Lice are very small insects that live in the hair and on the scalp. Anyone with hair can have a lice infestation, but how long do lice live on stuffed animals?
According to the Center for Disease Control, it is possible that stuffed animals can get lice. But the shelf life is lower because they will not be able to feed.
How long can lice live on stuffed animals?
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The life cycle of lice will depend on their diet and the warmth of their host. How long do lice live on stuffed animals? If you do not have blood to feed and do not have the necessary heat, your life will be interrupted because the nits will not hatch.
Lice that have spread from a person’s head can die in 48 hours or a day. You can be sure that in 2 days, all lice in a stuffed animal will be dead.
What to do if you find fleas on stuffed animals?
There is little chance that you will find lice on stuffed animals, but it is not impossible. There is up to 4% that you can find lice on stuffed animals. If your child has a stuffed animal that he sleeps with and is close to when he sleeps, he will have lice.
But if the stuffed animals are in a piece of furniture or the closet, the risk of them getting lice will be 0%.
How to Treat Stuffed Animals for Lice?
If you want to treat lice on stuffed animals, you can follow the following tips:
1. Use the dryer
You can put your child’s favorite stuffed animal in the dryer to get rid of lice. Forty minutes at high temperature will be enough, and they will recover their congestion in a short time.
Lice are insects that die at temperatures above 130º F. A dryer on its highest cycle has a temperature of 135º F. There are studies where lice were dead after using a dryer at that temperature for 40 minutes.
2. You can use masking tape
Another way to remove lice from stuffed animals is with a roller of duct tape. These rollers are very strong and can pick up lice; you need to check to replace the roller blades as they become less sticky with dirt.
3. You can put the stuffed animals in a bag
For the stuffed animals close to your child, you can pick them up and put them in a bag for two days, which will kill the lice. After this time, you can return it to your child.
4. Disinfect stuffed animals
A good bath is always good for stuffed animals. You can put them in the washing machine, but you must use the sanitize cycle to kill the lice. This cycle reaches a very high temperature that will kill these insects. Soap and water will not kill the lice.
