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Original poster

I promise I'll TRY and make this my last ever nits question - but do they poo?

19 replies

Carla · 09/01/2005 09:48

It's just that the bowl we used to rinse out the comb on dd last night had loads of specks in it. Now I can't work out if they were newly hatched critters (can't see any legs, but if they're just hatched possibly couldn't anyway) or nit poo. Any advice? XXX

OP posts:
misdee · 09/01/2005 09:51

they are a living creature (horrible as they are)so yes tho do poo. its like a black/brown powder, very fine and speckly.

happymerryberries · 09/01/2005 10:00

Non hatched eggs are a browny black colour. Once they hatch they are a pearly white colour. They do poo, but that would be a lot smaller than the eggs

Blossomhill · 09/01/2005 10:01

There must be a way we can make these bl**dy things become extinct, along with thread worms!!!!

Original poster
Carla · 09/01/2005 10:03

These aren't powder, they're very certainly specks.

OP posts:
Blossomhill · 09/01/2005 10:04

Sounds like eggs to me Carla

Original poster
Carla · 09/01/2005 10:20

Thanks Blossum. The Pharmacist told me the eggs were white. I'm so bl**dy confused by all this business

OP posts:
Original poster
Carla · 09/01/2005 10:24

And thanks to the rest of you too

OP posts:
happymerryberries · 09/01/2005 10:40

The egss are deff a browny black before they hatch, they are a pearly white after they hatch.

triceratops · 09/01/2005 10:51

They also shed their skin as they grow which comes off in pieces which makes for black flakes.

Original poster
Carla · 09/01/2005 11:08

I'm totally confused because after dd's had visited the hairdresser, there were loads of white things but no moveing things. If the white things are hatched things, surely there should have been some moving things (and there weren't). And surely the hairdressers should have noticed if there were . And I'd like to think I would have, too.

OP posts:
tamum · 09/01/2005 11:15

Carla, I saw one of your earlier threads about this- am I right in thinking that you have never seen anything resembling a live louse on either of your dds' heads? Just these eggs that were reported by the hairdresser? It's just that it sounds really far fetched to me (and you by the sounds of it!) that you would have egg cases without lice. I would bet they are actually both fine to be honest. The only other scenario would be one where the lice hatched and immediately ran screaming off your dds's heads

Original poster
Carla · 09/01/2005 17:42

Thanks for posting Tamum. We did have a moving one last night, which frightened me into this thread. Just can't understand how we had all those white things and only one crawly. And loads of .... well, those things, yesterday.

OP posts:
Lonelymum · 09/01/2005 17:47

Yes unfortunately Carla they do. I didn't realsie this but my children al got nits for the first time a year ago and when I read up about them I realsied they had had them for weeks () because the leaflet said that you can tell your child has nits by the faeces on their pillows (looks like small black powder). Ds2 had had that on his pillow for at least two or three weeks and I hadn't wondered what it was even!

Original poster
Carla · 09/01/2005 17:55

Lonelymum I think it's one of those things you can only get used to/know what it's all about after you've experiened it once. H chose 6 o'clock last night to tell me dd1 had noticed specks of blood on her sheet, and lo and behold dd2 and I had them too. Two 2 hour washes later.... Anyhow, thanks to MNers I'm beginning to get there

OP posts:
Lonelymum · 10/01/2005 18:23

Yep agree 100% Carla. I keep going through new experiences even now with 4 children and my eldest one being 8, and I think, "Oh right, I will know next time!" My children didn't tell me about their nits until ds1 was putting on his shoes to go and take part in the Remembrance Sunday parade with the beaver scouts! Nice timing!

Original poster
Carla · 11/01/2005 16:54

Please help - I know I thought that would be my last question, but I've wet combed dd2 just now and there were still lots of tiny white things. Am I right in thinking these are the empty shells - or not

OP posts:
oatcake · 11/01/2005 16:57

If you wipe the comb on a damp piece of tissue, then the specks will turn a reddy brown colour if they're poo (the digested blood)

... well, they do for cat fleas anyway!

I'm still checking my son after a letter from the nursery saying another kid had them. not nice.

Surfermum · 11/01/2005 22:55

We only worry about what we get in the comb. We inspect what is combed out of dsd's hair by putting it onto some kitchen roll, leaving it a while and looking at it through a magnifying glass. If after about 20-30 minutes it isn't moving, then it's dead. Personally I wouldn't worry about the fact that there are eggs there(which I think is what the white things are), they will be combed out in due course. Just keep wet combing periodically until everythings's gone, it can take 2-3 weeks.

Sonnet · 12/01/2005 11:47

I'm just going to confuse you now.

Eggs are a creamy colour and are found on the scalp - looks/feels like sand on the scalp

Hatched eggs are more white and are found on the hair shaft.

Lice are flat and browny black and are alive...

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