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Head lice, old pests, being met with new attitudes - Saturday, December 09, 2006 By Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood - The Grand Rapids Press - Stubborn lice outbreaks at two suburban schools are forcing teachers, students and families to come to grips with the stigma the scalp dwellers still carry wherever they land. Ada Christian School usually gets just three or four cases all school year. This year: 20 cases in the past two weeks alone. In East Grand Rapids, an unusually persistent outbreak spread to several students at Lakeside Elementary last month. Lakeside Principal Linda Kehm said she has made extra efforts to quell the fears that caused more kids to miss class and sent parents into cleaning frenzies at home. "Head lice are nondiscriminating -- they'll take a ride with anybody," she said. People's often extreme reactions to the critters show how difficult it is to change perceptions that head lice are a badge of shame, educators say. Leading children's health advocates now advise that students stay in class; the American Pediatric Association adopted the policy in 2002. Harvard School of Public Health agrees, saying common school "no nit" policies are well-meaning but ineffective. Because a student with lice poses no health risk and probably has had the case for a month by the time it is discovered, they say the child should be allowed to stay in class. But East Grand Rapids and Ada Christian, like most local schools, still require students to go home for treatment to avoid spreading the bug to classmates. Even if schools didn't promote staying home, families prefer it, principals said. As soon as parents get the news their child is infected, they usually are at school within minutes to bring the student home and start eradicating. When Lakeside's outbreak was detected, Kehm went from classroom to classroom checking each student for bugs and notifying parents about suspected cases. "I became a little nitpicker," she joked. That ignited the rumor mill and sparked reactions from paranoia to denial. Some parents were reluctant to believe their child had lice. Others worried they had it, too. "I had two dads come in and have their heads checked," Kehm said. One child caked her hair with hair spray, hoping it would prevent them. Educators say they are making progress against misconceptions. Principals say some students now casually acknowledge they have a case of lice. "It's not a disease, but it is something that spreads," Ada Christian Principal Judy DeJong said. "So, you're really doing a favor to your community when you take care of it and let your school know." Education is the most important defense against spreading lice, said Jennifer Jordan, a health aide at Harrison Park Elementary in Grand Rapids. People who think lice prey only upon the poor or dirty are fooling themselves. Lice like to cluster in warm, dry places like behind the ears and base of the neck to feed on the scalp. They spread quickly among children who routinely come into close contact when they play. When Jordan did her first head check at Harrison Park in 1998, she found 60 lice cases. Thanks to aggressive education efforts with families, that is down to five or 10, she said. The reaction of most parents is the same, she said. "They get freaked out, and spend $50 on (hair) products when all you need is a washer, dryer, vacuum and lice comb," Jordan said. Daily combing is key to removing the stubborn bugs, she added. Parent Chris Castro, of Grand Rapids, said he learned a few things about lice after his two daughters came home with a case. His first-grader at Comstock Park's Stoney Creek Elementary caught it first, passing it on to her 4-year-old sister, a preschooler at Harrison Park. "They think you're dirty when you have lice," Castro said, but lice "don't like dirty hair." Castro, 36, began shampooing and combing along with vigorous cleaning of bedding and other household items. When over-the-counter options failed, Castro got a doctor's prescription that cleared the problem within four days. Send e-mail to the author: jackerman@... -
I have written a free Lice and Scabies chapter describing many safe and far more effective lice controls - you can read it at http://www.safesolutionsinc.com - look under "Resources". Using a lice comb to take out nits is pure torture and your child will soon understand they are having a very "lousy" time. Would you spray your child with a can of bug spray? Of course not; but, if you compare a can of a roach spray to the over-the-counter pediculicides (lice POISONS) you will find the poison content in a Roach spray can is less toxic. Prescription lice POISONS are far more toxic than Bug spray. Salt water will kill the lice faster and a lot safer and is basically free. The salt will not remove the nits but, the POISON sprays will not do so either. A 125 degree Fahrenheit sauna will kill head lice in about 5 minutes - if you use a hair dryer and a shower cap - this canl take up to a half hour to kill the lice. There is a safe and far more effective alternatives that will safely remove the lice and the nits without combing for less than $2.00 a treatment. While lice are becoming resistant to the various lice POISONS they can never become resistant to thiese alternatives or to Lice R Gone shampoo - that safely removes lice and nits and is FDA approved as a medical device.
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Fighting roaches a losing battle - Washington Times - Washington, DC, USA - University of Florida scientists suggest mankind can never win the war against German cockroaches, as the hated household pests become resistant to new poisons almost as quickly as the products are produced. "Whatever you throw at them, they have an amazing ability to quickly adapt and overcome adversity," said Phil Koehler, entomology professor at the university's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. "We know they have developed resistance to many of the most widely used insecticides, and now they are turning up their noses at baits, including some that were very effective just a few years ago," he said.
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20061207-114440-2260r.htm
I have written a free pest control booklet called: THE BUG STOPS HERE that you can download or read at the website located at www.safesolutionsinc.com - look under "Resources". People need to stop poisoning themselves and their children and pets and use safe and far more effective alternatives like a red light and a vacuum or some duct tape put down sticky-side up. I removed roaches in several schools simply using baby powder or allowing the room or refrigerator to freeze. None of these alternatives will create resistant roaches.
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I have posted a lot of free pest control alternatives and other relevant information on the website located at: http://www.safesolutionsinc.com/resources.htm . There is a free 86 page booklet on how to control most pest problems without using any pesticide POISONS entitled: THE BUG STOPS HERE. There is a free chapter on Lice/Scabies/Morgellons Disease, a free chapter on Mosquitoes, a free chapter on Fleas and Mange, a free chapter on Bed Bugs, a free chapter on Spiders, a free chapter on Detoxification/Healing and a section on fire ants from my newest IPM manual/encyclopedia entitled: THE BEST CONTROL II. All of these copyrighted items are free for you to simply read and/or download. There simply is no need to POISON yourself.
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"Want To Detox And Be Healthy?" learn how to Detox and become healthy again at: http://www.safesolutionsinc.com/healthy.pdf .
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"How to Beat Cancer"- http://www.safesolutionsinc.com/cancer.htm
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Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten - Marne, MI - 43.04N -85.81W (Elev. 696 ft)
MCS International Country Coordinator for the USA - http://www.mcs-international.org/meet_team_steve.html and:
http://www.mcs-international.org/articles/article_steve_tvedten1.html
Websites: http://www.thebestcontrol.com , http://www.getipm.com , http://www.learnipm.com , http://www.safesolutionsinc.com
http://www.mcs-international.org/articles/article_steve_tvedten1.html
Websites: http://www.thebestcontrol.com , http://www.getipm.com , http://www.learnipm.com , http://www.safesolutionsinc.com
To learn more about the Bug Stops Here Yahoo group group, please visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebugstopshere
You see things and you say, 'why?' but I dream things that never were; and I say 'why not?'" Thomas Edison
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