How Do They Get in the House? Springtails prefer an outdoor environment that is damp and has plenty of mold and organic debris to feed on. However, if their outdoor habitat becomes too dry, springtails may move indoors seeking a more supportive habitat through openings around and under doors.
Springtails will not bite or otherwise harm people or pets. Their large populations can also make them a nuisance in homes, greenhouses, and other locations where there is a source of moisture. Their continued presence indoors is an indicator of moisture.
In homes with high humidity and mold growth, springtails can sometimes maintain an indoor population. This is more common in bathrooms and basements but can also occur within walls of newly built homes that are supporting mold growth because of rains that soaked the floor and walls before they were covered.
Indoors. Find springtails in areas of high moisture and condensation (around plumbing leaks in bathrooms, basements and kitchens). Springtails are commonly found in the soil of overwatered houseplants. They prefer soil that is excessively damp or soil mixes that contain a high percentage of peat.
The Good News About Springtails
The good news is that infestations are usually short-lived, typically less than a couple of weeks.
Also, springtails may be introduced to the property in infested mulch and natural, waste-based fertilizers that are spread on the grounds. Springtails become very active when their environment starts to dry. As they hop, they are able to enter homes.
Outdoor Springtail and Snow Flea Control
Outdoor Springtail control can be obtained by spraying the lawn, under shrubs, vegetation, and around the perimeter of the home with Onslaught Microencapulated, Onslaught Fastcap, Transport Micron, Cyonara 9.7, Temprid SC, Bifen or Mavrik Insecticides.
Sometimes, Springtails get in your house and flourish when they find hidden leaks, damp areas, and a food source (like molds, algae, and bacteria). Look for these areas and address: Look for damp crawl spaces, basements, intermittent foundation leaks.
Springtails may be found in bath traps, around hot tubs, in humid crawl spaces, under mulched areas, under patio slabs, under logs, wood chips, pine straw, and other areas that are prone to high moisture.
They'll move through wall and floor voids to find their way to your bathroom. Once in your bathroom wall or floor, they'll come up out of the gap in your grout and find their way into your drain, where it is dark and damp. You can also find springtails getting into sink drains.
Springtails require a moist environment to survive. If you are unable to see them in your terrarium, they may be burrowed under the surface in an attempt to reach moisture or are disturbed by a breeze.
How do I get rid of Springtails? Springtails are attracted to damp and dark places. Reducing the humidity in your basement or garage is a good start. This can be easily accomplished by running a dehumidifier.
Signs of a springtail infestation include noticing small jumping insects around sinks, bathtubs, or damp areas inside the home. You may also see them congregating in large numbers on surfaces such as window sills or basement floors. In outdoor areas, springtails may be present in moist soil or leaf litter.
Sevin® Insect Killer Concentrate provides an economical liquid alternative for perimeters and larger treatment areas. Used with a pump-style sprayer, this non-staining formula treats soil, mulch, foundation plantings or other lawn and garden areas.
Springtails will cluster inside the walls of newly built homes that were exposed to rain or high humidity during framing and not allowed to completely dry. The pests presence inside walls can be an indication that mold and fungus might be present.
Even doctors vehemently denied that springtails were likely to infest human hair and skin.
Lavender, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil repels springtails but does not kill them. Once the source of the moisture in a building has been discovered and fixed, these scented oils may help drive them away permanently.
Springtails have tight, compressed, or “humpbacked” bodies and no wings, so they don't fly, but they do jump, which makes them flea-like. Their fork-like appendage on their backsides is the part that actually helps them move in a flea-like pattern. Springtails are the most common insect mistaken for fleas.
In the event of a springtail infestation, pest professionals will apply treatments as necessary, and more than one application may be necessary. Treatments by themselves, however, are a short-term solution. Elimination or correction of an excess moisture condition will provide long-term relief.
Because of their small size, springtail control can be difficult, since they are hard to see and difficult to find. When looking at a fresh layer of snow, springtails tend to look like flecks of pepper or ashes on the surface.
Is it common to find springtails in your home? Springtails in house environments are common when moisture (i.e. humidity and leaks) are present. In addition to moisture, springtails are attracted to light, so they will enter homes through doors and gaps in window seals.
Springtails also thrive in damp crawlspaces. From these areas, they can easily move into the living space. People also find springtails in unusual places. There have been reports of springtails living in storage sheds inside of damp mattresses or upholstered furniture that has gotten wet.
Springtails are a very resilient type of infestation and using a soap solution or vinegar can only do so much. If you want a stronger and faster acting remedy, you can opt to use bleach. Since this is a corrosive solution, it can easily eliminate very large numbers of these pests.
Pouring vinegar on springtails will kill them, but once they have infested your home, this method of elimination may be practical. Ensure you have proper moisture control and a good ventilation system in the home.
Replace the bottom of a coffee can or plastic jar with 1⁄4-inch hardware cloth (screen). Put into your can or jar a small amount of the material you wish to sift for insects. Place a container with a sponge or wetted plaster underneath the screened jar or can to catch springtails and other critters.