Can Head Lice Jump?
WouterYou’ve probably heard of people asking, “Can head lice jump?” Well, the truth is that they cannot jump like other insects do. That’s because they do not have hind legs, and their 6 front legs are only designed for crawling on hair shafts. While they can crawl quite quickly, lice can’t jump.
In most cases, lice are passed from one person to another by head-to-head contact. They cannot jump or fly, but they can crawl from one head to another within 30 seconds. This is why parents should not be disheartened by a lice outbreak, because it’s common. The best way to kill off the lice is to take the appropriate treatment. This means that you should make sure that everyone in the household is clean, especially your children and pet.
Head lice infestations are more common among school-aged children, but adults can get them as well. Head lice don’t carry disease, but they can spread through head-to-head contact. So, keep checking your hair frequently and make sure your children aren’t sharing your hair with anyone who has head lice.
Head lice usually live for about 24 hours in their host’s hair. Once they hatch, they leave behind empty egg cases called nits, which are pearly white. The nits can be very difficult to remove from your hair. The best way to kill head lice is to get rid of them before they infest your hair.
