Can lice live in pillows and on the sofa, how long do they live and methods of destruction?

Pediculosis is a common problem in schools, public places, kindergartens, and so on. Children may share hats, combs and other hair accessories through which lice can be transmitted - all through head-to-head contact. Infection can also occur through sleeping on the same bed, through toys and clothing.

Can lice live in pillows and on the sofa?

A common type of pest is the head louse. Parasites live in the hair of their host and need food all the time. Without a constant source of food, the insect dies.

Let's assume that the louse is outside the area of the human head; the fact of its viability under such conditions cannot be ruled out. For a certain time, lice on the pillow and in the sofa will not die.

Head louse are not found in feather pillows. The parasite is not adapted to a long stay in such conditions - the pest can remain in feathers only for a limited period of time, which cannot be said for the feather mite.

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Do head lice live on clothes?

Body lice live on clothing and other textiles. They like to “settle” in the folds of underwear that come into contact with human skin.

This is a type of blood-sucking parasite; it immediately settles on the body of the representative as soon as he puts on clothes for the infection. It is not easy to distinguish the head individual from the clothes one: the head inhabitant has long thin legs (with which it holds onto the hair), while the clothes pest has squat, dense legs (they help the parasite move through the fabric).

Symptoms of neurocysticercosis

Symptoms of parasites in the brain appear gradually. With a small size of the parasite, the manifestation of the disease is characterized by internal irritations, the patient’s sensitivity decreases and speech is impaired.

With the development of cerebral cysticercosis, attacks of epilepsy appear, which pass with convulsions. The patient suffers from mental disorders, hallucinations, and depression. With the onset of edema, the patient experiences dizziness, nausea and vomiting.

Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the human brain depend on the location of the source of the disease. If neurocysticercosis is located in the cerebral ventricles, the patient develops Bruns syndrome, in which the lumens of the 4th ventricle may be blocked by parasitic formations. With such localization in a patient:

Changed head position
Severe headaches
Respiratory dysfunction
Nausea and vomiting
Increased sweating
Consciousness is confused
The functioning of the heart is impaired.

When the foramen of Monroe closes, the symptoms are similar to those of a tumor and are accompanied by disturbances of consciousness. As a result of infection of the base of the brain, basalt-type meningitis develops. With such an infection, the following manifestations are possible:

Vomit
Headache
Optic nerve damage
Bradycardia
Changes in blood composition.

If a diagnosis is made in a timely manner and effective measures are taken, the probability of a favorable treatment outcome is 50%.

Lifespan outside the human head

When dealing with pests, it is important to know how long lice live on human clothing and bedding. The life cycle of the parasite is relatively short. If the insect has not been poisoned or become entangled in hair, it can live for 40 days.

The louse is a parasitic organism - it is not capable of long life outside the host - the source of food. Lice live on the pillow as long as they can survive without food.

The parasite stays in the body of an adult for 30 days. During a period, a female reproduces 90 eggs. The incubation stage ends (from 7 to 10 days), the nit is born. Then she grows into an adult - the cycle is duplicated.

The louse ends up in household textiles - its life ends approximately on the 4th day. The insect can survive this period without a food source only if there is sufficiently warm air (at least 23 degrees).

If the ambient temperature rises, the life of the pest is shortened - it dies after about 24 hours. When the room is cool (up to 10 degrees), the body is able to live in interior items and on clothing for up to 12 days.

Head lice are always hungry, feeding on human blood every 4 hours - after this time they die outside the host.

Attention! The nit may be encased in a hard shell until favorable conditions for birth are provided.

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

The order of lice consists of many species and subspecies. These insects cannot fly, but they move very quickly, which is why they manage to move onto the body of a new host at the slightest contact with an infected person. They feed exclusively on blood; they don’t need anything else to live.

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.

Who can get infected and how?

Considering how long lice live on clothing, it is logical to ask the question of the likelihood of contracting head lice through non-contact means.

It is possible to become infected with lice without contact with a sick person. Among the possible ways :

Body clothing, if worn by an infected member.
Combs or other hair styling materials.
Scarf, cap, hat worn by the patient.
Use of public swimming equipment.
Swimming in a river (insects remain viable in fresh water for up to 48 hours).
Swimming in the pool (if an infected person swam in it before).
Operation of common objects in groups - kindergarten groups, camps, etc.

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How to get rid

It's time to learn the basic ways to eliminate lice from pillows and other household textiles.

The algorithm for registering actions against insects is extensive and simple.:

Remove all items in direct contact with the patient. These are all items worn by an infected representative two days before the parasites were discovered. It is necessary to wash bed linen, towels, items of clothing (even outerwear), headbands, hair ties, pillows, etc.
Sort out contaminated items. Group things by category:

something that can be washed by hand or in a washing machine;
items to be sent to the dry cleaner;
items that cannot be subjected to any cleaning.

Clear selected items. When planning a wash, set the maximum water temperature and dry linen, towels and other items on the heating element in order to eliminate the possibility of pests surviving.

For delicate items, choose an alternative cleaning option : simply soak them in warm water with powder for several hours and wash by hand.

Place dry clean only items in plastic trash bags and leave them there until it is time to dry clean them.

To get rid of lice on clothes and household items that do not tolerate either wet or dry cleaning, there are 2 alternative solutions to the problem:

organization of a week-long quarantine. Place the items in a plastic bag, tie it tightly and leave for seven days. After a week, vacuum all components;
when the first option is not suitable, leave the item (wrapped in a plastic bag) in the freezer for 4 hours. Adults cannot live at temperatures that are too low.

Room treatment

In the fight against insects, it is important not only to organize the care of textiles, but also to treat all surfaces in the room.

The table below shows the most effective formulations:

Means	Method of preparation/use
Medifox	Emulsion (20%) in an amount of up to 10 ml is diluted in 1 liter of water. The treatment is carried out using gloves and a respirator. After half an hour the room is ventilated. If necessary, the procedure is repeated after a few days.
A-par	The product is suitable for clothing, soft toys, and furniture. The aerosol (by volume) is designed for an area of no more than 9 square meters. m. After treatment, items must be taken out into fresh air for 4 hours; the substance does not leave stains on the surface of the products
Avicin	The emulsion in an amount of up to 10 ml is diluted in 1 liter of water. A rag for the floor and doors is soaked in the solution. It can also be used using a spray bottle. You will need to wear gloves when handling the room, after which the apartment must be ventilated. Re-processing is not excluded
Kerosene and soap	Crushed tar soap and kerosene are prepared. The components are mixed in a 1:1 ratio. The composition will be used to wipe surfaces or soak contaminated items in it. After 4-5 hours, the treated surfaces are washed with clean water.

Among other anti-lice remedies:

sharp-smelling components (essential oils of lavender, citrus; pine, mint);
turpentine (disadvantages: pungent odor, difficult to wash off from surfaces);
vinegar (use pure solution or product).

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Read further:

Pinworm eggs: how long they live, what they look like and at what temperature they die

Treatment of head lice and nits at home with folk remedies

How long do worms live in the human body and in the external environment, the life cycle of helminths

Worms in the human body: in the intestines, liver, head, eyes and under the skin

Lice larvae: what they look like on the head, what they are called and how to get rid of them

What lice and nits look like on human hair, in adults and children

Preventive measures

Prevention of lice in the home involves regularly checking the heads of all family members (children attending child care institutions), washing and ironing clothes, bed linen and textile items.

If you suspect the development of pediculosis, you should treat the person’s head with a spray or wash it with anti-lice shampoo. When new pieces of furniture and clothing appear in a house or apartment, they must be carefully checked for the presence of parasites.

The louse can live in feather pillows, blankets, on the sofa, without a host for a certain time. The head louse is especially unstable: it is not capable of not feeding on human blood for several days: the parasite should eat every 4 hours.

Knowing how long the pest lives in conditions without human blood, we can state the fact of probable non-contact infection with lice. Compliance with preventive measures will help prevent this unpleasant phenomenon.

To get rid of insects forever, you will need to organize textile care and treat the premises with special means. All pest control operations are carried out using protective equipment.

conclusions

During the life of a lice, there are unfavorable periods when it leaves its usual habitat. The structure of the body and legs allows the insect to move on different surfaces and cover some distance to find old or new prey. At the optimal air temperature for it, a louse can live up to 4 days without food. The nit can go into a state of suspended animation and stay in it for up to 2 weeks. This is the maximum time, much more often the insect and egg die without food and the opportunity to live on the scalp or genitals of a person earlier.

Knowing this, it is worth understanding that simply maintaining personal hygiene does not guarantee protection against lice. You can catch pests anywhere, as they move relatively freely.

When using lice control products, it is also worth remembering that parasites combed out of hair can fall onto the floor or other surfaces, where they can be picked up by other family members. That is why you need to remove lice very carefully, using all protection options. For example, it is better to use medications and comb your hair with a comb in the bathroom or other confined space, which can be thoroughly disinfected after the procedure.

Also, the ability of lice to survive on people other than humans suggests that when treating head lice, it is necessary to treat not only the hairy parts of the body. Parasites can temporarily hide on bedding, in blankets and pillows, in mattresses and upholstery, in carpets and curtains. They do not penetrate too deeply inside, but can be located between the fibers of the fabric. In order for it to die, it is necessary to carefully treat all textiles - wash them at temperatures above 40 degrees, iron them, treat them with a steam cleaner or take them to dry cleaning.

To completely destroy lice that may not be on humans, it is worth using solutions of insecticides, for example, MediLis-Permifen, MediLis-Super or MediLis-Malathion, to treat surfaces. After just one treatment, the insects will die.

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.