The louse is a wingless parasitic insect. Lice feed on human blood and are found worldwide. It’s been known to humanity since ancient times.

Some lice cause no harmful effects but may have a significant social impact because of their habit of phoresing on humans. Similar species do not infest humans. Lice are not dangerous to pets or other animals, but their bites cause intense itching in humans that may lead to scratching the bite area until it bleeds.

Lice are members of the clade Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species. Lice are external parasites of warm-blooded animals. Most species of lice are bird parasites and a minority are mammalian parasites. The louse is divided into 2 subspecies: biting lice and sucking lice.

The biting louse feeds on pieces of skin and organic waste, while the sucking louse feeds on blood. Among the sucking lice are human parasites. Lice are wingless, flat-bodied insects. The length of the adult louse is 0.4 mm from 10 mm. Many species have hard plates on the back, abdomen, or sides, reducing their flexibility but increasing their stiffness.

Lice are much larger than other insects that inhabit the body, such as mosquitoes and flies. People who have been infested with lice may have symptoms of infection, irritation to the skin, secondary skin infections, and intense itching.

The eggs (nits) are tough to kill because they are resistant to many household chemicals and temperatures. Lice bites often leave red marks on the skin that cause discomfort, but there’s no risk of contracting diseases from the bites. As with other organisms, no scientific method has been developed to eliminate lice entirely and permanently.

One of the best known and effective remedies to eliminate lice is a product called “Lindane.” This compound has been used for over 50 years and has an accumulation of cases of neuropathy.

Home remedies such as a mixture of olive oil and crushed garlic work as a repellent. Lemon juice, vinegar, and aloe vera gel have also been recommended to remove lice from the hair.

In some countries, an insect with the species name “Lepisma Saccharina” is used as a pet by people who believe it has beneficial effects. It is known as the “Silverfish.”