# lice and crabs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925 "2003-02-09T19:03:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Humungus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@The\_Humungus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Humungus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/1 "2003-02-09T19:03:28Z")
Are lice and crabs the same creature, just located at different areas on the body??? I imagine they aren’t, but it doesnt seem to make sense that two creatures would be so picky about hair types. can you get crabs on your head and lice in your crotch? what about the arm pits? ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/2 "2003-02-09T19:17:27Z")
AFAIK, yes, they’re the same things. Crabs being an abbreviation of the common name “crab lice”. When seen under magnification, they somewhat resemble crabs. I suppose there are probably sub-species of lice, but I’ve never had the interest to look into it. Probably one of the healthcare pros will be able to answer that more precisely. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/3 "2003-02-09T20:46:06Z")
Headlice and pubic(crab) lice are very similar, but I believe that they are different subspecies. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/4 "2003-02-09T21:09:16Z")
They are [different species](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/2641.htm). Head lice are _[Pediculus humanus capitis](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/headlice/factsht_head_lice.htm)_, while pubic lice are _[Pthirus pubis](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/lice/factsht_pubic_lice.htm)_. There are also [body lice](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/1238.htm). ---
**Author:** ![lukaspriest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5a626/32.png) [@lukaspriest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lukaspriest)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/5 "2003-02-10T02:07:18Z")
Just a TMI side-story on the subject of crabs/pubic lice - I used to work at a lumber yard with a lot of really rough around the edges guys - lets just say they were a little more rosy around the collar than most. Anyhow, one of the guys got crabs from some act of promiscuity and in his shame and desperation NOT to seek professional assistance, he went to the local Ace hardware store and bought a can of RAID for his privates. I hear it didn’t work, and made the poor guy’s nether regions turn into a fiery inferno. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/6 "2003-02-10T02:49:05Z")
:eek: This reminds me of a sure fire cure I heard about for pubic lice. You will need a razor, a match and an ice pick. First you shave off half the hair right down the middle. Second, you set the remaining hair on fire. Third, when the lice run out to escape the flames, you stab them with the ice pick. It works every time. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/7 "2003-02-10T04:02:39Z")
I heard that people used to apply DDT to kill the poor things. I heard it worked like a charm. I can’t think of anyone who’s still alive to confirm this, but I’m sure it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![kspharm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ebca7d/32.png) [@kspharm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kspharm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/8 "2003-02-10T04:06:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Humungus \* > \*\*Are lice and crabs the same creature, just located at different areas on the body??? I imagine they aren’t, but it doesnt seem to make sense that two creatures would be so picky about hair types. can you get crabs on your head and lice in your crotch? what about the arm pits? \*\* Yes ---
**Author:** ![jack\_ss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jack\_ss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_ss)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/9 "2003-02-10T05:15:15Z")
[anecdotal hijack]I’m a hairy guy. The older I get, the hairier I get. I got the critters twice. First time I was only 23 & not very hairy. It was easy to get rid of them, just bought some Rid & followed the instructions. The second time was around my 30th birthday. They kept coming back. I ended up getting some clippers & buzzing all my body hair off, throwing out my bedding, treating all my laundry with lysol and using the shampoo & lotion 6 times. finally got rid of all them little fuckers.[/anecdotal hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/10 "2003-02-10T05:24:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FranticMad \* > \*\*I heard that people used to apply DDT to kill the poor things. > > I heard it worked like a charm. I can’t think of anyone who’s still alive to confirm this, but I’m sure it’s true. \*\* Ask anyone who served in the American army in the European theater during WWII. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/11 "2003-02-10T05:29:06Z")
I had those suckers once…damn crabs! One day I was itching like crazy down there, and didn’t know what it was, but I suspected crabs. I got a good look at them under the inspection microscope at my last job. Ugly little things! Anyway, a treatment of Pronto lice shampoo did the trick. I still have no idea to this day where I got them from. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lice-and-crabs/153925/12 "2003-02-10T10:30:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FranticMad \* > \*\*I heard that people used to apply DDT to kill the poor things. > > I heard it worked like a charm. I can’t think of anyone who’s still alive to confirm this, but I’m sure it’s true. \*\* DDT has very low acute mammalian toxicity. It is virtually non-toxic when applied to the skin, and has a LD50 of 1 g /kg in sheep ace.ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/pips/ddt.htm . E.g you would need to swallow about 70 g to die. 70 g of table salt would probably kill some people.