You Treat and Prevent Head Lice?

No over-the-counter treatment has been shown to be 100% effective against headlice through scientific tests. Many treatments, including oils, shampoos and 'natural' products contain pesticides, that apart from causing collateral damage to your scalp and hair, can cause pesticide-resistance in the lice. People with asthma, epilepsy, brain tumours, cancer or AIDS are recommended not to use them as they can cause allergic reactions among other complications.

Alongside an approved anti-lice shampoo, we also recommend using a louse-comb on wet hair to manually remove lice and nits.

Q. How long does it take to kill lice in the dryer?

One spin at high heat will do.

Q. How do you kill lice on clothes?

Boil the clothes, or wash them at high temperature.

Q. How do you know if your child has lice?

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Look out for:

  1. Your child complaining of ticklish scalp or things moving in the hair
  2. Itching the scalp because of the allergic reaction to lice bites
  3. Sores on the head
  4. Trouble with sleeping

Give us a Call
If you have a question we haven't answered, please call Protech Pest Control and we'll be happy to answer it as best as we can.

Call us from anywhere in Melbourne on 1300 780 980


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