What is LIceWhat is lice?  Well, first of all, the word “lice” is actually plural and so the correct question would be, “What are lice?”  Lice are a parasitic disease.

Parasites are living things that take up residence on (or in) other living things.  Parasites feed off of the other living things where they reside.  Lice, feed off of human blood and are found living on various parts of the human body.

The Three Types of Lice


There are actually three types of lice: body lice, head lice and pubic lice.  As suggested by their names, head lice live on human heads, pubic lice live on the pubic region of humans and body lice live on the body and clothing of humans.

Each type of lice has a three stage life cycle.  Lice begin as eggs, called nits.  The eggs hatch into what are called nymphs.  The nymphs then become adult lice called a louse.  Eggs hatch within one to two weeks and the nymph stage also lasts from one to two weeks before the lice become adults.  In the adult stage, the female lice are able to lay eggs and the life cycle process repeats itself so the lice infestation on the individual grows.

What Do Lice Look LikeLice are parasite insects that need the human body to survive.  All types of lice have six legs and move about by crawling.  Pubic lice have two pincher type claws as their front legs which distinguishes them from the look of body and head lice.  All lice are the color of  grayish whites to tans.


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