Cheryce
I have read all the suggestions on here, as of today. While there are some ideas on here that would be worth a shot, some of them are absolutly INSANE! Like Kerosene. Or rubbing alcohol. Some of them are just flat out not going to work. As in, hairspray, or regular shampoo.
I know how much lice infestations suck. My three daughters have been fighting it off and on for 8 months now. They picked it up from daycare, and we cant get rid of it for more than a month at a time. When we do squash it, they end up having an outbreak in school/daycare.
The only thing that worked to get rid of them is getting rid of the nits. Not the lice. Lice are fairly easy to kill. It's the eggs that will do you in.
While you can bomb & spray, vaccuming is just as effective, as long as you are dilligent about it. Make sure the bag/canister gets emptied after you vaccum. Lice can only survive a day or so with out a human head. And nits will die with out heat, and a snack when they hatch. ALL bedding, toys, rugs, etc MUST be washed. We actually got new pillows for everyone just in case.
Now, here comes the 'fun' part. It takes forever each morning. But it will work if you are dilligent about it. First off, I would reccomend buying a very well made METAL nit comb. Not the cheap plastic lice combs that come with the shampoos. Wash with dandruff shampoo. Comb the hair out EVERYDAY! To make it easier to get the nits out, rub in some type of oil or hair gel. After you comb, wash it all out! Thats very important, to make sure all loose nits are out. Blow dry it EVERY DAY. Lice cant live under the heat, and the nits seem to dry out also. Use some sort of gel/hairspray/product in your hair EVERYDAY.
I realize how long this takes to do each morning, but the pesticidal shampoos dont work, and they are dangerous. The only way to get rid of lice is to break the cycle of louse/egg/louse/egg. Period.
(PS. Our pediatrician told us that the tea tree oils can be just as dangerous as a pesticide if misused. As for leaving stuff in the hair overnight, it can cause problems, too. Rancid mayo is a terrible thing for a child to have to sleep in, especially when their head is on fire due to the plastic. And they can't sweat to let the heat out!)