Can Lice Live on Leather Couches? Learn about lice infestation and whether they live on leather or not in this short yet informative article.
What is Lice?
Lice are small wingless insects that live as external parasites on mammals and birds. They cannot survive without a host. Lice can be categorized into three types, head lice, body lice, and pubic lice.
The most common lice are those that live on human scalps and feed on human blood. They feed on human blood by biting the skin of the scalp and secreting a liquid that prevents blood clotting. They vary in color from white, tan, and brown and are difficult to spot. Severe lice infestation may also involve eyebrows, eyelashes, and beards. Lice bite cause itching and scratching the itchy spot can lead to broken skin and resultant infections. Some sufferers can have an allergic reaction to lice feces and develop rashes.
The common symptoms of lice infestation include a tickling sensation on the scalp, itchiness, and allergic rashes.
Lice Reproduction
The female lice can lay up to six eggs daily on the hair shaft, close to the scalp. Female lice secrete a liquid that enables the eggs to firmly attach to the hair. The eggs hatch to produce nymphs which undergo a triple molting to become adults. Mature lice have a life span of 3 to 4 weeks. Lice
infestations can become serious within a very short period as lice reproduce very quickly.
They are common in school-going children and children who live in small crowded houses as it spreads through direct head-to-head contact or by sharing personal items like combs, hats, hairbrushes, pillows, headbands, or sleeping bags.
Body lice feed on the blood of humans but lay eggs on the clothing. They are also capable of spreading certain diseases. Maintaining clean clothes by regular washing can help prevent the spread of body lice. Pubic lice live on the genital hair and spread through sexual activity.
Lice thrive on warm skin and blood for their nourishment. They live on the hairs on the neck and behind the ears where it is warmest. They can only survive for a few hours away from the scalp.
Prevention and Treatment
Lice infestation is not an indication of poor hygiene. They can spread through close contact even to the cleanest head. Preventive steps include avoiding head to head contact and not sharing personal
grooming products like combs.
Treatments to cure lice infestations involve home remedies, prescription drugs and lotions, and shampoos for external application. The only effective treatment is to kill the lice and remove all the eggs. Wash clothes in hot water and decontaminate all affected surfaces like bedding and pillows to stop the spread.
Natural lice remedies include the application of essential oils like tea tree oil, neem oil, and eucalyptus oil. Leave Pediculicide shampoos on the infested hair for up to 2 days to kill the lice and then wash it off. Some strong medications like Malathion and Ivermectin require a doctor’s
prescription.
After medication kills lice, you can use special close toothed combs to remove the lice eggs or nits from the hair shafts. Brush wet hair with these special combs to remove the lice and nits and do it for 3 to 4 weeks till the infestation is cleared.
Can Lice Live on Leather Couches
Lice need a warm scalp and blood to survive. If they fall off your head, they cannot survive for more than a day or two. Even the nits that fall off your head along with the hair shaft they are attached to are no longer viable away from your head. Hence, you need not be worried about any lice that may have fallen on your leather couch.
Just vacuum the couch with a soft brush attachment or lint roll it, paying special attention to the crevices. Empty the contents into a sealable bag and throw it away after sealing it tight. Alternatively, you can rub the couch down with a warm, wet cloth and then discard the cloth in a sealed bag.