Head lice are not considered one of the "traditional" pests but ask anyone who’s had to deal with lice and they’ll tell you head lice are definitely pests.

Just like trying to control a flea infestation, it can be helpful to understand the life cycle of a head louse. There are three stages to the head lice life cycle:

1. Eggs – Eggs from louse are often called nits and can be mistaken for dandruff because of their size and color. Nits can be found near the scalp at the base of the hair; they like the warmth. Louse eggs can take six to nine days to hatch.
2. Nymphs – A nymph is the result of a hatched louse egg; they’re about the size of a pin head. Nymphs remain at that stage for seven days and will go through three molts during those seven days.
3. Adults – Adult lice have six legs are about the size of a sesame seed; they can live on a human head for about a month.

Lice can only live for a day or two without a meal, but it is important to treat your home for lice while treating yourself or kids. Oh, and don’t worry about Fifi and Fido; lice are species specific and head lice aren’t particularly interested in your dog or cat. Here are some basic steps to get a good handle on your lice infestation:

Wash – According to the CDC, lice are killed after being exposed for five minutes to temperatures higher than 128°F…so wash and dry appropriate articles on high heat. Here are some common items to wash:

• clothing 
• bedding 
• hats (don’t forget the ball caps) 
• scarves
• stuffed animals

Combs and brushes can be soaked and washed on a daily basis with soapy hot water while you still have an infestation.

If something cannot be washed, can it be dry cleaned?

Freeze – Freezing can be a great alternative to washing items (lice should be dead after 10  hours in a freezer at 5°F or below, according to the CDC); sealing items in a bag for two weeks is another option…here are some items commonly treated by freezing:

• headphones
• helmets
• head bands, hair ribbons, etc…

Vacuum – This is great mechanical way to physically remove the lice…you may want to toss the bag or dump out your vacuum’s canister after sweeping. Try vacuuming these areas:

• carpets
• floors
• furniture
• cribs
• mattresses
• car seats, floors, etc..

Head lice are more of a nuisance than a health hazard; they are not known to transmit diseases or bacteria.

{Photo Credit (louse life cycle): CDC}

Many people attempt do-it-yourself pest control before contacting a company. DIY pest control can work if it’s not done recklessly but there are a few things to keep in mind to limit the negative effects on our water, air, ground, etc… when using pesticides.

• Follow the label on the products – I know it’s common sense but the label is there for a reason
• Get rid of unused products properly…check the label for instructions and use a household waste collection center when necessary. Visit Earth911.com to find a HHW center near you. Here’s a list of HHW centers near Irvine, California.
• Do not mix pesticides near a well head and be sure your well isolates surface water sources
• Avoid using pesticides when winds are more than 10 mph
• Do not recycle any containers that have once stored pesticides unless your recycling program accepts those containers

Why is this a problem? Our fresh water comes from two sources: ground water and surface water. Surface water is found in lakes, rivers, reservoirs (fake lakes), etc… On the other hand, ground water is often found in aquifers which are water-bearing layers of earth.

Pesticides can enter our drinking water a number of ways; washing away from rain, seeping through the soil and into an aquifer, being intentionally added by water treatment plants to protect people from bacteria and unfortunately, illegally dumping pesticides down the drain, in creeks, etc…

Note: Drinking water is regularly tested for pesticides, among other things. To find more information about your drinking water, contact your local government.

If there are pesticides or other chemicals in our water then fish are swimming in it and animals (humans too) might be drinking it. All chemicals (pesticides included) are harmful but the effects depend on the type of chemical, the amount of that chemical and the species exposed to the pesticide. For instance, pyrethroids are a class of pesticides considered very toxic to invertebrates but they do not affect humans as much.

So take care when applying your own pesticides and if you can, try an alternative pest control methods first. When in doubt, contact a professional company. A pest control company has countless hours of experience in properly applying pesticides.

Resources

The EPA has an excellent Citizen’s Guide to Pest Control and Pest Safety (pdf) – the guide is thorough and comprehensive

EPA Region 9 (includes California) Water Program

State of California Pesticide Regulations

{photo credit: over_kind_man}

It is not uncommon to occasionally see a fruit fly (or several) in the house. Yes, they are annoying but can they carry diseases? Fruit flies can transfer bacteria and other disease carrying organisms to any food they land on.

Prevention is the best way to avoid any problems with fruit flies, here are some tips:

• Clean up any spilled food or liquid on counters, near garbage cans, in cupboards, etc…
• Eat or throw away any over ripe fruit
• Keep an eye on your recycling bin, the flies love food residue left on cans and bottles
• Take out the garbage on a regular basis

If you already have a problem with the flies you’ll want to eliminate any food source. Once you eliminate all food sources that could attract the flies, you’ll want to thoroughly clean all surfaces where the flies could’ve laid eggs. This is important because while you may not see any flies, their eggs may still be in hiding.  Doing a good deep clean is usually effective against the fruit flies.

If you’d like to trap the adult fruit flies, many people have success with setting out bowls of dish soap and vinegar, red wine or even rotting fruit covered with saran wrap and a small hole poked into it; the flies go in but can’t find their way out.

Fruit flies may be a nuisance in the house but the tiny flies are beneficial; fruit flies are often used in college science labs, they’re used to help develop new mosquito repellents and fruit flies are even used to research human genetics.

When the temperatures start warming up people start using over the counter pesticides (you can buy them in home stores) for a variety of things including weed control, pest control and even pools. It’s important to use caution when handing these products because they are still chemicals and can be pretty toxic.

Here are some basic tips to keep in mind, yes, they seem like common sense but you would be surprised.

• Select the mildest product that will successfully correct the problem — Do you even need to use a chemical?
• Store pesticides away from kids, pets and even adults (pdf) — dogs and other pets may eat any poison (such as rat poison) if left within their reach
• Do not transfer the pesticides to containers that were once used to store food or may store food again. Keeping the chemicals in the original bottle, container, etc… is probably the best bet since the instructions and cautions are printed on the container
• Mixing bleach with ammonia or other chemicals can cause a toxic gas so avoid mixing anything that could have a chemical reaction
• Open windows, doors, etc… when working with pesticides in the home
• If you start to feel ill, leave the treated area and seek medical attention if necessary

And don’t forget, select a product that treats the problem at hand and don’t forget to follow the instructions, they are there for a reason.

For more information on pesticide regulation, visit the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.