photo courtesy of Nancy Pfund, Lice Happens

Let’s just get this out of the way: This is not going to be a fun article to read. No cute restaurant reviews or shopping trip ideas here. Nope, we need to talk about bugs. Specifically, we’re going to talk about head lice and bed bugs. Hang in there, reader… we’ll get through this together!

Fun (and Not-So-Fun) Facts

Both head lice and bed bugs are blood-sucking insects that don’t mind having humans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Head lice live on the head (usually the scalp, but might have a vacation home in your brows or lashes). Bed bugs live on furniture, often in blankets and mattresses, and will bite you while you sleep whether you “let them” or not!

Nancy Pfund is the owner and co-founder of Lice Happens, a company that provides in-home head lice treatment. She said, “Neither head lice nor nits (lice eggs) are white; they are tan to brown. Nits may sometimes appear white because the egg casings can reflect light.” And according to the CDC, “Adult head lice are roughly 2-3 mm long (about the size of a sesame seed).” Bed bugs are reddish-brown, oval-shaped, and have a more flattened look. They are about 5 mm long, so a bit bigger than head lice. Head lice are not the same species as body lice or pubic lice, and bed bugs are not the same species as scabies or carpet beetles, just to clear that up. Head lice and bed bugs are both considered “nuisance” conditions, and neither are known to spread disease.

Even though they won’t make you sick, they’ll make you itch. Bed bug bites will give you itchy red welts on the skin, which develop typically a day after they chow down. Lice, on the other hand (or head), might live on you for a few weeks before you start to feel like scratching. Other symptoms may include anxiety and sleeplessness, which you can put down to the heebie-jeebies (which is what I have from writing this article).

While both head lice and bed bugs are somewhat easy to catch and spread, it’s not as easy as you might think. Neither species can jump or fly, so you can breathe a sigh of relief about that. They’re hitchhikers who need to crawl from one area onto another.

“Head lice infestations are typically associated with young children (think preschool through elementary school). This is because young children typically have small ‘personal space bubbles’ in which they interact with each other. This behavior puts children’s heads near each other A LOT, which in turn increases their risk of overlapping hair-to-hair contact, allowing adult head lice to cross over the ‘bridge’ of hair that is created,” said Pfund.

Creepy Crawly Critters on the Rise

Cases of both bed bugs and head lice are up more than usual. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says, “[T]he recent increase in bed bugs in the United States may be due to more travel, lack of knowledge about preventing infestations, increased resistance of bed bugs to pesticides, and ineffective pest control practices.”

As for head lice, they’re “always happening,” Pfund said, “but we have noticed an interesting behavioral dynamic that appears to be contributing to an increase in cases of head lice, notably in older children. While older children’s personal space bubbles typically grow larger as they age, smart phones and similar devices are bringing their heads closer together again (think selfies and watching short videos together on one device). Older children contracting head lice from younger siblings are now more likely to expose head lice to their besties they’re closely interacting with.”

But gone are the days of everyone in your school lining up for scalp checks. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses have changed their recommendations, leading to new policies in schools. To prioritize school attendance for children, the county has a No Live Lice Policy. “When students are found to have live lice or nits less than 1/4 inch from the scalp, the parent will be notified. The student can remain in school or day care until the end of the day and must be treated with an over-the-counter or prescription insecticide shampoo before returning.”

Nancy Pfund wants to remind families that having lice shouldn’t make children or their parents feel ashamed. “[H]ead lice are spread typically through healthy social interaction. Head lice are not a personal hygiene issue or an indication of a dirty living environment.”

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Insecticide

But what should parents do if they hear about lice making the rounds at their kids’ schools? Pfund has a few suggestions:

Repellent spray, while “not a suit of armor…may be enough to discourage a head louse from crossing over a hair bridge to another head.”
Pull back long hair into a ponytail.
And “[r]unning a lice or nit comb through their children’s hair is a better method to detect head lice than a visual check.”

For bed bugs, the best way to avoid bringing them home is to be aware. The EPA has recommendations for travelers, including:

Pack your clothes in plastic bags inside your suitcase.
Inspect everywhere in your hotel room.
Keep luggage off the floor, the bed, or other furniture. Use a luggage rack, instead, when available.
Inspect everything as soon as you get home.
Wash your clothes and dry them with high heat.
Don’t store suitcases under your bed at home.

Bye-Bye Bugs

Let’s say it’s happened…your little one has come home with some new friends. Or your vacation rental gave you some souvenirs.

First, don’t panic. This is the time for action.

Bed bugs are the more serious problem. While lice won’t live on anything but a five-star human scalp resort, bed bugs aren’t so picky. Your beloved family cat or dog are perfectly acceptable for a bed bug. And, of course, they’re happy to wait for a delicious host anywhere in your fabrics.

If you want to deal with the problem yourself, prepare for battle. The EPA says, “Treating bed bugs is complex and can take weeks to months, depending on the extent of the infestation.” They are resilient, known to come back again and again after people think the problem is solved. But it’s not impossible. Extreme heat, extreme cold, vacuuming, and diatomaceous earth (food grade, not pool/garden grade), can help combat the little guys.

However, if you don’t want ‘bed bug eliminator’ to be your full-time job, there are several exterminators in the area:

Head lice removal won’t need quite as much of a long-term commitment. You can wash both your hair and your children’s hair with over-the-counter or prescription shampoos, then comb out nits and live lice. According to Annapolis Pediatrics’ website, “Three options are available over-the-counter: permethrin 1% lotion, pyrethrin-based shampoo, and ivermectin 0.5% lotion.”

Some lice can become resistant to treatments, and another method is required. Maybe it’s time to call in the nitpicking pros:

Lice Happens—a company founded in Annapolis
Lice Doctors
Lice Clinics of America
The Lice Chicks

Lice Happens’ website states that they will come to your home and inspect each family member, treat hair, thoroughly comb out the bugs and eggs, educate everyone, and offer tools and removal products. You’ll be an expert in no time!

I know, I know…you’re probably yelling at your screen, “Stop saying lice!” Both head lice and bed bugs can be distressing—and bed bugs in particular can be traumatizing—but you’re not without options or help. Arm yourself with knowledge so you’re ready to protect your family when the time comes.