What Do Body Lice Look Like?

What Do Body Lice Look Like?

There are three forms of body lice: the egg (sometimes called a nit), the nymph, and the adult.

Nit: Nits are body lice eggs. They are generally easy to see in the seams of clothing, particularly around the waistline and under armpits. They are about the size of the mark at the end of this arrow Arrow. Nits may also be attached to body hair. They are oval and usually yellow to white. Nits may take 30 days to hatch.

Nymph: The egg hatches into a baby louse called a nymph. It looks like an adult body louse, but is smaller. Nymphs mature into adults about 7 days after hatching. To live, the nymph must feed on blood.

Adult: The adult body louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has 6 legs, and is tan to greyish-white. Females lay eggs. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood. If the louse falls off of a person, it dies within 10 days.

How is a body lice infestation diagnosed?

By looking closely in the seams of clothing and on the body for eggs and for crawling lice. Diagnosis should be made by a health care provider if you are unsure about infestation.