Nits are the eggs of pubic lice. They are very small (about the size of a knot in thread) and hard to see. Nits are laid by the adult female at the base of the hair shaft and are firmly attached. They are oval and usually yellow to white in color. Nits take about one week to hatch. Eggs that are likely to hatch are usually located within a ¼ inch of the scalp. Once hatched, they are white or clear in color.

 

The nit hatches into a baby louse called a nymph. It looks like an adult pubic louse, but it is smaller. Nymphs mature into adults about seven days after hatching. To live, the nymph must feed on blood.

 

The adult pubic louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs, and is tan to grayish-white in color. In persons with dark hair, the adult louse will look darker. Female lice, which are usually larger than the males, lay eggs. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's genital hair. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood. If the louse falls off a person and does not get a blood meal, it dies within two days.