Can an exterminator get rid of head lice?

Answer 1

Not likely. Exterminators are not equipped to deal with insects that live on the human body, but rather insects and pests that live within the home. Even if an exterminator WERE equipped to do such things, if even one person in your household has one living lice on them, it is possible for that one bug to re-infest your entire home.Therefore, I would say no. An exterminator cannot get rid of lice. However, you can do it quite easily (and very cheap) simply by washing all of your bedding and clothing, vacuuming your carpets and furniture (anything with a cloth on it as well as curtains if you have small children in your home), the seats in your vehicle, and any stuffed animals, headphones and helmets you may have. Head lice can survive for up to 24 hours off of the human head, mostly on cloth or fur surfaces as well as soft styrofoam and materials of the like.

Run these items through the dryer as well for an extended period of time, as lice and nits will die when exposed to temperatures equal to or over 138 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to boil all of your brushes, combs and hair clips in a pot of hot water thoroughly, as well as saturate your hair with dawn dish soap, mayonnaise, or olive oil (they are all very effective and cheap, though sometimes difficult to wash out.) It would be best to leave whichever one you use in for two hours with a shower cap, which you can pick up at most beauty stores for a dollar or so, but you can also simply tie a grocery bag around your head! (WARNING: DO NOT USE VASELINE OR PETROLEUM JELLY ON YOUR HAIR. IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO WASH OUT. Petroleum jelly/vaseline is meant to lock out moisture to prevent chapping or raw skin, meaning that even if you try to wash it out of your hair, moisture will not penetrate it well.)

While it's suffocating the lice and nits, do your vacuuming and washing of beddings, furniture, etc. and then wash it out. Comb through your hair thoroughly afterward with a lice comb.