# Bugs In Bob Marley's Hair

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugs-in-bob-marleys-hair/94274>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 19, 2001, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugs-in-bob-marleys-hair/94274 "2001-11-19T20:53:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Delila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Delila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delila)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugs-in-bob-marleys-hair/94274/1 "2001-11-19T20:53:40Z")

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It was said that there were 72 bugs found in Bob Marley’s hair after he died. Does anyone know the type of bugs found?

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**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugs-in-bob-marleys-hair/94274/2 "2001-11-19T20:57:00Z")

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Ask the CIA.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugs-in-bob-marleys-hair/94274/3 "2001-11-19T21:05:56Z")

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This is of course racist nonsense.

1. Bob Marley died of brain cancer and undoubtedly had either had his head shaved and/or lost his hair during treatment.

2. This is in part just another version of the “spiders in the hair” urban legend.

3. Dreadlocks are not necessarily dirty, and there is no reason to think there should be insects living in them.

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugs-in-bob-marleys-hair/94274/4 "2001-11-19T21:34:32Z")

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As **Colibri** noted, this is balderdash. We had a thread on it last Spring with a bit more detail: [Fact or Fiction about Bob Marley’s death?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=70640)

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugs-in-bob-marleys-hair/94274/5 "2001-11-19T21:41:12Z")

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I should have read that thread before I posted the link. I remembered that **elelle** had provided a citation for Marley’s lack of hair and forgot all the other by-play in that thread. Sorry.