Each year in school the issue of ‘head lice’ comes up. We currently have serious ongoing issues in some classes with head lice and nits. 

In Tullyallen N.S., we have decided to do Bug Busting in an effort to reduce and treat the number of outbreaks in the school. Bug Busting is a very safe, effective and non-invasive way to treat outbreaks of head lice without the use of pesticides.

• It teaches us how to detect and treat outbreaks.
• It helps to break down the stigma attached to having head lice, through education and working together.

Bug Busting started in the 80s in England. It is based on the evidence that head lice that are completely saturated in moisture stay still. It uses ordinary shampoo and conditioner and a special fine tooth comb. It works by interfering with the lifecycle of the bug. The whole school works together at the same time, so that everybody plays their part in Busting the Bug.

Our bug busting campaign will be repeated each term in the school year. Children and their families will be informed coming up to the start of each BUG BUSTING CAMPAIGN. Please Watch the Video- https://youtu.be/byFmPTscIhQ?si=b77O0RDyM9-D7r3r

A note will go home to the parents to commence bug busting and a fine-tooth comb is ESSENTIAL and are available to buy in the local pharmacies. 

THIS YEAR 2024 TO GET OUR SCHOOL STARTED WE ARE BUYING A COMB FOR EVERY FAMILY IN OUR SCHOOL  AND SENDING IT HOME TO HELP LAUNCH THE CAMPAIGN. 

Bug Busting Method

Parents will then be asked to carry out the following: 

Day 1; Bug Busting Day

• Wash your childs’ hair with your own ordinary shampoo as usual and rinse. 
• Dry it off a little.
• Put conditioner on the hair and leave it on.
• Detangle the hair using your own ordinary wide tooth comb.
• Leaving the conditioner in place, begin combing the hair section by section using the bug buster comb. Slot the teeth in the hair right at the roots and draw it up to the tips.
• Check the bug buster comb for head lice after each stroke, by wiping it with kitchen paper or by rinsing it under the tap.
• Repeat until the whole head has been combed through.
• Rinse the hair and repeat the process when the hair is really wet.

This process is repeated on day 5, day 9 and day 13 whether you have detected head lice or not. We call these Bug Busting Days. 

All families will carry out the bug busting on these nights and it is advisable that all members of each family should bug bust. It is therefore a whole school effort which has been proven to be very successful in the detection and treatment of head lice. 

Families will receive the dates of each Bug Busting Schedule in advance unless we have to call an emergency cycle. 

Teachers will remind pupils and parents of the homework to bug busting on the relevant nights. Parents and pupils will be shown the video on bug busting and educated on how and why bug busting works- Bug Busters Video

We all need to be vigilant and check children’s hair for head lice, please  remember to wash, rinse, condition and use a bug buster comb will leave the lice without a home.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Tullyallen N.S.