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Louse Control through Textile Fibre Size

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

B. Hocking
B. Hocking
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, University of Alberta.
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Extract

The possibility of controlling the human body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus L., through the development of clothing which is inimical to it on physical rather than chemical grounds was investigated. Claw size in lice was shown to be related to diameter of host hair. The grip force of lice on fabrics made of fibres of various diameters and compositions, some spun and some unspun, and of various weaves largely dictated by availability, was measured with an apparatus of which the essential parts were a torsion balance and a kymograph motor. The force was found to be a maximum at fibre-diameters approximating that of human hair. The ability of lice to grab hold of a fabric when dropped on to an inclined surface of it was also measured and found to vary with fibre-diameter in a similar manner to grip, but less strongly. The number of eggs laid on fabrics when no choice was offered was also found to vary with fibre-diameter in a similar manner. While this physical method of louse control is not promising for immediate practical application, it has possibilities which may be enhanced by developments in textile technology.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 48 , Issue 3 , September 1957 , pp. 507 - 514
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1957

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