Human Lice

Natural Habitat

Found exclusively on the human body or in personal belongings such as clothing, bedding, and hair brushes.

Diet & Feeding

Sanguinivorous; they feed exclusively on human blood multiple times a day.

Behavior Patterns

They are wingless, crawling insects that cannot jump or fly. They attach their eggs (nits) to hair shafts or clothing fibers and complete their life cycle in approximately 30 days.

Risks & Benefits

Risks include intense itching, allergic reactions to bites, and secondary skin infections from scratching. Body lice specifically are vectors for diseases like typhus, while head lice do not spread disease.

Identified on: 12/31/2025