How do lice lay and attach their eggs to a host?

Lice, which are parasitic insects, lay their eggs—often referred to as nits—either singly or in clumps. To ensure the eggs remain on the host, female lice cement them directly to a hair or feather.1

The eggs themselves may be simple ovoid structures or feature heavy ornamentation and projections that assist in this attachment process or facilitate gas exchange. While most lice spend their entire life cycle on the host, the human body louse is an exception; it typically lays its eggs in the seams of clothing worn next to the skin.12