Booklice, sometimes known as psocids, are not actual lice. These tiny insects resemble lice in appearance, but they don't consume blood. Instead, they live on mold and fungi. In terms of appearance, they can be translucent white, gray, or brown, and are often confused for adult bed bugs.
What are body lice? Body lice are flat wingless insects with six legs, each ending in a claw. They are greyish or brown in colour and range in size from 2mm to 5mm. Body louse eggs (nits) are small, white and oval-shaped.
Another bug that is similar in appearance to a louse is the dust mite, but the human eye can rarely see dust mites. Dust mites can cause allergies in some people and often feed on dead skin, mold, house dust, food, and fungal spores. These tiny bugs are commonly found in carpets, bedding, mattresses, and furniture.
If you find a crawling louse, then you have active lice. Scabies mites are too small to see, but you can see the rash they cause. The mites usually dig into the skin between the fingers or around the ankles, wrists, arm pits, groin, and belt line. You may see wavy, red, raised lines on the skin where the mites dig in.
Some common bugs that can be mistaken for lice are ants, bedbugs, and fleas. A few things all these bugs have in common is they're small in size, can be dark colored, and can give you an itchy head. A few things that can be mistaken for lice nits are dandruff, hair product, or dirt.
Dandruff. Dandruff can look similar to head lice eggs and also causes the scalp to itch. Dandruff is a scalp condition in which dry skin comes away from the scalp in white flakes. Dandruff lies on the scalp and comes away easily, whereas nits stick to the hair.
“The single most common thing that people misidentify as lice and nits is dandruff and cradle cap in kids,” says Cummings. Dandruff is white and can be flaked off easily with your finger. A form of dandruff called a hair cast looks like a tiny white cylinder that encircles the hair shaft but can be easily dislodged.
Psyllids are aphid‑like insects that resemble miniature cicadas. Also called jumping plant lice, these tiny insects have hind legs that allow them to jump and fly away quickly if disturbed. Large swarms may be seen on sunny, warm autumn afternoons but the insects usually disappear after a killing frost.
Like lice, mites are wingless, but in other aspects their body shape is quite different. Besides being much smaller, mites have a generally rounded body shape and lack any obvious body segmentation. Also, mites are arachnids, not insects, so an adult mite has eight legs while an adult louse (an insect) has only six.
People who suffer from conditions like phantom lice syndrome, delusional bug syndrome or Morgellons disease report feeling like something is literally trapped under their skin. They believe lice, bugs, worms, eggs, fibers or tiny specks are right under their skin or are trying to come out of it.
Demodex, a genus of tiny parasitic mites that live in or near hair follicles of mammals, are among the smallest of arthropods with two species Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis typically found on humans. Infestation with Demodex is common; prevalence in healthy adults varying between 23-100%.
Key takeaways: Formication is the sensation that bugs are crawling on or under your skin when they don't really exist. Causes include mental health conditions such as depression, medical conditions like Parkinson's disease, certain prescription medications, or drug use.
Head lice sometimes go away on their own because there are not enough insects to maintain the infestation, or they may persist for an indefinite period without treatment. With proper treatment, the infestation usually goes away within about two weeks.
Nymphs: The egg hatches to release a nymph. The nit shell then becomes a more visible dull yellow and remains attached to the hair shaft. The nymph looks like an adult body louse, but is about the size of a pinhead. Nymphs mature after three molts and become adults about 7 days after hatching.
Not everyone feels lice moving around on their scalp, but some people do. Dr. Garcia says that most of her patients say they “don't feel anything,” but others may get a creepy, tickling sensation as lice move around their head.
Nits have a shiny appearance and can appear white, especially in dark hair, but if removed and placed on a white paper towel, they will be golden, light brown, dark brown or even transparent.
How soon do symptoms appear after exposure? Some people may not have symptoms, particularly with the first infestation or when the infestation is light. It may take 4-6 weeks for itching to appear the first time a person has head lice. How are head lice spread?
Look for lice crawling on the scalp where the hair is parted or on the hair shaft. The lice will be dark in color and the size of a poppyseed. Look for nits near hair follicle about ¼ inch from scalp. Nits (eggs) will be white or yellowish-brown.
Checking for lice
It may be easier to see lice and their eggs when the hair is wet. So, if lice are not visible under a light, try washing the hair and then looking again. If no lice are visible, but the scalp is itchy, people should consult a doctor.
How do I know if I have lice or scabies? If you itch on your scalp or other hairy parts of your body, and the itching happens at all times of day, it is more likely to be lice. Scabies usually is not on the head or neck area, and the itching is often worse at night.