It's not the phone call you want to receive.

"Hello, parent, your child has head lice."

Until this week, I didn't know that there was a simple sentence that could make my wife scream like a girl. There's even a diagnosis: Pediculophobia. Fear of lice.

There was no need to fear. The older daughter was indeed sent home from the school nurse related to lice, but not a single one of those nasty bugs was ever seen. Nobody else in the house was infested, either. Just some nit-picking needed and a bit of extra precaution going forward.

Things haven't changed much since my sister and I each had lice experiences in our Red Oak School days 30-ish years ago. Lots of combing, cleaning, and chemical shampoo will get out the bugs and nits, but it takes time and patience — not exactly qualities that children have with abundance.

What shouldn't surprise me, though, given my recent column about how you can hire anything in Highland Park, is that help was available to get through the creepy-crawly crisis. A friend and neighbor recommended an immediate call to the Lice Detectives (www.licedetectives.com). This is a local firm with nine employees who specialize in lice treatment and removal.

Lice Detectives were faster than Domino's Pizza. In a flash, firm founder Angie Donenberg was in our home, carrying the right implements and potions to zap those pesky lice away. We were relieved to learn that the eldest had very few nits and no bugs. In about an hour, everyone had been given a clean bill of health, ready to return to school the next day.

It turns out I knew Angie — our kids had gone to pre-school together — but I didn't know that a lawyer by training had started this buggy business. Unsurprisingly, these persistent insects have turned into quite a job for her.

It should bug me that 30 years later, little has changed about children and lice. Instead, through the calming and professional approach of the Lice Detectives, what felt like a potential major disruption turned into a controlled situation quickly. Perhaps I am learning more about when it is time to call a professional.