How To Check Your Kids For Lice Before School

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As children head back to school over the next couple weeks, there's always a chance they could bring home more than just books and homework.

But the good news is a couple of local ladies have started up a company to help make it much easier for parents.

For any parent that has had to deal with lice, you know it's a pain and can wreak havoc on your household.

After dealing with lice in their own families, Lisa Rudquist and Rachel Knutsen decided to start up Ladibugs, Minnesota's first lice removal center.

They specialize in using chemical free treatments and the "LouseBuster," which is an FDA-approved machine to get rid of the lice. The machines uses heated air and dehydration to kill lice and their eggs.

Ella Meyer's family knows firsthand as well how hard it can be to get rid of lice. They tried all sorts of chemicals and home remedies before turning to the experts.

"Hours and hours, I've missed days of work just doing all the cleaning," said mother Kelly Meyer. "It's a lot of work to get rid of it and products didn't even get rid of the bugs, it's a viscous cycle."

The whole process with the LouseBuster takes about 30 minutes.

"It feels like a warm massage on your head," said daughter Ella Meyer. "It's like you're sort of getting a hair dryer blown on your head cause it's hot."

People tend to assume poor hygiene is to blame, but that's a myth. Lice actually prefer clean hair to dirty. They also say lice are much easier to get than most people think, and can move from person to person in 30 seconds.

Some easy things you can do to avoid getting lice are to encourage your kids not to share combs or barrettes or clothing like hats, coats, or scarves. Avoid head-to-head contact during sleepovers and play.

Ladibugs has a location in St. Louis Park and just opened one in Woodbury, where they will be offering free head checks during the month of September.