Linen (bed) lice - what they look like, symptoms of appearance, how long they live and how to treat

Body louse - structure, life cycle, reproduction, nutrition, habitat

Body lice have been parasitic for 70,000 years, they are dangerous insects, they carry various diseases - typhus, fever and others.

Life cycle – 16 days. An adult female can lay up to 10 eggs per day, that is, about 300 in her entire life. The life expectancy of the parasite is 1.5 months.

Life cycle:

• larvae are laid;
• hatching process;
• after the first molt a nymph is formed;
• the nymph molts two more times;
• the larva becomes an adult.

Lice reproduce sexually.

Video: body lice (lice)

Linen (bed) louse

People often call the body louse (pediculus humanus coroporis) a linen louse. The peculiarity of parasites is that they are not found in the hair, like other similar insects. But they still bring enough problems.

This is interesting: humanity has been familiar with insects for a long time. Dried parasites have been found on Egyptian and Indian mummies. The earliest records of them are from Aristotle (about 2500 years ago).

On the left is a fossil louse. On the right is its modern descendant

general description

Bed (linen) insects live for about a month. Females about 45 days, males up to 30 days. This period is enough for approximately 140 eggs to appear. After emerging from the egg, the nit drinks blood, goes through the molting stage, and turns into a nymph. After 4–5 days, the second and third moults occur; after 8 days, the nymph becomes an adult parasite.

Lice go through several stages in their short lifespan.

They eat up to 5 times a day. Normal life activity, as well as the process of reproduction, is possible at temperatures from +15 to +60. If the temperature drops below the specified parameters or rises above, the parasites will die.

This is interesting: more than 500 insects belong to the suborder of lice, but only 3 of them parasitize humans.

Appearance

The body is small, no more than 3 mm. The female is usually larger than the male. The insect has no wings, the body is elongated, and the abdomen is almost transparent. When the parasite drinks blood, it turns red. The louse has 3 pairs of legs with tenacious claws. There are no wings.

The female (B) can be 1.5 times larger than the male (A)

Video: body lice (lice)

Linen lice larvae

Linen lice larvae feed only on blood, so they can be found in the same places where adult lice live.

• Insects attach eggs, called nits, to the fibers of the fabric they live on or to hairs on human skin.
• Only the hatched larva measures less than 0.5 millimeters.
• After molting, the larva acquires the features of an adult insect and gradually grows in size.
• At the larval stage, the insect has a color from dirty yellow to brownish-transparent.

To prevent the parasites from returning

Fighting bed lice is more difficult than preventing their appearance. To prevent re-infestation, it is recommended to avoid visiting unsanitary places and contact with people who could potentially be carriers of pests. Here are four more tips to prevent relapse.

1. “No” to other people's things. Do not use someone else's bedding or wear someone else's clothes.
2. Quarantine. When purchasing a previously worn item, place the item in the freezer for several days, and then wash it with laundry soap, adding 3-5 ml of ammonia.
3. Change of linen. Change your underwear daily and change other clothes as often as possible.
4. Useful "flavors". Place “bouquets” of dry tansy or milkweed, or cotton pads moistened with lavender or tea tree oil, on the shelves of the cabinets. Pests cannot tolerate these odors.

Body lice, like any other insects, die in steam-formalin chambers - such devices are used for disinfection and disinfestation of clothing, which is then sold in second-hand stores. The average person can simply take their clothes to the dry cleaner. However, this method is quite expensive, so knowing how to get rid of body lice can save you a lot.

Video on the topic

How to determine that body lice have appeared in an apartment?

The size of the parasite is up to 5 mm, females are larger than males and can lay up to 300 eggs in one month, 14 per day. What does this evil look like? The body of the louse is transparent, elongated, with a smooth abdomen and long spider legs. It also looks like a small transparent spider. When it lands on clothing, the insect secretes a sticky substance and thus becomes attached to the folds of the fabric.

Where do body louse like to nest:

• The louse prefers damp, dirty nooks, trying to find the warmest place. Therefore, first of all, it hides in the folds of clothing and in the seams, closer to the human body.
• In the closet you need to examine all the nooks and crannies where parasites like to nest.
• Carefully check seams and folds in all linens, paying special attention to hard-to-reach corners of pillowcases and duvet covers.
• At high temperatures and humidity, the rate of reproduction and growth of the entire colony increases.
• In the bathroom, under conditions of high humidity, lice begin to multiply rapidly. A basket of dirty laundry is an ideal incubator.

Important. Insects are not afraid and even love moisture; the nit of this parasite lives in water for up to two days. This is why simple washing will not help get rid of body lice.

• Bed lice love the seams and folds of mattresses and upholstered furniture, so complete disinfection of all upholstered furniture is necessary when the parasite is detected.
• These insects prefer clothing that comes into contact with the body (underwear, bedding, towels). Since the louse feeds on blood, like a vampire, it “follows” the scent of its prey.
• The parasite is indifferent to woolen items, and is also not partial to coarse synthetics.

How to recognize that this particular parasite has settled in the apartment?

Linen lice: photo, characteristics, living conditions

An interesting fact is that linen lice are gradually evolving into an independent species, currently being a subspecies of head lice and having the ability to mate with them. They only live on certain types of fabrics, for example, they will never live in clothes made of wool, and all due to the fact that people do not wear woolen clothes directly on their bodies. Also, these insects really do not like silk and other smooth clothes, but they will feel comfortable on cotton and linen.

These insects live only on humans; animal blood is not suitable for them. They are not able to go without food for a long time; a day of hunger can become a critical time for them. In order to always have the opportunity to eat, insects are constantly near the human body in order to immediately have a snack as soon as the need arises, and it occurs about 5 times a day. By the way, one of the main methods of removing head lice is based on their fasting. If the clothes that these insects have chosen as their home are not worn within 5 days, the parasites die.

People whose wardrobe is quite diverse have reliable protection against infection by these insects, because even if a louse accidentally gets on an item of clothing, it may well die while the person is not using it. From this we can conclude that linen lice are permanent residents on the clothes of homeless people and other asocial elements. A declassed lifestyle is a guarantee of infection with linen lice.

What do linen lice bites look like on the human body (photo)

The bites of such parasites look like tubercles. You can see a red dot in the center. Here blood appears, which subsequently coagulates. When linen lice are found on the body, what do their bites look like? You can answer this question if you have an idea of ​​the principle of inserting the proboscis into the epidermis. The nature of the formations upon contact with parasites (a lump with dried blood) is due to the fact that the louse also introduces part of the head under the skin.

This is explained by the structure of the oral apparatus: the proboscis is not long enough, which forces the parasite to get to the blood vessel in such an unusual way.

As a result, after removing the head, a fairly large wound remains. This causes a few drops of blood to appear on the skin. When it dries, you can see a bump with a red dot in the center. Moreover, bite marks from linen lice are localized in different places, chaotically. To better imagine what lice bites look like, you can look at the photo. This will allow you to independently determine which pest attacked in the future.

How to distinguish lice bites from other insect bites

Linen lice bites are in many ways similar to the bites of other insects, and a single papule can easily be confused with a bite from, for example, a bedbug. But if you look at the picture as a whole, you can find differences:

• Linen lice bites differ from bedbug bites in the absence of obvious chains of wounds. During feeding, each bug tries to make several bites at a distance of several centimeters from one another. Each louse bites only in one place, and there are no signs of order in the location of the wounds on the body.
• Lice bites can be distinguished from flea bites by their painlessness. Flea bites at the moment of blood sucking are very sensitive and resemble a puncture of the skin with a needle. Lice bites begin to be clearly felt only some time after the parasite has already left the wound. In addition, traces of a flea feast also in some places line up in characteristic short paths, which almost never happens with lice bites.
• Tick ​​bites differ well from linen lice bites in size - after the tick detaches, a large and hard lump, similar to swelling, usually remains. In addition, the tick usually sucks blood from several hours to several days, and it can be easily detected at the site of the bite. Lice feed for a few minutes at most.
• It is easiest to confuse lice bites with mosquito bites. However, mosquito bites usually do not show a hole mark like lice. In addition, linen lice bite only under clothing, and if bite symptoms similar to those shown in the photo below appeared in places covered by pajamas or nightwear, these were most likely linen lice.

Sometimes lice bites are confused with scabies (caused by scabies mites). However, with scabies there are no visible signs of skin puncture at all, and such misconceptions usually occur with scabies in places that are not visible to the victim - on the neck, under the shoulder blades, between the buttocks.

Biology of insects

First, let's find out what linen lice look like. In appearance they are similar to head parasites - they have the same small body, the length of which reaches 3 mm. There are no wings, the abdomen is elongated, painted in a very light almost white color, after saturation, when blood enters the digestive tract, it acquires a red sometimes brown tint. If you look closely, along the edges of the abdomen you can discern the presence of a figured border, which appears after the stomach is released due to compression of the abdomen.

The larvae of these insects are very similar to their adult relatives, only they are smaller in size. And underwear nits are practically no different from head nits, but the former can only be found in clothing: in folds, bends, at the bottom and in the inner corners of pockets. But it is quite difficult to see them with the naked eye, since their body length is only 1.5 mm. Especially when the color of the clothes matches the color of the nits.

Linen lice try to stay in groups. It is their clusters that attract attention. Outwardly, the parasites gathered together look like small white grains, but if you look more closely, you can distinguish their powerful legs and understand that these are lice.

Where do they live and what do they eat?

These insects spend most of their time on clothing – there they breed and rest. They move onto the human body only to feed on blood. And since they live on their underwear, the food source is in close proximity to them.

White lice feed exclusively on human blood - they pierce the skin with their mouthparts, which have stylet-shaped projections, and inject a secretion that helps reduce blood clotting.

On a note! It is this secret that causes an allergic reaction in some people. With a large number of bites, the inflammation merges into bluish spots.

For the normal functioning of bed lice, certain conditions are necessary:

• the air is humid, with low humidity the parasites die when the thermometer exceeds +40°C or falls below +5°C;
• optimal temperature conditions with sufficient humidity for adult individuals range from 0 to +45°C;
• nymphs can remain viable in the temperature range from +5 to +40° Celsius;
• active reproduction occurs at an air temperature of +31°C.

The life cycle of adult lice takes approximately 40 days. If the ambient temperature drops, the insects become smaller and their life expectancy increases slightly.

How does infection occur?

These insects are unusually tenacious and can live in bedding, mattresses or crevices of wooden floors for years. Detecting an infection right away is almost impossible. Only after the parasites occupy several piles of linen in the closet and begin to rapidly multiply in the mattress can they be noticed.

It is a mistaken opinion that linen (body) lice are the lot of marginalized people. You can become infected in transport, in a store, and even in a queue. Wherever there is a large crowd of people and they touch each other's clothes, transmission of infection is possible.

Places where the risk of infection is highest:

• Bedding in long-distance trains (especially blankets and pillows, which are not always properly disinfected).
• Trying on clothes in a large shopping center or second-hand stores.
• When visiting a bathhouse, sauna or swimming pool, it is also quite possible to bring home this “gift”.
• Children often bring lice from camps and sanatoriums, along with parasites in their hair.
• In a hotel whose administration does not comply with established hygiene standards, there is also a risk of infection.
• In emergency hospitals, especially in the emergency department, do not leave items on chairs or benches. In such places, the risk of infection increases several times.

You shouldn’t go to extremes either; the percentage of the probability of infection with this type of parasite is no more than twenty.

Methods of infection

Where do linen lice come from? These parasites are transmitted between people in several ways:

• during physical contact, even if it is short-term;
• in crowded places where, one way or another, close contact occurs - public transport, crowds, kindergarten;
• when clothes are used by more than one person;
• when storing items of clothing together.

To avoid infestation with linen lice, it is better to avoid places where unclassed citizens are present, store personal belongings neatly and separately from everyone else if you are on vacation, and remain vigilant while on public transport.

Danger and possible consequences of infection

Body lice are dangerous due to the following consequences:

1. Night sleep disorder.
2. Decreased concentration.
3. Anxiety.
4. Violation of the integrity of the skin and the appearance of purulent wounds on them.
5. Skin roughening - the insect injects a substance under the skin that reduces blood clotting. If the bite occurs several times in the same place, excessive accumulation of melanin occurs. The area of ​​skin becomes rougher, changes color, and begins to peel off.
6. Allergy to saliva and other insect waste products.
7. Folliculitis, eczema - the result of scratching bites.

Lice are carriers of Volyn fever, tularemia, and typhus . Of course, nowadays these diseases are very rare, but they still should not be excluded.

Important! Diseases such as AIDS and viral hepatitis cannot be tolerated by lice.

What are bites? What they look like

The symptoms of linen lice lesions differ only slightly from the bites of other blood-sucking lice, but some features are still present. Basically, the specificity of their bites is expressed in the sensations of the one they bite. A linen louse can bite any part of the body that comes into contact with clothing - it could be arms, legs, back, etc. Other varieties of these parasites are not capable of this.

Symptoms and appearance of the bite

A person begins to suspect the presence of insects after lesions resembling insect bites appear on the body. It is very important to immediately determine which insect caused these lesions. After this, a decision should be made regarding measures to remove parasites. It is necessary to be able to distinguish the symptoms of lesions caused by lice in order to accurately determine the fact of their presence.

The bites of linen parasites are not much different from the bites of other insects - they are a red swelling that constantly itches and is located at some distance from other affected areas of the skin. Each swelling is crowned with a black dot - this is, in fact, a wound left by an insect when it punctures the skin. Through this hole the louse sucked blood.

A person will not immediately feel the bite, as the insect introduces a special enzyme for pain relief. At first, the bite is felt as a slight tingling sensation; it begins to itch only after a while, when the louse has already crawled to a safe distance.

The localization of bite sites is in the folds of clothing - armpits, lower back, etc. But this does not mean that these parasites do not bite other parts of the body; bite sites can be found anywhere. It must be said that the bites are very painful and very itchy. At the same time, the desire to scratch seems natural, but you need to control yourself in order to avoid the appearance of characteristic scratches on the body.

And now about the symptoms of linen lice in more detail:

• There is a red rash all over the body. This also applies to those areas where no bites were found. The whole body itches and hurts after scratching.
• Since the desire to scratch with head lice is inevitable, scars will eventually appear on the body; they can be deep.
• Pigment spots may form at the affected sites, indicating the presence of an allergic reaction in the infected person.
• In advanced cases, ulcers may well form on the body, which will certainly develop into pyoderma if a course of treatment is not carried out.
• Very advanced cases (happens to homeless people and other non-social elements) are characterized by thickening of the skin and its excessive pigmentation.

Usually people get rid of parasites at their first signs, but when proper measures are not taken for years, pediculosis goes into a neglected state, and this already threatens with serious consequences.

Characteristic signs of body lice bites

Of course, body lice bites are very similar to the bites of any other blood-sucking insect, but they still have their own characteristic signs:

1. If there is a whole path on the body consisting of bite sites, then this is a clear sign of the presence of bedbugs. These insects try to make as many punctures as possible. There is no sequence in the bites of linen lice; they bite only in one place.
2. Lice bites differ from flea bites in that they are much less painful. The fact is that nature did not take care of the secrecy of fleas, because they are very difficult to catch, but lice inject an anesthetic substance, since they are clumsy, and it is much more difficult for them to hide from persecution. In addition, flea bites, like bedbugs, are also located in the form of paths.
3. Wounds caused by lice differ from tick bites by being slightly painful. After a tick, significant swelling remains on the body. In addition, the tick, having attached itself to the human body, remains in one place for a very long time, while the time the lice eat does not exceed several minutes.
4. Lice bites can be confused with wounds left by mosquitoes, but mosquito bites do not have a black dot in the middle. And mosquitoes don’t bite under clothes, which, of course, cannot be said about linen lice.
5. If the body is very itchy, but there are no signs of punctures, then the cause is not lice, but most likely scabies mites.

What dangers do parasite bites pose?

We have already talked about the possibility of pyoderma, but this is not the only danger that lice bites can cause. Lice may well be carriers of fever and even typhoid. In ancient times, these diseases were a real disaster for all peoples, but today they remain only in undeveloped countries.

In addition, lice may well be carriers of rickettsia - these are very dangerous bacteria that can cause several diseases similar to each other. And in the tropics, lice carry many more diseases that are unknown in temperate countries. Therefore, there are a lot of diseases that can be caused by lice. Be sure to consult a doctor if you experience nausea, fever, or increased temperature while having lice; these may well be symptoms of diseases caused by lice bites.

Where can you “catch” the infection?

• Linen lice can change hosts during close contact between people.
• There is a high probability of infection in crowded places.
• If people share the same items of clothing, this can also cause infection.
• In places where used clothing is sold, the presence of parasites is also possible.
• Lice can stay in water for up to 2 days, so they can be “picked up” in public bathing areas, for example, in swimming pools.

Life activity

Bed lice need human blood to thrive. To do this, 3-4 times a day they crawl onto the body, pierce the skin, sucking out up to 5 µl at a time. When a linen louse bites, it secretes saliva containing enzymes that prevent blood clotting. These enzymes cause specific reactions on the skin: pain, irritation, allergies.

The lifespan of one individual is on average 38 days. Every day, a linen louse lays 12-15 eggs (nits), which amounts to several hundred over the entire period. The embryo turns into an adult sexually mature louse in 5-7 days. If apartment types of bedbugs are active at night, then the linen louse also bites during daylight hours.

They actively reproduce in warm conditions (+31…+32ºC), withstand temperature fluctuations from 0º to +40ºC. At moderate temperatures (+10...+20º C), linen louse survives without food for up to 1.5 weeks, nits - much longer. They die when heated above +44ºC.

Body louse development cycle.

How can a person become infected with linen lice?

Body lice are difficult to remove; it is easier to prevent their appearance. They crawl onto bedding, furniture, and various interior textiles. Knowing what laundry evil looks like, you can start fighting it in time.

In this regard, staying in hotels, baths, saunas, and health institutions, where they do not pay due attention to cleaning and disinfection, can become dangerous. On trains, lice can linger on poorly treated bedding, in the seams of pillows and mattresses.

Lice are transmitted through physical contact between people. This applies to both direct contact, such as hugging, and accidental touching while in a crowd. Lice can swim and can be contracted by swimming in a public pool or open water.

There are also risks in store fitting rooms and when sharing and storing clothing with people who have lice.

During hiking trips, when using a shared tent, or when children are in sports camps, there is a chance of picking up lice. In public transport, fabric-covered seats can harbor such unwanted passengers or harbor lice eggs.

For the same reason, you should be careful when buying furniture secondhand. If even one individual is detected, they begin to disinfect all items of use and the house as a whole. Such strict measures are due to the fact that lice multiply very quickly.

How to get rid of linen lice

When bed lice are detected, comprehensive control is necessary. You need to get rid of insects and nits that can be on the human body and on his things. If parasites are found in one of the family members, not only him, but all of them will have to be treated.

Firstly

It is necessary to destroy insects on clothes. To do this, it must be washed at temperatures above 40 degrees. To be on the safe side, you can pre-soak things in a pediculicide solution. After washing, you need to dry the clothes well, you can do it in the scorching sun or, conversely, in the cold. Then you should iron your clothes and linen on both sides with an iron. It is good to use a steam generator for processing.

If items cannot be washed in the usual way, they can be dry cleaned. If they are not subject to any processing at all, you need to put them in a sealed plastic bag and leave them there for 2 or 3 weeks. During this time, the parasites will die due to lack of food. Eggs laid during this time will not be able to develop and will die. After such imprisonment, the item must be thoroughly cleaned to remove insects, nits and traces of their presence.

You can also use the temperature method. For example, pillows, blankets, rugs can be taken out into the scorching sun or bitter cold. This is a folk method that does not lose its relevance. But things must be subjected to heat treatment for several hours.

Secondly

All furniture needs to be treated. For cleaning, you should use a steam generator or call special services that use professional cleaning products. Steam treatment is effective because it penetrates the entire thickness of the furniture and destroys insects that are deep under the upholstery.

Any home textiles and cabinet furniture should be treated with pediculicides. We recommend using preparations for the destruction of lice produced by MediLIS Laboratory LLC. All of them are effective against insects and nits, for the destruction of which one treatment is enough. There are preparations that can even be used to treat children over 5 years of age and their belongings.

Also, with insecticide solutions, you need to wash all floors and any surfaces in the room on which adult lice or eggs may remain.

Third

It is necessary to process all people living in this room. Despite the fact that body lice do not live on the human body, they can hide in hair, and nits can be found under skin flakes. On a person, a linen louse can survive difficult times, after which it will move to more comfortable conditions, where it will continue to live and reproduce. To ensure that you get rid of lice, you need to thoroughly wash your body and hair with pediculicidal products. To be on the safe side, comb your hair with a fine-toothed comb. That is, carry out the same treatment that is carried out when fighting head lice.

Considering that the incubation period for nits is 5–8 days, after a couple of weeks it is worth carefully inspecting the room, clothes and underwear to detect new individuals. Due to the small size of the eggs and their ability to survive difficult times in a state of suspended animation, it may turn out that even complex treatment does not destroy absolutely all nits. Therefore, additional checking and processing will not hurt.

Folk remedies

Ancient methods of fighting parasites have not lost their relevance. Previously, lice were treated with kerosene - they smeared the body with it and added it to the water when washing. Today such aggressive treatment is not used, but you can find many effective products that do not leave an unpleasant odor. Regular table vinegar (9%) diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio helps against insects. This solution is used to treat linen, clothing, hygiene items and personal items, and to wash floors and walls.

Turpentine, which dissolves the protective shell of linen parasites, has the same effect. People with hypersensitivity to strong chemical odors may be advised to use herbal infusions, such as tansy or milkweed. If you place dry twigs and leaves of fern, chamomile, tansy in the closet, their aroma will repel insects.

Bed lice cannot tolerate the smell of lavender and tea tree. A few drops of essential oil are added to water, poured into a spray bottle and treated with linen and clothes. Herbal decoctions can be added to the washing machine and wiped all the shelves and upholstery with them. After cleaning the room, be sure to take a hot bath.

Dust soap

A wonderful pediculicide, actively used by people. First, the soap is grated. The resulting shavings are dissolved in water and beaten. To completely remove lice, one treatment is sufficient. Remember that you need to carry out the processing procedure while wearing rubber gloves. Contact of dust soap with the skin is extremely undesirable. After the procedure, the laundry should be rinsed thoroughly. Do not neglect safety tips, as dust soap is a toxic substance.

Tar soap

This drug should be used like dust soap. Unlike the latter, tar soap does not pose a danger to human health. But the effectiveness of this remedy is much less.

Some herbs are also used against body lice, but it must be said that they are even less effective than tar soap, and they are used more as a prophylactic agent or for low degrees of infection.

You can wash infected laundry in mint decoction; the smell is simply disgusting to lice, but this remedy, of course, cannot be called effective. Lemon juice is also used to remove parasites; it is added in large quantities to the water in which contaminated laundry is washed. Also for this purpose, use an alcoholic infusion of angelica or a mint decoction.

Effective insecticidal preparations

It’s clear where pests come from, but not everyone knows how to quickly get rid of them. First, you need to wash and treat all things that the infected person has come into contact with. For this purpose, you can use a Karbofos solution prepared from 6 g of insecticide and 2 liters of hot water. Bed and underwear are soaked in the resulting product, applied to beds and chairs, and wiped all horizontal surfaces. After 40–50 minutes, the solution is washed off with clean water.

Some people advise adding Karbofos or kerosene to the washing machine, but this should not be done. You can soak clothes or linens in an insecticide solution, and then wash them at high temperatures and rinse. Boiling will help destroy parasites, and Karbofos can be replaced with the less toxic, effective Medifox. Outerwear, fur items, down jackets and feather pillows will have to be dry-cleaned, where they will be disinfected in a formalin-vapor chamber.

Then you need to start treating the body, for which you need to take a shower with any antiparasitic agent. For this purpose, special shampoos, ointments or sprays are used. The most popular means:

• con (effective against bedbugs, as well as fleas, cockroaches, scabies mites);
• lotion "Nittifor";
• means "Bubil";
• Pedilin shampoo;
• spray "Veda-2".

According to the instructions, prepare a solution or apply the preparations to clean skin for 20–40 minutes, wrapping the body in plastic wrap. After the allotted time, you can take a shower with soap or gel and rinse well with clean running water.

Complex treatment is carried out immediately, on the same day, to prevent re-infection. Washed and processed clothes are hung outside, where they are left to dry, and then carefully ironed.

A-par

This is perhaps the most effective drug. Its developers claim that it can get rid of not only lice, but also nits. Sold in aerosol form. It consists of two active components - Piperonibutoxide and Esdepalletrin. Before using the drug, things should be washed in the manner indicated above, after which the drug is sprayed over the entire surface of the clothing.

Akromed

The main active substance of this drug is Permethrin. It also contains kerosene, but there is no need to worry about the appearance of a characteristic odor. The drug is sold in the form of an emulsion, four liters of which is enough to treat 1 kilogram of things.

Forsyth

It is also a very effective drug, the main active ingredients of which are Permethrin and Fenthion. Sold in the form of an emulsion that requires preliminary preparation. 20 ml of the drug is diluted in a liter of water. To process a kilogram of things you will need 4 liters of ready-made solution. The treatment procedure requires repeating after a week.

Avicin

Active substance – Permethrin. To prepare the solution, take 1 part emulsion and 100 parts water. Soaking time for contaminated items is 25 minutes.

Celandine

The active substance of this drug is the same Permethrin. The drug is sold in the form of an emulsion, ready for use.

Solution

To get rid of linen mites forever, you need to deal with them correctly. Such parasites die at temperatures above 45 degrees or below 5 degrees . To destroy them, you must adhere to special rules:

• it is necessary to carry out washing at high temperatures in a timely manner;
• Linen should be dried outdoors, preferably in sunny weather;
• things should be ironed on both sides;
• It is recommended to treat clothes.

To get rid of linen mites, you need to maintain cleanliness. If you miss the moment of their appearance, then it can be very difficult to remove them later. There are quite a lot of drugs for lice. These can be sprays, solutions, concentrated products.

The fight against linen lice is as follows:

• The use of insecticidal sprays used to kill various parasites. Concentrates such as Methylacetaphos, Medifox, Pyrethrum have proven themselves to be quite good.
• Soaking bedding and things helps remove lice. For this they use such a wonderful product as tar oil. Its specific smell discourages insects from any desire to be in the place that was treated with this soap. This remedy is used as an antiseptic; it relieves itching well.
• Washing in boiling water, as well as boiling, helps eliminate parasites. To do this, use high-quality products for washing and drying clothes. As soon as the items are dry, they are ironed with a hot iron.
• In severe frost, you can hang your clothes outside so that they freeze out within three days.
• Sprinkling things with special powders is considered a fairly effective way. Things should be placed in plastic bags, sprinkled with powder and closed. Clothes should remain in this condition for two days.

Traditional medicine helps get rid of linen mites . In the closet with clothes, as well as next to the bedding, you need to hang bags that are filled with plants such as milkweed, tansy, and fern. In addition, if a person regularly changes their underwear, then the ticks do not have the opportunity to feed, and they die within a week.

Thus, if a person notices traces of linen lice bites on his body, then under no circumstances should he comb them, otherwise he may become infected. Various means help get rid of them. It is forbidden to self-medicate, as this is very dangerous and can only aggravate the situation.

Help with bites

Having discovered bed lice bites on a person, the following tips will help alleviate the victim’s condition.

1. The first thing that means treating linen lice bites is maintaining hygiene. It is necessary to take a hot shower, thoroughly washing off any parasites that have entered the body. In some cases, pediculicidal drugs with antiparasitic properties are used, which are used according to the instructions. Wash off the composition from the skin using a detergent.
2. Hydrogen peroxide, Zvezdochka balm, tar soap or Rescuer will help reduce itching and relieve inflammation of damaged areas.
3. If allergies occur, it is necessary to take antihistamines and gels that relieve the allergic process.
4. Symptomatic therapy is necessary for skin complications and the development of pustular lesions.

Signs of appearance

In most cases, a person learns about an infestation when the insects have managed to settle in the apartment and lay offspring. Due to the fact that they visit the body only for saturation, it is quite difficult to notice them, so a person can only observe symptoms in the form of bites and severe itching.

But such symptoms are characteristic not only of lice; for example, mosquitoes also cause such symptoms. Only when a person observes a huge number of bites and suffers from severe itching, then suspicion of lice infestation arises.

So, let’s look at the symptoms of infestation with linen lice:

• Bites. After bites, affected areas remain on the body, they are located chaotically. If with bug bites you can see tracks, then in this case we see chaotic marks.
• Severe itching. The affected skin itches severely and the person scratches, which becomes infected, causing ulcers and ulcers to form.
• Sleep disorders. Of course, when a person is tormented by constant itching, he does not get enough rest, which leads to chronic fatigue and irritability.
• Presence of insects. You should carefully inspect the bed and bedding where adults may be located; there are nits in the folds and seams.

If a person is infected, it is necessary to begin treatment as soon as possible to prevent reproduction.

Reader Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is there an organization for the extermination of body lice and what is its name?

The state organization for treating premises against parasites is the SES. There are also private companies that, if they have a license, can also conduct similar events.

How quickly do linen lice reproduce?

The fertilized female lays eggs, which after a few days transform into larvae. The full cycle of transformation into a sexually mature individual takes about 2 weeks.

Do lice live in feather pillows?

Lice can live in pillows, including feather pillows.

How long does a body louse live without a person?

A body louse can live without its owner for 4 days; if the air temperature reaches 30 degrees or higher, then it will live only 1 day. But at temperatures below 9 degrees Celsius, the parasite goes into hibernation and can live without food for up to 2 weeks.

Answers to popular questions

Most often, victims ask the following questions:

1. How long do bed lice live? About 40 days with a constant food source. If there is none, then parasites such as lice die after 3–4 days.
2. What causes them to start? It is a mistake to believe that these bloodsuckers appear where hygiene rules are neglected. They are easy to bring from public events or from a store, trying on someone else's clothes.
3. What does a body louse larva look like? The oval, whitish nits are about 0.5 cm long and are barely visible on clothing. The larvae that hatch are identical to the adults, they differ from them only in size.

We will look at some questions in a little more detail.

What is the danger to humans?

Linen lice bites cause a lot of unpleasant moments for the victims. They itch, itch, causing anxiety around the clock. Lice can carry serious diseases such as typhus. Body lice can cause allergies. In this case, a person experiences symptoms such as: nausea, swelling, fever, headaches.

Where do they come from?

People who know nothing about lice think that they grow in dirty, neglected rooms. In fact, they are easy to bring with things from the store, especially second-hand ones. Lice cannot jump like fleas, but they can crawl long distances.

Probable methods of infection:

• buying and trying on things from the store;
• visiting places with unsanitary conditions (children's camps, old houses, dysfunctional families);
• travel by public transport.

Without finding a donor, the adult dies within a few days; the nit can remain viable for several months.

Where do linen lice live?

Most often these creatures are found in bed. Therefore, processing linen is the main method of combating bloodsuckers. They can also fill sofas, but only if someone regularly sleeps on it.

Another common place for lice to live is underwear. The closer an arthropod is to the human body, the more comfortable it feels.

The main location of lice is in folds, seams, and joints.

What do they eat?

The main food source for lice is human blood. An adult needs to eat at least 3 times a day to maintain life. Lice usually live in clothing; they make forays onto the skin only to feed. Larvae (small insects that have not reached maturity) that hatch from nits feed on the same thing as adult lice - blood.

How do linen lice reproduce?

Once they reach maturity, bed lice begin to multiply. Each female is capable of laying 3–10 eggs daily for the rest of her life (about 1–1.5 months). From the moment the larva emerges from the nit until the age of puberty, 3 molts pass, approximately half a month. Thus, the number of lice increases exponentially every 2 weeks under favorable temperature conditions and plentiful food.

The life cycle of lice can be represented in a certain sequence:

1. nit (a capsule that contains parasite eggs). Does not require food and can remain viable for several months.
2. Nymph (larva before first molt). It feeds on blood and sheds its shell within a day.
3. Louse. It needs regular feeding, the second moult takes place after 5 days, the third – after another 8, after which the individual turns into an adult insect capable of reproduction.

Favorable temperatures, as well as the presence of a constant source of food, can accelerate the growth of lice. Cold, on the contrary, will delay the development of individuals.

Once the lice have been removed, it is worth considering how to prevent their further occurrence. This can be done using such simple methods as: maintaining personal hygiene, washing, ironing things. Preventive methods are not a 100% guarantee, but the likelihood of lice appearing will be reduced.

Prevention of body lice

The best method of preventing body lice is regular body hygiene, as well as timely washing of clothes and bed linen and subsequent heat treatment - ironing.

To avoid becoming infected with body lice, you must refrain from visiting the habitats of homeless people, do not use other people’s things, and also thoroughly wash items purchased at second-hand stores or spontaneous markets.

For many people, lice is a bolt from the blue; identifying the symptoms of lice literally comes as a shock. But there is nothing terrible or fatal about pediculosis, of course, if you deal with it in a timely manner. Treating your home, clothing, and using pediculicides will help quickly solve this problem.

Sources

• https://SeaHair.ru/vshi/vosh-platyanaya.html
• https://domovod.guru/vshi/kak-vyiglyadyat-belevyie-vshi.html
• https://Dezoff.ru/nasekomye/belevye-vshi/
• https://GdeKlop.ru/vshi/belevye-postelnye-vshi/
• https://misterklop.ru/vshi-i-gnidy/kak-kusayut-belevye-vshi-foto-ukusov-i-allergicheskoj-reaktsii
• https://klop911.ru/vshi/o-vshax/ukusy-belevyx-vshej.html
• https://lifeinsect.ru/belevye-vshi.html
• https://medilis.ru/articles/vshi/belevye-vshi.html
• https://VrediteliSOS.ru/nasekomye/belevye-vshi.html
• https://usatym.net/vshi/kak-izbavitsya-ot-belevyx-vshej/
• https://notklop.ru/vshi/o-vshah/ukusy-belevyh-vshej/

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Prevention

Protecting yourself from lice infection is actually not that difficult:

• avoid contact with unkempt people (especially strangers);
• do not stay overnight in dubious places;
• do not purchase upholstered furniture or used clothing from strangers;
• do not invite people into the house who are not clean;
• regularly inspect clothing (especially for children);
• do not try to save money on cheap accommodations while traveling;
• store your clothes separately from others in common areas (baths, swimming pools, fitting rooms, etc.);
• change clothes more often (without a breadwinner, a bed louse dies within a few days).

These are just simple preventive measures, which, if taken with due seriousness, can protect yourself from bed lice infection.