Many are interested in the question, at what temperature do lice and nits die. Before you find the answer, it's worth figuring out what it is. Lice are a series of insects, which is approximately 3 thousand flightless species, three of which are classified as pathogens of parasitic diseases in humans. These are bloodsucking creatures that feed on human blood. They are most closely associated with humans, more than any other animals.
How do they arise?
The reason for this is the fact that lice live on the human body at all stages of their development. Lice are carriers of such dangerous diseases as, for example, typhoid fever, which is widely known throughout the world. On the head of these insects are eyes and antennae, which are the organs of scent. The spinal sucking mouth apparatus, drawn into the middle of the head, is housed in a special case. The secret of the mucous membranes includes anticoagulants, which is very irritating to human skin, which causes itching of the hairline. In females, the posterior end of the abdomen is bifurcated, while in males it is rounded. Insects have claws on their paws, which gives lice the ability to hold onto human hair tightly. Lice lay eggs called nits. They are pear-shaped, their size reaches 1 mm. More details about the temperature at which lice and nits die are described in the article.
What temperatures are they afraid of?
Parasites have adapted to exist on the human body among the hair. These pests had no need to adapt to low temperatures or uncomfortable conditions. At temperatures from 20 to 38 degrees, pests feed, lay nits and live for about 40 days.
If the thermometer creeps up or goes down, in which case they begin to feel discomfort. When a person with head lice gets infected with SARS, the temperature of his body will rise, and the parasites will prefer to move from the skin to the ends of the hair.
They are susceptible to sudden changes in the environment. If the temperature drops below 20 degrees, the vital processes of the parasites are inhibited. The pest becomes lethargic, holds onto hair less and reproduces more slowly, in the female’s body the eggs mature less rapidly.
If the temperature gauge reaches 40 degrees, the louse stops laying off nits.
Those who do not know at what temperature lice die during washing should know that clothes should be washed at a temperature of at least 40 degrees.
Infection factors
People who adhere to personal hygiene often wonder where they got lice. By themselves, they cannot appear; they can only be infected. The most common methods of infection:
- when traveling in public transport with a large crowd of people;
- when visiting public places such as sauna bathing pools;
- in gyms, if the training takes place on rugs;
- in contact with a person who is ill with pediculosis.
If there was an effect of one of these factors, then you need to know at what temperature the head louse dies in order to get rid of the parasite in the shortest possible time.
And this is not the whole list where you can get this disease. Lice can be caught even in the fitting room in the store, if before that, the things that you tried on were dressed by an infected person. It is often believed that the carriers of lice are those people who lead not the best lifestyle. These people include homeless people, drug addicts, alcoholics. As a rule, they do not look after themselves and do not adhere to the rules of personal hygiene. Therefore, to avoid infection, it is better to stay away from such people. Of course, people who look after themselves and their appearance, having discovered that they have lice, fall into a deep panic. But, unfortunately, this disease can befall everyone.
At what temperature do they die?
Lice have a great ability to spread and reproduce. When it enters the human body, they secrete a sticky liquid, which helps them attach to the skin. Attached to the skin, the females lay their eggs. Therefore, it is very difficult to extend these insects with your own hands. And in this case, it is worth knowing at what temperature the nits die. Indeed, for lice, 40 degrees is enough, but nits for death need at least 60 degrees.
Ways of transmission and life cycle
Lice are transmitted from person to person through infected things or through close contact. Upon contact with the skin, they feed on blood and lymph. After this, the bite site begins to itch. Females are able to lay 5 to 15 eggs daily. She glues them to hair or to linen, and after 17 days small cubs appear.
Infection with lice in children is a more common process than in adults. Since children only know this world, they need bodily contact with their peers. They have fewer psychological barriers to close communication. Children can easily wear someone else's clothes, as well as use other people's towels and combs. For this reason, infection of children occurs much more often than adults. In this regard, you need to be very attentive to the behavior of children, and at the first sign of infection, urgently take preventative and treatment measures. It is very easy to determine if a person is infected with head lice or not. To do this, you need to inspect the head, preferably in bright light. Often the first thing you can find are lice eggs, nits. Very often they can be confused with dandruff. But in order to accurately determine whether this is so, you need to remove the nits from the hair and crush it between the nails. After that, you can hear a characteristic clacking sound.
The most accessible methods
Before you process the living space from lice, wash pajamas, bedding, hats, scarves, blouses, hairbands, sofa covers at a temperature of 60 degrees. Lice die at a temperature of 60 degrees and above. With cotton linen, there will be no difficulties, and disinfect those items that cannot be washed at a considerable temperature with soap-kerosene emulsion (1: 1 ratio), put things in the prepared mixture for 20 minutes. You can also use the freezer in the fight against parasites: put things in bales and put them in the freezer for a day.
Boiling our friend
It is most advisable to boil the laundry for 15 minutes. in a 2% solution of sodium carbonate, a similar treatment from lice will be very effective. Hang things on the balcony and let direct sunlight disinfect objects throughout the week. After the set time, iron all clothes (with steam) with an iron, without missing a single fold - this will prevent the likelihood of parasites. After all, the temperature of steam is much higher than the temperature of death of nits. You should also disinfect all hygiene items: immerse all scallops and combs for a couple of minutes in boiling water, as the louse can hide between the bristles.
Combing out
As for the treatment of pediculosis, you do not need to take either pills or injections. The treatment is carried out exclusively of an external nature. The pharmacy provides a large selection of ointments and shampoos, but these drugs do not protect against reinfestation, so preventive measures should be followed. The most difficult process is getting rid of nits. Since the lice themselves die after using special means, and in the meantime the eggs are still alive, so you need to use combing tactics. To do this, for two weeks at some intervals, comb out the nits with a comb with rare teeth. In this case, after washing the hair, apply conditioner to the hair with a thick ball and start combing. Lice will remain on the comb with the rest of the conditioner, so it must be washed periodically in hot water, since the temperature of the lice 's death is at least 40 degrees. According to the scheme, combing is carried out four times every three days.
Chemical substances
After you find lice, you need to start an active fight against these insects as soon as possible. There are many effective means by which you can get rid of these parasites. All these funds can be divided into two groups: chemical and folk. There are many types of chemicals: powders, gels, ointments, creams, solvents, sprays and pencils. But among the listed tools, not all are convenient to use.
For example, powders that contain small particles can easily enter the human body, and ointments and gels in most cases leave marks on surfaces. The most suitable option is spray and aerosol. Since this is a finished product that can be used immediately. The spray effect allows you to treat virtually all surfaces in the house, as well as things and bedding with maximum efficiency.
Folk remedies
You can also use folk remedies, but often they are less effective than specialized drugs, but still in general they are perfect for a comprehensive fight against parasites. Great herbs with expressive odors. Among them can be noted such as wormwood and eucalyptus. They are used exclusively in dried form, laying them on the floor, carpets and furniture. This persistent fragrance repels lice and nits. Peppermint, citrus fruit skin, which has a persistent smell, are also used, garlic can be laid out in rooms and furniture, and vinegar can also be used to process laundry.
Basic Rules
To get rid of lice and nits in the apartment, you should adhere to some important rules. First you need to prepare the room. Then you need to thoroughly wash the floors to make the treatment more effective. Also, it will help to immediately collect a certain amount of pests with a brush or rag. Then you need to collect all the personal items of the patient with head lice, including clothes and bedding, and wash them well in hot water, you can even boil it. At what water temperature lice die, it is already known that in order not to leave the parasites any chance after washing, you need to iron all things with an iron. Particular importance should be given to the seams, since lice and nits can remain there.
You also need to carefully process the places in which insects live or hide. These include: skirting boards, upholstery, carpets and soft toys. They must be handled with great care. During and after disinfection, people should not be in the apartment (at least four hours). After the procedure, it is necessary to ventilate the room. About a week after the first treatment, a second should be done to get rid of lice that have hatched from previously laid eggs. All disinfection must be carried out in rubber gloves and a protective mask in order to avoid intoxication.
After such events, you can definitely get rid of lice and nits in the apartment, thereby completely protecting yourself for a long time. But in order to avoid re-infection, it is imperative to adhere to personal hygiene, and also, if possible, not to contact with disadvantaged segments of the population. With these actions, you can really protect yourself from lice, possibly forever.