War on Bugs!

So… What did you do today? Even if it was watching paint dry, or the grass grow, I bet it was more fun than what I did. I had the wonderful maternal task of delousing the boys. (Why is it the mum’s job? Because it’s the dad’s job to polish the car.)

It always starts with the note sent home from school. You know, the one that starts, “Dear Parent / Caregiver, The presence of head lice has been detected in your child’s class…” I’m normally pretty diligent but with the weather cooling down, I figured I could take a break. And in my defence, I hadn’t seen any for quite a few months.

According to the information, there’s no need to rush around vacuuming and washing bedding because they don’t live for long but nobody seemed to know exactly how long. Do you know how long lice can survive away from the warmth of its host? I do because I did an experiment a few years back. I managed to ‘rescue a pair’ who were too busy playing with each other to notice that they had been relocated to a plastic cup. They survived for at least 24 hours. I reckon that’s more than enough time to hide and wait on pillows, chairs, hairbrushes and hats!

With the eldest being in school and day-care for over a decade, I am not a stranger to these bugs. And naturally, I’ve tried nearly every product that is available. Countless shampoos (both natural and chemical), that really cool zapper comb that promises to zap any bug it comes into contact with (until it choked on Pup’s hair and promptly quit its day job), and of course the conditioner and comb method. The conditioner and comb method are my preferred method of declaring war on those things. (Why do they even exist? They don’t seem to serve any purpose at all.)

I have often been tempted to just shave their heads, but, for some reason, they aren't to keen on that idea. (Something to do with image and how silly they would look.) So, for what it’s worth, here are my tips.

• Use a really good quality comb.
• Any conditioner will do, and make sure to cover all the hair. It slows the bugs down so you can actually catch them.
• Get rid of all the nits you find. If you don’t they will hatch and you will have wasted the day.
• Make sure you have a really strong light source. The sun cannot be relied on to stay shining bright. Just as soon as you spot something, the sun will disappear behind a cloud.
• Even if you think that speck is dirt, remove it. Rather safe than sorry because if you think those nits are small, wait until you see baby lice.
• Add some tea tree oil to shampoo and wash out the conditioner. Then comb the hair again thoroughly.
• Add some tea tree oil to a spray bottle of water and douse the child’s head with it before and after school. I also recommend combing the hair when the child gets back from school. Early detection never hurt anyone, except the bugs.
• Keep checking their heads and don’t make plans for rest of the week or guess what you’ll be doing in about two weeks time.

Go on scratch your head. You know you want to…