One Reason I Haven't Posted Lately

Ever notice how many unpleasant words there are in English that do contain just four letters? That must be where the phrase originated! Here in the Kendrick Nut House, we have discovered another four-letter word: L-I-C-E. That's right! Three girls with beautiful long hair must have been their dream. I haven't had much time with all the late nights nitpicking. Why am I posting this? Because I think I figured it out and want to share in case these dreaded pests ever come to infest your house and hair.

It all started about a month ago when my friend called to say that just days after her daughter came to play, she found lice. Honestly, I didn't take this warning as seriously as I should, which was my first mistake. A week or so later, as I was brushing Missy's hair for church, I saw bugs crawling in her hair. Ew!!! A quick check also revealed some in Sunny's hair. Kandy's beautiful thick hair seemed clear, fortunately. Ben went off to church with the boys. Kandy stayed home, and the girls watched movies while I dashed around looking for a non-pesticide lice treatment.

We tried lots of things. I did find a gel that kills the lice through dehydration and followed the directions perfectly. I washed everything in VERY hot water for over a week. We vacuumed beds and furniture and did everything just by the book. Except that I forgot to do a second nitpicking a week later. Oops! Mistake #2.

We had them on the run after that with frequent head checks and more laundry, but they didn't go away completely. I tried a few more things. Just over a week ago, I found bugs on Kandy's head. And after everything I had learned, this is what I did:

First of all, I chopped off her hair. Sunny had been shorn earlier that week, and she was all clear of lice. Although Missy had just one bug that night, I chopped hers off, too. Second, I went through her hair quickly with a Robicomb, which is worth every penny!!! (It costs the same as one or two boxes of lice treatment, and it is reusable because it just kills the lice with electric shocks. Awesome!) Second, I sprayed her hair with NeonNits. The directions say to leave it in and just try to brush it out, but I had learned with the other girls to do it differently. I sprayed her hair and then washed it out. The nits were all pink, and the hair was back to its real color. I blow dried her hair, and then I went through it tiny section by section, carefully nitpicking. We did vacuum beds again, but we didn't do all the laundry in the hot water. With the short hair, we have just used the Robicomb every day or two and done a quick look through their hair to make sure it's all clear. I have not found a single bug in Kandy's hair even once since this treatment.

Pictures of their haircuts will be forthcoming! So, if you ever have to deal with this monumental pest, skip the expensive pesticides, and just buy the Robicomb (we even found it in the store) and the NeonNits. (I actually still have lots of this left!) In summary:
1. Cut the hair short. It may cause everyone a little grief, but it makes it so much easier! Our boys have NEVER had any lice.
2. Go through with the Robicomb.
3. Spray on the NeonNits.
4. Wash it out.
5. Nitpick carefully, pulling out every pink egg.
6. Kill the lice on cloth items. Vacuum beds and wash sheets in very hot water. Put away stuffed animals or wash/dry them at high temperatures. (The second time, I just tossed them in the dryer at high heat for 30 minutes.) If that is too scary, put them in a plastic bag for 10 days to two weeks. Without a human host, the lice will all die.
7. Check for lice every 2-3 days, both with the Robicomb and visually.
8. Keep doing this for at least 2 weeks after the last bug or nit is found.

I sincerely hope you never have to use this information. Lice are a major pain in the backside!