Lice Check Information

For the safety of your camper and all the campers at camp, we ask that all parents complete a lice check for their camper(s) 48 hours or less before arrival at camp. Should you choose not to perform a lice check, our camp nurse will complete a lice check within 24 hours after your camper’s arrival. If a camper is found to have lice while at camp, they will be required to return home until they have been fully treated.

How to perform a lice check:

Check for lice:

You’ll need really good light and a pair of strong drugstore reading glasses or a magnifying glass (recommended).
1. Part the hair in various places and check the scalp behind the ears and at the nape of the neck. You may notice sores or a rash where your child has been scratching.
2. Look for movement in the hair. You’re not likely to see the lice themselves, as they are small, fast, and avoid light.
3. Look for lice eggs, known as nits. These tiny white or yellowish teardrop-shaped sacs are attached to the hair near the scalp (within a quarter inch if they haven’t yet hatched). Nits may be easier to feel than to see: They’ll feel like grains of sand. Nits are often hard to distinguish from dandruff or flakes of hair products. The difference is that nits stick to the hair like glue while dandruff and other flakes are easily removed from the hair shaft.

Note: If the only nits you find are more than a quarter inch from the scalp, they may have already hatched and your child may no longer be infested. (Nits can only hatch in the warmth right next to the scalp. After they hatch, the empty egg remains attached to the hair and grows farther and farther from the scalp.) Only viable nits – those very close to the scalp – or live lice are proof of a current infestation.

If you can’t tell whether your child has lice or not, you’ll also need a metal lice comb and some hair conditioner for a wet hair examination.
1. Wet your child’s hair.
2. Pour on lots of conditioner.
3. Comb the hair out in sections, from the roots to the ends, with a lice comb.
4. If there are lice in your child’s hair, you should see them on the comb.
(Shaking the comb out into a plastic bowl after every swipe can help you see them better.)

What to do if your child has lice:

If your child is found to have lice, there are a number of treatment options available. It is recommended you contact your child’s primary care provider, or visit a local pharmacy (such as Walgreens) to determine the best treatment options for your child.

Registered campers who are found to have lice either immediately before or during their camp session will asked to remain at or return home until treated.