What is the body lice life cycle?
Two days after blood feeding, body lice deposit eggs in the seams of clothing that are in contact with the host’s body. Female body lice lay 50-150 eggs in their lifetimes, but some females lay 275-300 eggs. The time required for incubation of eggs and emergence of nymphs is directly dependent on incubation temperature, which is dependent on the proximity of the eggs to the body. Eggs take 5-7 days to hatch. Eggs only hatch at temperature 23°C-38°C. In the body lice’s life cycle, eggs are the most resistant stage to changing environmental temperatures. Nymphs are miniature replicas of their parents. They start feeding frequently (day or night) just after hatching. The nymph stage lasts 16-18 days, including three molts. Females start laying eggs 1-2 days after maturity. Body lice live from 30-40 days and survive best at the body temperature of humans. A four to five degree rise in temperature is fatal for lice. They prefer cold environments where clothing layers provide a humid to dry
