Have you ever seen little jumping bugs in or around your home that resemble a flea? Learn all about these little jumping bugs called springtails, the number one way to get rid of these bugs yourself, and how we perform effective springtail control.
For all of your seasonal pest control needs, including springtail control, call Done Right Pest Solutions.
Table of Contents
- About springtails
- Areas springtails like
- Springtail control
- FAQs about springtails
- Conclusion & next steps
What do regular folk call springtails? We hear it all the time, and maybe it sounds familiar to you too:
“We have, uh, tiny little jumping bugs.” Sure. Where do you find them. “Well, they aren’t, like, fleas I don’t think because we don’t have any pets. We find them in our bathroom.” Sounds like springtails to me. Do they fly? “No, they just hop around, but maybe they are fleas.” Fleas need a host. It sounds like you have springtails. We can help with that.
So if you have questions of whether you have springtail vs flea, we can help. Keep reading!
Pro tip. Springtails can alert you to another type of problem. Say for example you had a leaky pipe in the wall void of your home and you didn’t know it. Springtails would be attracted to that damp wood. So if you have an area of your home that you keep having springtails in, consider checking the interior wall void for a potential leak.
About Springtails
What springtails look like may differ depending on how closely you look at these insects and what age they are when you look at them.
Springtails are very small insects, only growing to about 1/8 of an inch. Often they are smaller, certainly when they are nymphs.
These insects are a whitish gray, which, like their movement patterns, also keeps people guessing that they are fleas.
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.
What springtails look like when they are adults.
Springtails lay single eggs or small clusters in moist areas. With the ability to breed all year, they can also live a long time—up to a couple of years! This makes springtail control important!
These bugs molt very often, though they stop growing after the 15th molt. Adults themselves can molt up to 50 times. This is strange because most insects quit molting after they reach sexual maturity.
Areas Springtails Like
Springtails are attracted to moist conditions because they feed on algae, organic plant material, fungi, or pollen. Organic plant material, fungi, and algae can grow inside homes with regularly damp areas. And all of these food sources can be found outside too. Fruit flies are also attracted to this organic material and regularly wet areas.
What springtails eat may differ on the age of the springtail too, though the organic material that grows in moist conditions is typically what springtails eat.
Because springtails love water and moist habitats, they can be found in leaf litter, mulch, trash areas, potted plants, wet wood, compost bins, etc. The options are endless because there is a lot of areas that once drenched take a while to dry.
Did you know outside springtails can be as populous as 50,000 springtails per square foot of soil? Up to 300 million per acre!
Inside your house you can find them along patio doors, in bathrooms, or kitchens—wherever a constant damp or water source is. They often like basements too, because of sump pumps or floor or sink drains, etc.
They are most active in the afternoon or early evening. Eliminate their water source inside your home in order to get rid of them on your own.
If it is dry outside, springtails will often seek a moist area inside homes or businesses. If it is damp outside, expect their populations to grow, but they will stay outside. Because they travel where the water is, both interior and exterior springtail control is important.
Pro tip. Springtails can alert you to another type of problem. Say for example you had a leaky pipe in the wall void of your home and you didn’t know it. Springtails would be attracted to that damp wood. So if you have an area of your home that you keep having springtails in, consider checking the interior wall void for a potential leak.
How We Treat for Springtails – Springtail Control
Done Right Pest Solutions employs a variety of products that target springtails, ensuring that you get proper springtail control. All products we use are EPA and FDA approved and safe once dry (within the hour).
We would first advise you to eliminate the water source, because springtails will go where the water is. So if you are able to get rid of the water source (unless it’s a drain or something), then you don’t need a pest control professional.
But if these pests are on your mind and you can’t get rid of them, we have effective solutions to eliminate these pests for the season.
A one-time crawling insect treatment should do the trick. With either the interior only option or the exterior and interior treatment, each comes with a 2 month warranty.
We also cover springtails in our Peak Seasons Plan, which not only comes with seasonal interior and exterior treatments, it also comes with a 12 month warranty where you can call us if pest issues like these arise at any time.
Check out more information on this annual plan, including our article “How to Know if the Peak Seasons Plan is for You” or our Residential Pest Control page. Please check out our Google Reviews, which have come mostly from Peak Seasons clients.
We so look forward to helping you out.
Pro tip. Springtails can alert you to another type of problem. Say for example you had a leaky pipe in the wall void of your home and you didn’t know it. Springtails would be attracted to that damp wood. So if you have an area of your home that you keep having springtails in, consider checking the interior wall void for a potential leak.
FAQs About Springtails
A lot of folks usually have questions when it comes to these little jumping insects in their home. Below we break down the most frequently asked questions about springtails.
Are springtails dangerous?
Springtails are not dangerous. While springtails appear similar to fleas, they only have some similarities in appearance, they do not need a host, they don’t drink blood, and they don’t bother a human person or animal.
Are springtails seasonal?
Springtails can be seasonal, or seem seasonal. They are most common in the spring, and any rainy season. Springtails are attracted to wet conditions, so pooling water in the sliding door track can be a common place for them seasonally.
That said, they really can inhabit your home, sinks, tubs, drains, year-round. For this reason, it is nice to have a year-round preventative pest control program.
Are springtails common?
Springtails are very common, especially in rainy seasons.
Are springtails pests?
Springtails are considered pests because they are annoying and a nuisance.
Where do springtail bugs come from?
Springtails often live in mulch or on the ground near homes. When it rains, they thrive. If there is no rain, they can sneak in homes looking for damp conditions of sinks, tubs, and drains.
Where do springtails come from?
Springtails live in the mulch, flower beds, or simply on the ground near your home. Springtails can actually alert you to a problem with a leaky pipe in a wall void. So don’t discount an infestation.
Will springtails go away on their own?
While springtails can go away on their own, it’s really unlikely. With daily use of sinks, tubs, drains, etc. the moist conditions of our homes (in kitchens and bathrooms) never go away, so springtails may always be attracted to areas of your home.
Will springtails ever go away?
Springtails can go away on their own. But it isn’t likely that they will go away on their own. Springtails are attracted to damp areas, and sinks, tubs, and drains are always a little damp and moist. Springtails typically need pest control before they go away.
Pro tip. Springtails can alert you to another type of problem. Say for example you had a leaky pipe in the wall void of your home and you didn’t know it. Springtails would be attracted to that damp wood. So if you have an area of your home that you keep having springtails in, consider checking the interior wall void for a potential leak.
Will springtails die in the winter?
Springtails can die in the winter. If they made their home in an external wall void they may die in the winter. It is possible that they might just hibernate in the winter.
Springtails in your home would stick around through the winter, too.
What spray kills springtails?
Done Right Pest Solutions’ expert technicians have quality products that will kill off springtails.
When do springtails come out?
As their name suggests, springtails often come out in the spring. Spring, with the melting of snow and rainy season, is the perfect time for springtails to come out.
When is springtail season?
Springtail season is spring through fall, typically. But, springtails can inhabit homes year-round.
Why do springtails come inside?
Springtails come inside when it’s dry out and they are looking for a damp place to make their home. They are attracted to the damp areas of hour homes like sinks, tubs, and drains.
Why are springtails so hard to kill?
Springtails are so hard to kill because they are so small. They also like to jump. Insects with long legs, or jumping insects do not come into contact with chemical pest control products easily. Therefore, it is hard to kill springtails on one’s own.
Have springtails in your home? Give Done Right Pest Solutions a call for a free quote today! 651-342-9489.
How often do springtails breed?
Springtails do not breed frequently. A single female springtail typically lays single eggs or a few eggs in a cluster. This means, springtails are not like cockroaches, which lay egg casings and dozens to hundreds of insects hatch from one egg casing.
How often do springtails reproduce?
A single female springtail lays a single egg or a few eggs in a cluster. She can lay several clusters at a time, but they don’t reproduce as quickly as some insects.
Conclusion & Next Steps
We hope you have learned a bit about these annoying little jumping insects that remind you of fleas. Springtails have long been a nuisance in residential, commercial, and multi-family housing structures alike.
You learned a bit about their life cycle and what they are attracted to. We explained how we treat for these insects with an interior crawling insect treatment using an FDA and EPA approved liquid product that dries within 1 hour. You also learned a bit of the exterior treatments that are offered with either a one-time service or an annual service like the Peak Seasons Plan.
Finally you learned what springtails look like, what springtails eat, and the answers to some frequently asked questions about springtails.
If you have any questions ever, give us a call! 651-342-9489. Ultimately we want to help you with your pest problems, offering solutions unique to each property and circumstance.
We can’t wait to help.
Done Right Team
Have you ever had these little jumping insects called springtails? What did you do to get rid of them? We’d love to hear in the comments!
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