05/19/2021
This was a text we received yesterday evening from someone inquiring what this particular bug this was. This is a Springtail. Springtails can range in length from 0.25 mm to 6mm. Color variations can be from white, yellow, gray or a bluish gray. They are capable of springing up to 4 inches in to the air and can easily climb up pretty much anything. The only difference from an adult and a nymph is the size. Springtails can take up to 11 weeks from egg stage to reach adulthood.
Springtails are considered a pest due to infesting in large numbers. They are often found more heavily on the southwest side of homes and on concrete areas especially after a heavy rain. They thrive in areas that hold moisture such as under compost, mulch beds and leaf piles. They can also be found in crawlspaces
due to the moisture. Springtails need moisture to help them to breath and keep them from drying up and dying. They are not know to bite or carry diseases but can damage plants or seedlings. Many homeowners may first encounter springtails inside the home on window seals, hard surfaces and in tubs or sinks. They can enter through small cracks and crevices, under doors or through windows.
Sealing up entry areas with caulking or weather stripping can help keep them from coming in. A soapy solution will kill them on contact (3tbsp of dish soap to 1 qt of water).
In some cases no matter how hard you try to get rid of these pest they will keep coming back and it may be necessary to use a pest control professional to keep Springtails out of the house and away from the foundation. Typically a pest control company will need to do a crack and crevice treatment on the inside and treat the exterior perimeter. If you have a crawlspace it should be treated as well. Since springtails are so persistent a monthly maintenance is often required to keep these guys out.
Please let us know if you have a question about an insect.
