What do body lice look like?
There are three forms of body lice: the egg (sometimes called a nit), the nymph, and the adult. • Nit: Nits are lice eggs. They are generally easy to see in the seams of clothing, particularly around the waistline and under armpits. They are about the size of a poppyseed. Nits occasionally may also be attached to body hair. They are oval and usually yellow to white. Body lice nits may take 1-2 weeks to hatch. • Nymph: The egg hatches into a baby louse called a nymph. It looks like an adult body louse, but is smaller. Nymphs mature into adults about 9-12 days after hatching. To live, the nymph must feed on blood. • Adult: The adult body louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has 6 legs, and is tan to greyish-white. Females lay eggs. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood. If the louse falls off of a person, it dies within about 5-7 days at room temperature.
