Differences between lice and fleas can be traced by the size of adult individuals (the former are smaller than the latter), habitat, lifestyle and other parameters. The only similarity between the parasites is that both are blood-sucking insects. Fleas mainly live in the fur of animals, on the body, while lice live in the scalp of humans.
Large insects are capable of laying eggs in secluded places indoors: carpets, sofas and others. Small parasites reproduce only on the human body. Fleas are more dangerous, since these insects are considered carriers of typhus, helminths and plague. Lice mainly cause an allergic reaction localized to the site of the bite.
- Who do parasites bite?
- Harm from parasites
- Lifestyle Differences
- Appearance
- Lice Reproduction
- Fleas
Who do parasites bite?
To maintain their vital functions, lice and fleas feed on the blood of representatives of the animal world, including humans. At the same time, the type of “nutrition” of parasites is different. At the nit stage, fleas develop a digestive system that can “receive” the blood of any warm-blooded animal:
- cats;
- dogs;
- rabbits;
- person and others.
Lice parasitize exclusively on the human body. This feature is explained by the way of life. Fleas, unlike lice, move by jumping. Therefore, this species is able to move from one warm-blooded animal to another. Lice lack this feature, and therefore are forced to adapt and feed on the blood of a specific host.
The main methods of treating pediculosis
Methods of disposal depend on the type of parasite. For body lice, in addition to treating the patient’s body with pediculocidal agents, it is necessary to boil or steam clothes and underwear. To destroy parasites, you can use specialized drugs. After this treatment, you should air the laundry outdoors under the sun. Regardless of the chosen method, special attention should be paid to seams, folds, and fur inserts.
Pubic lice are removed in the following ways:
- • Boiling all clothes
- • Freezes laundry for 12 hours
- • Shaving followed by disinfection with 5% boron ointment
- • Removing parasites from infested areas using tweezers
Traditional methods for killing head lice:
- • 20% water-soap solution of benzyl benzoate
- • kerosene
- • vinegar solution
The methods are aimed at paralyzing insects and dissolving the shell of nits. The chosen product is generously moistened with hair and scalp. The drug is left for 1.5-2 hours. After treating the head, the hair should be thoroughly combed with a metal comb to collect nits.
The active ingredients of traditional methods are toxic and can cause irritation and headaches. This is why experts recommend using specialized pediculocidal drugs.
Harm from parasites
Because lice and fleas gain access to blood by biting through the skin, they leave red and itchy patches on the body. Such consequences are explained by the body’s allergic reaction to external influences. With increased skin sensitivity, a bite can lead to more serious complications, including dermatosis.
The danger of lice lies in the fact that this type of insect is considered to be a carrier of typhus. The infection is now highly treatable.
Fleas, due to the nature of their life activity, are considered more dangerous pests. By parasitizing warm-blooded animals, insects are capable of transmitting various types of infections. Fleas that live on the bodies of rats or cats walking outside are considered more dangerous. This type of parasite is also capable of transmitting helminths. Flea larvae and adults release worm eggs into the human blood during bites.
How to choose drugs against ectoparasites
Regularly treating your pet with insecticidal preparations can help relieve the animal of unpleasant symptoms, maintain an impeccable appearance of the coat and protect it from the dangerous consequences of infection. Before purchasing products, you should consult with a specialist. The veterinarian will determine which insects caused the deterioration of the animal’s condition and select a drug. In especially severe cases, complex treatment may be required, including elimination of symptoms of concomitant diseases (dermatitis, eczema, allergic reactions, helminthiasis).
Among veterinary drugs, the following dosage forms are distinguished:
- shampoo.
“Lugovoi” is suitable for treating pet hair and killing parasites, and “4 with a tail” has a short-term repellent effect, that is, it scares away ectoparasites from cats and dogs; - collar
(“Leopard”). It is used for therapeutic and preventive purposes against lice, lice, fleas, and ixodid ticks. Provides protection for up to 4 months; - spray
(“Bars”, “Bars forte”). Products in this form are convenient for use and help protect the animal from insect attacks for up to 1 month; - drops on the withers
(“Bars”, “Bars forte”). Ideal for unruly dogs or aggressive cats. The product is applied to the withers area and provides protection for up to 1–2 months.
Before choosing an insecticidal or insectoacaricidal drug, you must consult a specialist, and before use, read the instructions.
Lifestyle Differences
Knowing the difference between lice and fleas, you can choose effective methods for treating head lice and controlling pests without consulting a doctor. Small insects are characterized by the following features:
- permanent habitat - hair on the human body;
- localization - mainly near the hair shaft;
- move quickly.
The following features are characteristic of fleas:
- move by jumping, covering a distance of up to half a meter;
- constant migration from one medium to another;
- the ability to survive and reproduce outside the host's body.
Differences between fleas and lice can also be traced in other parameters.
Effective treatment
Products for the treatment of head lice should be easy to use, effective, safe for humans, and not cause resistance in insects. Paranit meets these criteria.
The active components of the product are dimethicone and mineral oil; they clog the respiratory openings of the parasite and nits, which leads to their death.
“Paranit” is not addictive to ectoparasites of lice and can be used repeatedly. The product is gentle on hair and scalp. The drug is available in the form of shampoo, lotion, and aerosol. For pregnant women and children over 1 year of age, a special form “Paranitis Sensitive” has been developed.
Pediculosis is not a problem if you have proven, reliable remedies at hand, such as Paranit. The drug will get rid of parasites, while maintaining hair and health.
Appearance
Having determined how a flea differs from a louse in its lifestyle, it is worth considering the appearance of the insects. Such knowledge helps to develop a pest control strategy. Since lice and fleas look different, each insect should be considered separately. The first ones are distinguished by the following features:
- body flat on the sides;
- small size;
- gray (translucent) color or red (after saturation);
- short legs.
The second insects are distinguished by their large size and brown body with long hind legs.
Home Recipes
Before finding out why your head itches, if it is clean and free of lice, you can use the advice of traditional medicine and prepare your own remedies.
- Medicinal plants soothe irritated skin: oak bark, chamomile, eucalyptus, sage, nettle, burdock root. They do not need to be brewed: pour 1 tablespoon of dry herb into 1 liter of boiling water and leave for an hour. The prepared product should be rubbed in with moistened cotton pads and rinsed after washing.
- If your skin is too oily, your head itches, but there are no lice, alcohol-based dandelion lotion will help normalize the balance. A handful of yellow flowers should be poured with ½ glass of vodka, squeeze out the juice of 2 lemons and add 1 teaspoon of honey. Mix everything, transfer to a glass jar and leave for 2 weeks. Rub the finished product into the skin 3 times a week 15 minutes before hygiene procedures.
- Onions help stop baldness and get rid of seborrhea. The vegetable contains sulfur, almost all vitamins and microelements. Chop the onion and squeeze out the juice. The prepared product must be rubbed into the skin, then put on a cellophane cap and wrap your head in a towel, leave the mask for 15 minutes, then wash your hair with shampoo. If a strong burning sensation is felt during the procedure, it should be interrupted. There is a characteristic pungent odor after the mask, so it is better to plan a session for a time when you can stay at home for several days. You can replace onion juice with a decoction of the peel, but it is worth considering that the product can color your hair.
- Essential oils of citrus fruits, tea tree, and eucalyptus relieve itching well. 2 drops should be added to 1 liter of water and rinsed after washing.
- If the scalp is not affected by fungus or mites, then massage has a beneficial effect on the general condition. You can do it yourself, directing movements from the forehead to the back of the head:
- Use your entire palm to stroke.
- Use your fingertips to make spiral movements.
- Light pressure with pads.
- Stroking with the whole palm.
Each exercise individually or the entire complex should be repeated 4 times.
During treatment, you should not dye your hair, it is advisable not to use a hair dryer. If the itching does not go away with self-treatment, redness appears, the hair becomes dull, you need to go to the doctor.
Reproduction
To choose the right control method, it is important to know not only what nits look like, but also the differences between fleas and lice in their methods of reproduction. In particular, it is possible to determine in advance the area of future processing.
Lice
Lice parasitize the scalp, so such insects are rarely found outside the human body. Infection occurs through direct contact with the carrier or personal belongings (comb, hat, bed linen) of the latter.
The following features of lice are distinguished:
- life expectancy is one month, during which an adult lays 150 eggs (nits);
- the eggs are coated with a special substance that allows nits to cling tightly to the hair;
- young individuals appear one week after laying.
Nits, like adult lice, are light in color.
Fleas
These bloodsuckers rarely lay eggs on their host. More often, nits are localized near the place where people or animals live, in the folds of the carpet, behind the backs of furniture and in other secluded places. From laying to the appearance of young individuals, it takes from two weeks to two months.
The emerging worm-like larva initially remains outside the host’s body. This is due to the fact that young individuals do not feed on blood. In this case, the larvae remain near the place of residence of humans or animals.
Externally, flea eggs resemble poppy seeds, the surface of which has a brown or yellow tint. After several days, the larvae pupate. This process also occurs outside the warm-blooded body. At the end, a young individual is born, capable of feeding on blood. In the presence of optimal conditions for development, the described process takes less than one month.
More about fleas
The average lifespan of one individual is about 3 months. During this time, one individual manages to leave behind numerous offspring.
For a flea to die naturally, a combination of the following factors is necessary:
- temperature;
- humidity;
- access to products.
At high air temperatures, the lifespan of fleas is reduced to four weeks. The size of individuals increases. Accelerated maturation of eggs and larvae occurs. At low rates, insects live up to several months, and their body becomes smaller.
The reproduction cycle also depends on air temperature. Under normal conditions, it takes a month. At high levels - a week, at low levels - 8 months. Therefore, the path “from egg to flea” can take from 10 days to a year.
Popular myths
Contrary to popular belief, parasites do not live permanently on animals. They prefer to breed in quiet places. A flea jumps on a person or cat only for satiation, which lasts from a minute to an hour. After the individual drinks blood, it returns to a secluded corner.
Little pests are hiding:
- in the litter;
- in crevices;
- in carpets, etc.
Without a host, fleas live a long time, but they are not able to reproduce, since they need blood for this process. Therefore, when parasites are detected, urgent measures are taken to get rid of them. Insect eggs are viable and resistant to negative conditions.
Parasites can easily attach themselves to rodents, which will provide them with a basis for survival. Pests are capable of starving for weeks and this will not negatively affect their lifespan.
What are the similarities?
The similarity between the pests in question is that lice and fleas consume the blood necessary to maintain life. Lack of access to nutrient fluid provokes the death of the insect colony.
Another similarity between lice and fleas can be seen in the consequences that occur in the carrier of the parasites. The bites leave red, itchy spots on the body. A large colony of adult individuals can cause an allergic reaction and intense intoxication of the body with corresponding symptoms. Scratching (often unconsciously) of bite sites increases the risk of secondary infection and the development of a purulent process in the tissues of the epidermis.
The third similarity is that bloodsuckers, in the absence of a constant source of food, are capable of falling into suspended animation. In this state, insects remain viable. Anabiosis lasts more than a year. If at the end of the specified period the insects do not encounter a food source, the parasites die.
The danger of both for humans
When bitten, insect saliva enters the wound, causing itching and irritation. If the affected area is scratched, the area of spread of the poison increases, swelling and allergic reactions occur.
In addition, there are complications critical to health:
- • Secondary bacterial infections. They occur when pyogenic microbes penetrate the skin. Signs of the disease are superficial vesicular-pustular rashes on the scalp, face, and behind-the-ear areas.
- • Sepsis. Deadly blood poisoning. Accompanied by dysfunction of all organs.
- • Lymphadenitis. This is inflammation of the lymph nodes.
A key role in the risk of developing complications is played by the physiological state of a person. Infectious agents are actively introduced into the cells of the body, weakened by stress, overwork, unbalanced nutrition, and immunodeficiency states.
lice eaters
This type of ectoparasite has a slight resemblance to lice in appearance. They also constantly parasitize pets, unlike fleas, which use mammals only as a source of food. Lice eaters differ from lice in having a gnawing type mouthpart and a more massive head.
Insects have three pairs of legs, with which they are firmly fixed to the body of the animal. Color varies from yellowish to gray. It is not the blood of mammals that is used as a source of nutrition, but particles of skin and wool. The incubation period for eggs is 3 weeks. Each female is capable of laying up to 70 eggs at a time. Thus, the rate of reproduction of parasites is very high.
The presence of parasitic insects can be determined by some characteristic signs:
- itching and irritation appear;
- Bald areas are observed on the pet’s body;
- there are areas of scratching and inflammatory processes in the damaged skin;
- possible development of dermatitis.
Life cycle
In its development, the head louse goes through several stages:
- Females lay white eggs - nits. They attach very well to the hair right at the very roots. Sometimes you can see dead nits that are brown in color or empty ones that are light in color and look like dandruff.
- Nits grow from 7 to 9 days. Then it develops - a nymph, the so-called cub.
- After 10-12 days, the nymph turns into a mature louse, which is ready to reproduce and give birth. The louse lives for 28-30 days, and during this time they lay 200-300 eggs.
Getting rid of blood-sucking insects
There are several methods to combat blood-sucking insects. These can be both folk remedies and medications. Let's present the most common and effective ones.
Methods of destruction using folk remedies
Nits cause as much inconvenience to humans as they do to any animal. This technique has a wide range of effects. Folk natural remedies can rid the entire house of “uninvited guests.” Plants such as wormwood, lavender, incense, garlic, as well as lemon and pine needles are suitable here. The strong smell emanating from them drives away fleas and lice for a long time. You can combine them with other methods to enhance the effect.
It is also recommended to use infusions and decoctions of wild rosemary, tansy, and hellebore. To do this, you need to put the shoots with leaves in a small saucepan (you can take several varieties), add water and wait for the water to boil. The decoction should be cooled and used for its intended purpose. If you add grated tar and laundry soap to it, you can rinse bed linen and bedspreads in it for disinfection purposes.
Drug treatment
When affected by lice, fleas, and other blood-sucking parasites, itching, burning, pediculosis, and dermatitis (from frequent scratching) may appear. Such ailments are common not only to people (including children), but also to animals (especially those with fur). For insect bites, lindane, pyrethrium, and allethrin are used to treat lesions. Sometimes doctors even use mercury ointment or Vaseline. The list also includes:
- Creams or gels with menthol.
- Tar or laundry soap.
- Nittifor.
- Foxylon.
- Pedilin or Nyuda.
- Paranit.
- Para Plus.
- Butadione, Levamisole, Albendazole (tablets).
This is only a small part of the medications used to combat parasites. Distinctive features of these funds are the pricing policy, the area of influence, and the shelf life of the effect. There are many products on the market to choose from.
Disinsection of premises
To combat blood-sucking insects, as well as for preventive purposes, premises are disinfested. It does not matter whether it is residential, industrial or basement. For such purposes, special chemicals are used. They are sprayed over a specific distance using a spray gun or installation. To do this, it is recommended to wear protective clothing, a mask and gloves. There is a risk of poisoning. There are several products for this purpose.
Let's comment on them:
- The first stage will require wet cleaning using vinegar, bleach, ammonia or chlorine.
- Then use Dichlorvos, Karbofos, Tetrix, Raptor or Raid, Executioner, Clean House, Get (do not ignore corners, cracks, holes).
- After treatment, it is recommended to ventilate the room, wipe the walls and floor with a soda solution.
Lifestyle
The difference between fleas and lice is that the latter parasitize only in human hair, without leaving their habitat. This applies to head and pubic lice. Clothes live in the folds of linen and clothing. Fleas can exist anywhere. In the apartment, basement, in the yard, moving freely and looking for new habitats and breeding places. They do not become attached to a warm-blooded animal, although they feed on its blood. Fleas move in jumps up to 0.5 meters high and long. Whereas lice crawl in the hair and do not leave their shelter. Only 10% of the total number of fleas in the house live in the fur of cats and dogs. The rest settle in more secluded corners.
Routes of infection
The spread of parasites such as fleas and lice is always a sign of social crises. Large overcrowding and lack of basic hygiene skills lead to the widespread spread of these parasites among the population.
Another factor contributing to infection by these parasites is migration processes, especially from epizootic-prone areas.
Lice
Head louse is transmitted by contact with hair, by using hair care products of an infected person (comb, hairpins, etc.) and by wearing other people's hats.
Body fleas are spread by touching clothing, by wearing belongings of a sick person, and even by close bodily contact. This disease can be caught in public transport, crowded places and child care institutions.
Fleas
You can become infected with this parasite almost anywhere. Thanks to its jumping ability, a flea can jump on you on public transport, from the ground, or come on your pet after a walk. In urban environments, residents of the lower and upper floors are at particular risk. Fleas often love attics and basements; they have their own blood donors: birds and rats.
Distribution routes
The ways in which lice and fleas spread are different. What is the difference? The difference in distribution suggests 2 options. In the first case, insects independently colonize the areoles for reproduction (this happens rarely). In the second option, relocation occurs as a result of physical contact.
For example, if parasites inhabit a non-residential or residential building, then their eggs are found almost everywhere. When they come into contact with their habitat, they adhere to the object and are transported with it to a new place. Along with the eggs there may be larvae and adults. The object can be a person’s clothing, personal belongings, a bag of garbage, or animal fur.
Important! Animals transmit blood-sucking insects to each other through tactile touch. This is rubbing with fur, exchanging leashes or collars. Parasites are transmitted from person to person according to the same principle. This is friction with clothing, use of other people's personal belongings, through bedding.
Important! Lice and fleas are good at hiding when they see an aggressor. With their luggage they can migrate to another city or even country. After reproduction, the population increases several times. The propagation process will repeat again. Chemical or natural control methods help reduce this population.
