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Integrated Pest Management in the Home series: Does your head itch? Facts About Head Lice

Nelly Nelson, LuAnn Duncan, Jenny Rodriguez, Katherine Allen, Karen Stauderman, Lisa Hamilton, andFaith Oi


Release Date: 2/6/2025

DOI: 10.32473/edis-in1440-2024

Family and Consumer Sciences

Abstract

My head is itchy… could I have head lice? What are head lice? How do people get them? How do people inspect for them? How can people treat head lice? What should schools do about head lice? Will pesticides work? Will home remedies work? What can happen?! Integrative Pest Management in the Home to the rescue! The IPM at Home Series is a county faculty initiative intended to provide answers to frequently asked questions about household pests. This publication answers common questions about head lice. Aimed at the general public and delivered in a friendly, matter-of-fact style, it is intended to allay fears and provide practical help for people experiencing a common—and fortunately eminently solvable—problem.

About this Publication

This document is ENY2118, one of a series of the UF/IFAS Departments of Entomology and Nematology and Family, Youth, and Community Sciences. Original publication date December 2024. Visit the Ask IFAS website at https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication. © 2026 UF/IFAS. This publication is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

How to Cite

Nelson, N., Duncan, L., Rodriguez, J., Allen, K., Stauderman, K., Hamilton, L., & Oi, F. (2025). Integrated Pest Management at Home Series: Does your head itch? Facts About Head Lice. EDIS, 2025(1). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in1440-2024

Authors

Nelly Nelson
Nelly Nelson
County agent
University of Florida

Extension agent II, family and consumer sciences, UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County, Palmetto, FL

LuAnn Duncan
LuAnn Duncan
County agent
University of Florida

Extension educator II, OSU Extension Mahoning County, OH; and Extension agent III emeritus, family and consumer sciences and food systems, UF/IFAS Extension Sumter County, Bushnell, FL

Jenny Rodriguez
Jenny Rodriguez
County agent
University of Florida

Extension agent II, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County, Orlando, FL

Katherine Allen
Katherine Allen
County agent
University of Florida

Extension agent IV, M.A., family and consumer sciences, UF/IFAS Extension Suwannee County, Live Oak, FL

Karen Stauderman
Karen Stauderman
County agent
University of Florida

Extension agent IV, commercial horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension Volusia County, DeLand, FL

Lisa Hamilton
Lisa Hamilton
County agent
University of Florida

Extension agent II and associate program leader, family and consumer sciences, UF/IFAS Extension Volusia County, DeLand, FL

Faith Oi
Faith Oi
Specialist
University of Florida

Extension professor, urban entomology, UF/IFAS Department of Entomology and Nematology

Publication #ENY2118

Peer Reviewed
General PublicHomeowner