Do You Know What Louse and Nits Look Like?

Head louse is a problem that affects a surprisingly large number of people all over the world. These are parasites which live off the blood of humans. They’re very hard to control, let alone completely get rid of so they are surely dreaded by anyone who is aware of them. There are differences at what animal and human louse and nits look like, so let’s take a look at the differences.

What Animal Louse and Nits Look Like

In regards to what louse and nits look like, you can actually compare them to what fleas look like on an animal, with a few differences. If you wanted to catch a flea from an animal, you will find that this insect can jump away in a blink of an eye, which makes it quite difficult to catch.

If you look carefully on the body of your pet – and this could be your dog or your cat, you will find patches of a black mass of what looks at first like a dirty patch of muddy stuff. This is what louse and nits look like on your pet, better known as fleas.

These lice generate the same itchy sensation that human lice create, and this is why you can know your pet has lice or fleas, when they keep scratching all the time.

Describing What Louse and Nits Look Like

Human head lice are totally different in their physical aspect when compared to the animal ones. While the latter is flat (horizontally), the former is elongated, light brown (though you find them sometimes black as well) and with their legs bunched up close to the upper part of their body. They do not jump or fly, but rather they only walk on the hair and they have special designed claws for that.

The nits are usually dark in color when they are alive, and as well the louse will stick them to the hair behind the ears and at the nape of the neck. These nits are very difficult to get rid of, as they are very resistant and their removal is the most crucial thing in breaking the cycle of this problem. Basically, unless the nits die, the lice will always be there.

The Things That Both the Animal and the Human Head Lice Have in Common

Other than both being blood sucking parasites, there are no commonalities between these two species of lice. Each of the species is adapted to the area they live in, and their body is shaped to promote that adaptation. Now that you have an idea of the difference in what louse and nits look like between the two species, it should help in determining when the lice or fleas are present.