Can You Eat Head Lice?

Head lice are easily spread from one person to another. In addition to being contagious, they can be highly resistant to common over-the-counter products. These products contain synthetic or natural insecticides, such as pyrethrins. This makes it crucial for parents to choose the safest head lice remedy for their children. The chart below shows the types of head lice medicines approved by the FDA.

To survive, head lice require close proximity to the skin. This warm and moist environment is ideal for the parasite. They feed on the blood from your scalp several times daily. Their sticky feet help them stick to your hair. This makes them easy to catch, which is why it is so common for kids to catch head lice at school.

While humans can’t eat head lice, it is common for non-human primates to consume them as part of their grooming ritual. While we are not aware of their behavior, the fact that they consume lice isn’t surprising. Non-human primates are very good at picking them off their bodies, which makes them experts in eating them. The female gorilla Binti Jua ate over 100 of them in one day. Similarly, ladybugs also eat head lice. They can easily eat 100 of them per day.

Head lice are very small creatures that live on the scalp. Their claws attach to hair strands, and they then climb up the scalp in search of a blood vessel. Then, they feed by piercing the skin with their mouth and adding saliva to the wound. This saliva prevents the blood from clotting. Moreover, head lice have two pumps on their heads that enable them to suck blood.