By DoMyOwn staff
Springtail control relies on locating and eliminating their nesting site. You can also effectively control these pests by using liquid insecticides, insecticide dusts, and granular perimeter treatments.
Springtails are tiny, hopping pests that are often mistaken for fleas. They often gather in large numbers in damp areas outdoors and sometimes find their way inside a home or office.
Why are they there? How can you get rid of them? We will answer these questions in this short video.
Springtails feed on certain types of organic matter and will try to find a nesting place near plenty of their preferred food and water. Finding these nesting spots is the only way to stop a springtails infestation.
Though their unusual rear appendages do give them some extra mobility by letting them hop a foot at a time, they are not able to travel great distances from where they hatch.
First, identify the pest you've spotted.
Springtails are less than one eighth of an inch long, with a flea-like hunched-over body, and are usually black or dark brown in color, although other brighter shaded springtails do exist.
They have short legs, and are wingless, with hairs along their backs, and tucked under the rear of the abdomen, those distinctive, fork-like appendages that give them an ability and a name.
Springtails live in every part of the United States and on every continent in the world. They are not dangerous, and do not eat human food, but they are stubborn survivors.
If you see what looks like a small, moving cloud of dust or filth stir up after walking through some tall grass or disturbing a pile of lawn waste or firewood, you've probably found a cluster of springtails.
To keep these tiny pests from gaining entry to your home, it's most effective to treat the area from the outside in.
First and most importantly you must locate and eliminate the nesting site from which the springtails are hatching. Springtail infestations must be attacked from the source, or you will continue to see springtails in the same places over and over.
Look for places that are both damp and dark, and that are near the areas where piles of springtails have been spotted.
Some common nesting sites include under mulch or moist soil, under patio slabs, in compost piles, in flowerpots, around pool decks, Jacuzzis and hot tubs, and in damp crawl spaces and wall voids.
Take these steps to eliminate excess moisture and deny nesting space to nearby springtails:
Once you've worked your way inside by making the area around your home unattractive to springtails and made sure that there are no leaks or standing water inside your home, applying a spray insecticide in areas where springtails may try to nest should be the next step in your pest control plan. This type of treatment will eliminate any stragglers that may be hiding indoors.
If you're using a liquid insecticide concentrate, add the required amount water to the product in a hand-pump sprayer and shake the tank to agitate the mixture. Wear PPE including protective gloves and long sleeves any time you are mixing or applying an insecticide.
Spray for springtails in these areas inside your home:
An insecticide dust can also be applied for long-term springtail control in hard-to-reach areas like wall voids and crawl spaces. Apply the dust with a hand duster and monitor any further springtails activity in the area.
To keep your home or business from being an attractive home to springtails, continue to monitor for leaks or standing water, and use bathroom fans or a dehumidifier to control the moisture level inside the structure. Springtails cannot survive in a dry climate.
For an additional layer of springtails protection around your home, a granular insecticide labeled for springtails control can be applied under mulch, pine straw, wood chips, and other organic matter found outside the home.
By following these steps and using the right products, you can make sure your home is springtail-free.
...and it's that easy with the expert help from DoMyOwn dot com. Subscribe to our channel for more DIY and product videos.
