Do head lice jump?????

[emaleigh]

I just found a black creepy crawly thing in my sons hair. It doesn't look like a head lice to me but i'm not sure, i just picked one out of his hair and it jumped. He has really short hair but he has had head lice before

[4getmenot]

I'm sure they jump to be carried from one head to the other

[redcrx]

have you got pets? could it be a flea?

[emaleigh]

haven't got any pets and it doesn't look like a flea, it was long and thin

[4getmenot]

a midgie?

[aims1202]

Headlice definately cannot jump, they crawl from head to head so there has to be contact to get them. I maybe wrong but it sounds like fleas, unusual if you dont have pets but still possible, i dont think fleas like people so it was probably a one off.

[zeberdy1976]

apparantly head lice dont jump: i asked the schol nurse!! but when you have seen them leap out of your hand and disapare i would honestly say yes they can jump!!!

[Lonnie]

My daughter goes to a day care centre, and used to get head lice quite a lot,

As stated, they don't jump, just climb from head to head when your cuddling or something similar.

I would guess that the insect you found was a 'one off', flew or dropped on his head.

Wouldn't worry about it at all.

[spudqueen]

Have you checked the rest of his head looking for other crawly things or nits (the eggs)?

[reinganum]

If it's a black creepy crawly thing then it doesn't sound like a headlouse. It's probably something that fell on him out of a tree or something like that; I often pick up things on head or clothing when I've been gardening.

Head lice are quite small (2-3 mm) and are quite difficult to spot; they look sort of greyish. Favourite places are behind or around the ears. If he's had them before you'll know the drill. (My sons had them when they were small.)

[gemini1964]

Head lice don't jump, but outside in nice weather we can often find tiny flies that resemble them all over clothes and skin, maybe it flew when you picked it!

[emaleigh]

Emergency over, it turned out he'd been playing in the trees so it was probably tiny flies, he had loads of them in his hair though, they must have got trapped in his hair gel lol