Pediculus capitis are parasitic lice that are often found in the hair of young school children and sometimes on adults and live, eat blood, sleep, and lay their eggs on our hair. They lay their eggs close to the scalp so the heat from the person’s head will allow the egg to hatch in about a week. They live for just over a month. Image of headlice courtesy of Cath Covacin, Stephen Barker and Rick Webb, The University of QLD (Australia) and has been modified for this post (the headlice doesn’t really have comical eyes and a mouth and never wears a hat on it’s rear!)
