What do lice lay? - briefly
Lice produce eggs, known as nits, which are firmly attached to the host’s hair or feathers. The eggs hatch in roughly a week, releasing immature nymphs.
What do lice lay? - in detail
Lice reproduce by depositing eggs, commonly called nits. An adult female attaches each egg to the host’s hair shaft or feather barb using a cement-like secretion that hardens within minutes. The egg is oval, about 0.8 mm long, and has a smooth, translucent shell.
Typical clutch size ranges from 4 to 10 eggs per female, depending on species and environmental conditions. Eggs are laid at intervals of 1–2 days throughout the female’s lifespan, which may last several weeks.
Incubation periods vary: body lice (Pediculus humanus corporis) require 6–9 days at 30 °C, while head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) need 7–10 days at similar temperatures. After hatching, the emerging nymph undergoes three molts before reaching adulthood, a process lasting about 9–12 days.
Key characteristics of the eggs:
- Cemented to the host, making removal difficult without specialized tools.
- Resistant to desiccation; can survive for several days off the host.
- Color changes from translucent to white or brown as the embryo develops.
Understanding these details is essential for effective control measures, as disrupting egg attachment or reducing incubation time directly lowers infestation levels.