This is the fun part...Need to know: Nits are lice eggs. They look like dandruff, only they can’t be removed by brushing or shaking them off. They are attached to the hair shaft with a sticky nit glue.

• Lice are grayish brown and about the size of a sesame seed. They are found directly on the scalp and move quickly.
• Nits are tiny grayish sacks attached to the hair shaft about 1/4 – 1/2 inch from the scalp. They are almost impossible to dislodge without the use of a nit shampoo that dissolves the nit "glue". Combined with the use of a nit comb to make sure they are all gone.

In detail:

What: small, oval sacs; size of a pin point
Colour: yellow, tan or brown dots
Found: on the hair shaft about 1/4 – 1/2 inch from the scalp
Hot spots: behind the ears, nape of the neck and part lines
Lifecycle: newly hatched nymphs migrate to the scalp to feed
Timeline: 9-10 days from hatching they begin to lay their own egg