SPRINGTAIL CONTROL


 

Springtails are small insects which thrive where there is a lot of moisture. This can be in bathrooms, kitchens, basements, crawl spaces, behind walls, under siding, under mulch and just about anywhere moisture is prevalent and persistent. Springtails do not do any damage but we do get reports of customers being bitten by them when they emerge en mass and appear in living spaces. For this reason people fear the worse when they start showing up inside the home.

Springtails are commonly mistaken for fleas, ants, booklice, bark lice and psocids. They eat mold, mildew, fungus and decaying organic matter which is usually present in moist areas. They can be found in great numbers in homes which have been built for several years or in homes which are new. And though they seem to just “appear” from nowhere, in fact they take a long time to reach the numbers required for them to start over populating where they like to live. Unfortunately, once they reach that level and start migrating up and out of the soil, anything in their way will get infested.

 

SPRINGTAIL BIOLOGY

Springtails prefer to live under slabs, mulch, around drain lines, under house siding or under piles of wood. They will readily move under siding if moisture is conducting there and from there move into homes. Springtails are readily found under slabs, cabinets and under bathtubs where it is both dark and moist. The author has inspected many homes where large populations were found to be in wall voids. On several occasions the numbers were in the tens of thousands. This occurred because the population was never treated directly. The emerging swarms were quickly cleaned but the nest sights left intact. This allowed them to continue to populate, breed and thrive.

Springtails will develop into many sizes and shapes – even in the same colony – but the one constant among them is their ability to jump. They have an appendage, called a “furcula”, which loads like a spring. When threatened, they will release this spring and propel themselves away from danger – hence the name springtail. They will move in short runs, then rest, and then move again.

 

SPRINGTAILS IN THE WINTER

Since they can withstand extremely cold temperatures, they have been known to emerge any time of the year. In fact, its not uncommon to find them active in the middle of the winter. On any warm sunny day during the winter, populations thriving alongside a warm foundation wall will readily migrate up and into wall spaces, door frames or in some cases, out over the top of snow.

Though these migrating springtails will probably die if they don’t get back down in the soil, seeing them during the winter is a sure sign of a problem that needs to be treated and not ignored.

And though the yard and soil treatments listed below really won’t help till it’s spring, the aerosol treatments to wall voids, door frames, window frames, etc. can help. And by treating these areas now you’ll help to minimize the chance of them getting established above ground by nesting in the voids in your home.

 

SPRINGTAIL PROBLEMS

Springtails become a problem in and around the home when they begin to appear inside, around pools or in garages. The first time or two they emerge no one may notice. Once they establish themselves, however, their numbers will be so large that they will be very evident when they come out. Expect to see tens of thousands of them as they cover the kitchen floor, sinks, tubs, basements, pool areas and patios. It’s important to understand that this behavior is just a symptom of the real problem. In other words, what you are seeing is not where the problem resides but rather a migration of them from an overly populated area in search of somewhere new that they can infest.

 

SPRINGTAILS IN THE BASEMENT

Many times people will see piles of springtails on their patio or basement floor and think that spraying this area will stop them. Nothing can be further from the truth. If you don’t treat where they are nesting, you will continue to see them piling up in these same areas over and over. And don’t be confused by springtails found in your sink or tub. As stated above, springtails will find drain pipes in the home and follow them because they are moist. Where these pipes enter the home and the wall voids where they travel in the home are where the springtails will travel. Eventually the trail will end at a sink or tub and at that point, they will find overflow ports, drain pan or pipe vents and forage into the sink or tub. In other words, they aren’t coming up from the pipe but are in fact traveling along the pipe in the wall or under the ground to gain access to these areas. Once they come out they are easy to kill but if you want to get rid of them for good you will have to treat them where they are nesting or at least where they are traveling.

 

SPRINGTAIL NEST LOCATIONS

First, understand that springtails migrate when populations in main nest sights get over congested and dense. And these nests sights always start in the ground. It can be pretty much any place but commonly locations are under mulch, around down spouts, under slabs, wood piles, weed shields (plastic tarps placed on the ground to stop weeds from growing), around sprinkler heads, septic tanks, drain ditches, flower beds, ponds, streams, rivers and pretty much any where it’s moist.

Second, because most any yard will have several nest sites, it’s important to look at the whole yard as one giant nest. Using this approach, you’ll assuredly get them whereas trying to spot treat is likely to fail. This means if you treat as much of the yard as possible paying extra attention to the areas which tend to be moist and shady, you’ll likely be addressing main nest locations. And this is the key to solving spring tails problems. Why?

 

SPRINGTAILS NEED MOISTURE

Moisture is the one key variable all springtail populations need to thrive. And once you identify moist locations out in the yard or in the home, you should take any practical corrective action that will help to reduce the moisture levels.

When such locations are outside the home, there may be little that can be done to minimize the water content. But if you find high moisture in a crawl space, consider why this is happening. Install some TEMP VENTS or POWER VENTS to help remove the moisture as this will help.

Temp Vents: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/temp-vents/temp-vent-brown

Power Vent: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/temp-vents/temp-vent-powered-brown

 

Inside living areas, wall voids could have leaks around windows, door frames or light fixtures which could help sustain the migrating masses. Seal these areas to prevent water build up. If the moisture is high under your sink, inspect the area to make sure you don’t have a leaky pipe. The same is true in bathrooms and basements. By reducing and/or eliminating moisture sources in the living area, you’ll reduce the areas in which these pests can live. The use of HUMIDITY METERS around the home can be a great help at identifying problem locations inside the home but in most cases, this will only help to diminish the migration and not solve the real problem. And in 99.9% of the cases where springtails are migrating inside, the problem is actually stemming from outside populations.

Humidity Meter:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/temp-vents/therm-humidity-monitor

 

SPRINGTAIL CONTROL

Once the moisture has been identified, you will still have to deal with existing populations of springtails. Though drying infested areas will help reduce their activity, springtails are mobile and will readily move from one location to another in search of moisture. If your problem is located under mulch, pinestraw or wood chips, you will need to use two products for quick control.

 

SPRINGTAIL LAWN GRANULES

BIFEN GRANULES are weather resistant and do a great job of penetrating mulch and other damp areas where springtails are known to hide. Apply them with a HAND SPREADER over the infested area and be sure to treat as many of the same areas around your property since it is likely infestations will start there if they have not already. Bifen will release slowly over a 2-3 month time period and are the longest lasting granules we have.

Bifen Granules:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb

Spreaders:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/spreaders/scatterbox-spreader

 

Now if you’re in a state where we cannot ship the Bifen G, we do have two other options that work fine. These are the COMPLETE LAWN GRANULES and the ESSENTRIA EXEMPT GRANULES. The Complete Granules uses an active that will last 30-45 days so you’ll need to apply it more frequently compared to . Essentria is made from food grade actives and is considered to be the “green” option meaning it has a very low impact on the environment yet it will control springtails fine. Expect 30 days of residual from this choice.

Lawn Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/complete-insect-killer-granules

Essentria Granules:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/granule/eco-exempt-org-g-22-lb

 

Once you’ve applied some lawn granules, you’ll need to get them activated. Do this by spraying over the top with a liquid spray explained below.

 

SPRINGTAIL CONTROL LAWN SPRAY

CYONARA RTS is a great material to apply over the top of Bifen. It will both activate the Bifen and provide a quick knockdown of current springtail activity. Just hook it to your garden hose and get to work spraying over all the areas where you applied the granules.

Cyonara RTS:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/cyonara-32-oz-rts

 

The reason Cyonara is effective is due to the way it’s applied. Springtails are small and can easily hide. But because the Cyonara is highly concentrated, it requires a lot of water to distribute. And this means you need to apply it with a hose end sprayer. So expect to use 10-20 gallons of water during the treatment. This assures you’ll saturate the ground, the thatch and mulch leaving no place for the springtails to hide. This is also why using a regular pump sprayer just won’t cut it; you need a lot of water and your garden hose with a garden hose sprayer will be needed for this job.

And when treating, you need to cover everything. This includes the turf adjacent to the home like mulch piles, flower beds and any other area where close to the home. And don’t forget to spray the side of the house. Go up 5-8 feet letting the solution cover everything including the foundation and siding.

Cyonara will provide a quick knockdown so you’ll see instant results with any exposed springtails dying within a few hours. And the water used to apply it will help get the Bifen going into the soil which is fundamental for the long term control of springtails.

The following video goes over the treatment of soil around the home for springtails.



SPRINGTAIL CONTROL UNDER SLABS

Springtails nesting under pool decking, patio slabs or slab homes need to be treated differently than just sprinkling some granules and spraying. These infestations need to be treated like a termite job. This involves drilling holes, around every foot or two, through which you will pump some BIFEN. Use our TERMITE TREATER to inject the holes and try to get a good 1-2 gallons of finished material into each hole.

Bifen IT:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen

Termite Treater: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/sprayers/termite-treater-kit

 

Better yet, apply the Bifen with a FOAMING TOOL. These applicators convert water mixtures into a thick foam so when you treat under a slab, the foam “carries” the Bifen up onto the bottom side of the slab. You’ll need to add some FOAMING AGENT to the tank mix so the foam is good and thick but for homes with springtail infestations, this is usually the only treatment that will stop them from nesting under the home. Springtails commonly nest on the slab surface and if the dirt under the slab has settled, just treating with nothing but liquid won’t get the required coverage to knock them out.

Foaming Tool:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/foamers/solo-2-gal-foamer

Foaming Agent: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/foaming-agent

 

 

SPRINGTAIL CONTROL UNDER DECKS

One of the most common locations for springtails to nest is just under the decking and cement slabs that are used to surround in ground pools. The only way such nests can be properly treated is to either lift the decking and treat under it or drill holes and pump the Bifen down. The same is true for patio slabs and walkways – particularly where the slab attaches to the home. Drill 1/2 inch holes and inject the Bifen for quick and complete control.

 

SPRINGTAIL CONTROL IN WALL VOIDS

If you have them inside the home and your house is built on a slab, you may have to treat under the slab as well. This will involve drilling and treating but will take care of this nuisance pest once and for all. But before you go to this extreme, try treating their routes of entry first.

One of these routes will be to come through pipes and conduits that cut through the slab. Many times these cut throughs will lead into cabinets and wall voids where spring tails can hide. Treat these areas with DELTAMETHRIN DUST for long term control. This dust is unique in that it will not break down when wet – a condition which is generally present where springtails are living. Apply it with a HAND DUSTER. This tool will let you “blow” the dust 3-6 feet, deep under cabinets and into walls. If you don’t have easy access holes through which to pump the dust, simply drill holes every 2 feet 1/4 inch wide. This will allow you to spray into the void properly getting good coverage and the effect will be to kill springtails enter the home and help to keep them out because they’ll avoid treated areas.

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

 

Pump 1 lb of Deltamethrin Dust for every 500 sq/ft of wall space. It will last a long time and take away treated areas as nest sites. And it will also stop them from following drain pipes or water lines that might be hiding in the wall void. Since springtails will readily travel up the wall following a drain line, you’ll need to dust as much of these spaces as possible. Wall spaces are used for drain lines which run upstairs in homes and apartment buildings. Springtails have been known to climb 10 stories up using this “highway”. A good dusting will both stop any there now and prevent them from forming nests so treat as much of it as possible.

 

SPRINGTAILS IN BATHROOMS

Bathroom walls, tubs and showers are springtail magnets. And if your home is built on a slab, it’s especially prone to springtail invasions at this exact location. This is because tubs, showers and toilets commonly sit over “holes” in the slab that are much larger compared to where pipes pop through. Known as a “tub box” or “bathroom trap”, these areas are left open so plumbers can have access to drain lines should the need for service under the slab become necessary. Unfortunately these areas tend to collect a lot of moisture along with lot’s of insects like springtails.

Once they come up at this location, you’ll start seeing them coming out of caulking, around faucet handles and shower heads. They’ll even appear in the tub or shower stall. To stop the invasion, you’ll need to at least treat the route of entry with some Deltamethrin Dust. This will involve drilling some small holes through which the dust can be applied. Deltamethrin dust can last 3-6 months even when wet but eventually it will break down. This means you’ll have to retreat 2-3 times a year.

For a more permanent solution, create some kind of access hole to the area. Bathroom traps are commonly set opposite of a closet or some wall of an adjacent room that can be cut through for access. Once the area is open, the trap will be visible along with any other problems like leaking pipes, cracks in the slab, etc. Spray these areas heavy with Bifen and then seal them with a thin coat of cement. It’s important to place just a thin layer of cement because you may need to break it up sometime down the road. But only a thin layer is needed to keep out the springtails and in doing this, you can prevent them from coming up and into your bathroom altogether. Just be sure to spray with the Bifen prior to applying the cement.

 

SPRINGTAILS IN SINKS

Springtails commonly appear in sinks and this is a particularly tough situation to treat because spraying down the drain is not advisable nor effective. When found in the sink, it’s important to locate exactly where they’re coming from. In some cases the sink could have moisture around it’s mount. When the sink cabinet is damp, springtails can take advantage and often times will nest in the cracks and crevices where the sink sits in the cabinet. Do a thorough inspection up under the sink, especially on the bottom side, and treat with some DFORCE AEROSOL or PHANTOM take away this nest site.

D-Force:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/d-force-14-oz-aerosol

Phantom Aerosol: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz

 

But in many cases the springtails are foraging up through the drain line and emerging inside the sink. We find this happening when the home has a septic tank system or has a cracked drain line pipe. When septic tanks are used for drain lines, springtails (and other pests) are typically drawn to the area because it’s always wet and moist. These are many times down in the ground at some “low point” on the property where it’s both shady and moist. Because of these conditions, insects will eventually find such areas great for nesting.

So as the pest populations nest and grow around the tanks and pipes, it’s only a matter of time before some of these pests start migrating up and into the pipe. And once the numbers start reaching the thousands which will happen with springtails, they will no doubt find their way through the entire length of the pipe and into your sink.

 

HOW TO GET RID OF SPRINGTAILS IN YOUR SINK

Treating this kind of problem involves the combination of a few proven treatments. First, pouring some SURVIVORS down the drain. This will really help reduce and remove the organic matter on which springtails can live inside the pipe. Bleach and other cleaners won’t remove this organic slime so don’t waste your time, energy or product. but Survivors contains bacteria which will “feed” upon this organic matter and effectively make it “useless” to insects. Using Survivors weekly will eventually remove enough of the matter so that pests like springtails won’t have enough food to live or nest in the pipes. Treat at night, just before retiring for the evening, so the treatment can “sit” overnight and work for a few hours before the water is run again.

Survivors: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/survivors

 

Another helpful treatment is to spray some GENTROL AEROSOL down the sink. Gentrol is a growth regulator and not a true pesticide meaning it doesn’t “kill” anything. Basically it copies a protein found in most any insect during it’s development. The reason Gentrol can help is because when insects get over exposed to it, they don’t develop properly into reproducing adults. Lightly mist some down the drain after applying Survivors so it too can sit overnight. The combination of Survivors and Gentrol will help take care of any insects living in your pipes.

Gentrol Aerosol:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/gentrol-aerosol-16-oz

 

The second suggested treatment is to treat the dirt directly around the septic tanks out in the yard. In some cases this will be easy. Septic tanks will many times have covers or caps that can be lifted. And gaining access to this area will enable you to direct the treatment right where it matters. Give the exposed soil, rocks and void a good spray down with the CYONARA RTS monthly to keep springtails and other pests in check. By killing them here they won’t be able to follow your drain lines up and into the home when they migrate.

Cyonara RTS:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/cyonara-32-oz-rts

 

Now if your septic tank system is covered in dirt, you’ll need to use a less direct treatment method which will include the BIFEN GRANULES applied over the top. Once in place, the hope is to have enough of the active penetrating down deep where it can adversely affect the nesting springtails.

Bifen Granules:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb

 

To help in the process, you should poke holes in the soil every 6 inches. This pattern should be done directly over the entire area covering where you project the septic tank, void and drain lines exist. These holes should be at least 3-6 inches deep and deeper if possible. Any type of garden instrument can be used to make the holes but a STAKING TOOL works well and easy to use. Once the holes are in place directly over the septic system, treat with the Bifen Granules making extra effort to get the granules “into” the holes you just created. By holding the granules you’ll insure the active leaches into and down through the soil below ultimately reaching the nesting pests.

Staking Tool: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/tools/staking-tool-4

 

For homes with drain lines that lead to sewer systems, springtails appearing in your sink means you have some kind of access point in one of your drain pipes. This will happen when a drain line cracks or has an entry point that needs to be capped or sealed. Get someone one to inspect the drain line system in the home and have it repaired if they find a breach. This will be the “best” way to stop the immediate invasion and once you locate and repair the break, the springtail problem should fix itself because once you take away the access point and remove the moisture, they’ll die naturally.

 

SPRINGTAIL CONTROL IN CRAWL SPACES

If they are thriving in a crawl space which is moist a lot of time, you can either treat with Bifen by spraying it out over the top of the soil or by dusting with the DELTAMETHRIN DUST. Spraying will only last a month or two per application so you will have to get down there several times a year to break the cycle and insure it does not develop again. The use of the Dust will provide longer residual and thus reduce the amount of times you will have to treat. Typically a good dusting will last at least 6 months and can easily last over a year! Apply the Deltamethrin Dust with a DUSTIN MIZER. This unique hand operated power duster will enable you to blow the Deltamethrin Dust 20-30 feet providing uniform and complete coverage.

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

Dustin Mizer:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/dustin-mizerdeflector

 

 

SPRINGTAIL CONTROL FOR BASEMENT

Springtails emerging in the basement can be a tough problem to stop because you may not be able to tell easily where the springtails are coming from. As explained in this article, you’ll only stop seeing them inside the home if you identify and treat the central source for the population you’re seeing. When springtails ares seen in the basement, there is usually one of two things happening.

The first scenario is that the home is built over a moist area that can sustain a springtail population. This commonly happens when basements are shallow, say 2-4 feet deep, and not the more common 10 foot “box” with 10 feet or more of foundation wall on all four sides. Walk out basements are prime examples of vulnerable basement types that lend themselves to springtail infestations. With walk out basements, the one side of the basement is at ground level so it’s a lot like a basic cement patio slab and just under this section at ground level, springtails could be thriving and moving about. From this outside location they will easily migrate inside as populations develop and grow. In most all home construction, walk out basements are on the “low” side of the property. This is the side which normally has water channeling down to it which is fundamental for springtails to live and thrive so the conditions are many times ideal in such areas.

For scenarios like this, you’ll need to deal directly with the source of the springtail invasion to stop the problem. So if you suspect they are living in the ground just outside the basement door that leads to the outside area and this door is at ground level, your initial focus should be the ground outside. Treat this area heavy with the Bifen Granules and Cyonara. If this is the source of their numbers, your treatments will reduce this “just outside” population which in turn will stop any from coming inside.

Now in a second scenario, it could very well be that the springtails are nesting directly under the basement slab. If there is enough moisture no doubt this could happen. And once they get established in this area, you’ll be finding a never ending stream of springtails coming inside. To solve this type of infestation, you must drill and treat the slab much like you would if you were treating for termites. Small 1/2″ holes should be drilled along walls or cracks where the springtails are emerging. Next you need to inject some PERMETHRIN SFR into the holes using a TERMITICIDE TREATER. In most cases you won’t have to treat the entire basement; there is usually just 1-2 walls where they’re living and active. But every case will vary so the rule here is to treat as much as you think you need to treat and then over time determine if this was enough. So if the invasion stops, you probably solved it with your initial application. But if you continue to find them adjacent to where you treated, say on one side, then obviously you need to treat more of an area.

Permethrin SFR: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/perm-sfr

Termite Treater: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/sprayers/termite-treater-kit

 

Worth mentioning is that if your basement is finished with studs and wall boards covering the cement foundation, you must assume the springtails are nesting in the wall void too and treat with the dust as explained above. And if these treatments fail, then the drilling of the slab is inevitable and should be done next.

 

SPRINGTAIL CONTROL AEROSOL FOR LIVING AREAS

If you know they are coming out of specific cracks around molding, window frames or light fixtures and the white residue of the Deltamethrin Dust is too messy, use some PHANTOM AEROSOL for clean and invisible crack and crevice treatment. It won’t solve the problem in the walls or under slabs but it will provide a quick kill of the emerging adults and keep them at bay until the long term residuals do their job. Dforce is also good to use outside where you have massive migrations occurring. It also works well for other pests so you will be able to put it to use for many problems in and around the home.

Springtails are a pest in and around the home throughout the United States. They are able to live in all types of soil and will thrive when wet, damp conditions are available. Though easy to kill, you must get to their nest sight if you intend on breaking their cycle and preventing massive migration and activity in the future. To do this you will need to use a combination of the products featured above. Two or three treatments will usually resolve any level of infestation along with moisture reduction and you should be able to knock them out once and for all.

 

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Comments on SPRINGTAIL CONTROL Leave a Comment

January 19, 2012

laurie b. @ 11:46 am #

i think i have springtails in my tomatoe plant soil indoors. will sevin dust kill them? my leaves are mostly green but some turn yellow and leaves are curled. any home remedy suggestions to kill them and are they hurting my tomatoe plant? thanks laurie

January 22, 2012

mike m. @ 8:28 am #

Springtails are appearing between the caulking around my bath tub faucet. I do have a leaky tub. If i were to fix the steady drip, what kind of pesticide can i use to help kill the little pests?

January 28, 2012

S. @ 2:30 pm #

I keep finding springtails on the carpet area in my basement. I had professional exterminators spray and dust but we keep finding them. Have been fighting them for 9 months. Basement is dry. What to do next?

January 29, 2012
February 20, 2012

Shannon @ 8:50 pm #

I have them crawling out of the base boards in the wall where the piping runs to the second and third floor condos. (I am on the first floor). How am I supposed to treat all the way up condo 2nd & 3rd floor?

February 21, 2012

nathalie @ 8:37 am #

I have been finding them on my patio….I live in south Texas and we have been getting a lot of rain lately…what should I use to treat them? I live in a house and surrounding the patio is mud…

March 1, 2012

Lucas @ 4:56 pm #

To whom it may concern:
I have problem with springtail inside and outside my house. I want to know if you have the chemicals to get rid of them. Please let me know ASAP.
Thank you,
Lucas

March 4, 2012

Christina @ 11:45 am #

Hello,
I’m having a problem with springtails in my bathroom along the bathtub walls and the floor at the base of the tub. How would you apply the Deltamethrin Dust. Would you have to drill small holes in an adjacent closet or room? I could spray with the DFORCE AEROSOL also? Thank you.

March 12, 2012

Erika @ 1:55 pm #

Last summer we were infested with springtails, in every room, on the walls everywhere, in the kitchen, and all bathrooms. They were all outside of the house as well. We had a professional who worked with us on the problem, however he was unable to help. After months of researching and trying sprays, granules, and pesticides on our own, we gave up. FINALLY in September they “went away”. Now, it’s March, and they’re coming back. I’ve only seen a few, but this is how it all started last year. In a month we’ll be infested again. My question first is, do we use the Bifen Granules with the Cyonara RTS throughout the yard? And the 2nd is, and this was my question all last summer too, is it possible that they are coming up into the house from our DIRT (the dirt is tarp covered) floored basement? If so, can we use the Bifen Granules and Cyonara RTS down there as well? I just want to be safe as far as fumes in the house go. Thank you so much in advance.

March 13, 2012

Erika @ 9:05 am #

Thank you SO much for the advice! I’ve ordered my Bifen and Cyonara. These little guys aren’t going to get the best of me again this year!@Tech Support:

March 14, 2012

Christina @ 11:20 am #

Hello,
I tried ordering the Bifen granules, but they can’t be shipped to CT. Would the Cyonara spray be ok alone or can you suggest another granuale or dust to use outside in mulch areas, flower beds, etc that can ship to CT? Thanks

March 16, 2012

elizabeth @ 12:50 pm #

I have been finding springtails only in my windowsills. All of them. I have checked the house and around the windows but I am not seeing them any where else. During the warmer seasons we have scheduled pest control spray outside and spray the inside of the home ourselves. I live in Memphis, Tn and it has been raining a lot and we are already in the 80′s as far as temp goes. I have a baby and a toddler. What is safe to use and why are they only in the windowsills?

Technical Support @ 5:34 pm #

If you read through the article above, you’ll learn that what you’re seeing is merely a symptom of the real problem. And the real problem is that right now the springtails living in the soil around the home have multiplied to such a level that they have no where to go but up and out in the open. During this migration some are ending up inside the home and for now, they’re mostly on the windowsills. But if you let it get worse, they will no doubt start moving into the living areas of the home too as their numbers grow. So how do you stop it?

As explained above, you must get them where they’re nesting and that will be In the ground around the home. And though you might have someone spraying the foundation, it will take a lot more than just a spray. Especially if he isn’t treating the turf which is where they always start.

So for now, be sure to have a lot of granules applied monthly all year long, over the course of 1-2 years, and maybe you’ll reduce the local numbers enough so you don’t get them swarming inside. But this will take time and a lot of outside treatments.

As for the ones inside, you can vacuum them up and then apply some of the Phantom to all the cracks and crevices around the windows. I also suggest you dust the wall void under the windows too with the Deltamethrin Dust. These two treatments will no doubt slow down the invasion but if you don’t get them in the ground, this problem will only get worse and worse no matter how much you apply inside because this is not the source of their nesting. Oh, as for the safety of the people and pets; no problem when the two products I mentioned are used properly. And that’s because they should not be applied to the living space; just the cracks and crevices and wall voids. Therefore no one should be coming in contact with the treatment if you do it correctly. Good luck and stay the course if you want them gone for good!

Phantom: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz

Bifen Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb

March 23, 2012

michelle @ 9:26 pm #

hi- similar to another post, our problem was an infestation, went away, and has now returned. The springtails are getting in through the sink drains. How do we treat this permanently with the dust? Or, should we order the spray and spray the drains?

March 24, 2012
April 8, 2012

Scott Boydston @ 11:56 am #

I read a lot of great information about treating springtail invasions but I missed how I can go about locating where they are nesting. We have lots of planters and bushes and grass in our back yard, so I don’t know if they are coming from there or from under our concrete slab. We first saw them in our bath tub and we still see them there. Except now we see them around and in our window sills. We saw them for the first time just last week. I want to get to attacking the nest but don’t know where it is or how to locate it.

April 10, 2012

Eric @ 8:37 pm #

I have a big problem with Springtails on my front porch. If I were to get a pest control company to treat for termites, would this solve the problem? Or do I need to use the specific products listed in the above article? Thanks.

April 17, 2012

Nick Martinez @ 12:01 pm #

I have a springtail problem I currently spray with Bifen XTS. I would like to use the Bifen granules to kill them where they live (in the ground). But I have a Black Lab who loves to eat grass. So my question is are the granules safe for pets? My house also has old asbestos siding and I always see the springtails coming out from behind the siding and going back underneath the siding. Would dust under my siding be a good way to control this area?

April 18, 2012

Lora Field @ 11:04 pm #

I have a horrible springtail problem in my kitchen sink and all over my kitchen floor. That’s it. They aren’t anywhere else. But I have to wash 50 of them down the drain every time I go in the kitchen. I’ve had the exterminator out twice in two weeks, but it’s not helping at all! What should I do? I can’t stand it. They’ve looked under the kitchen sink and don’t see any.

April 19, 2012

Lora Field @ 9:48 pm #

Thank you for your help! I don’t have a septic system, so I’ll try the Survivors.

April 25, 2012

nancy @ 12:54 pm #

I live in Michigan by Lake St Clair. We also have springtails in the bath tub and kitchen sink. They do go away in the winter. We have an above ground pool and my problem is IN the pool. I saw what looked like a bunch of dirt floating on top of the water but when it didn’t filter out. I scooped some of it up in a cup and dumped the water out of the cup and in the bottom of the cup was about 50 springtails. At first they didn’t move, then all the sudden they started jumping. They were very small like the ones in my bathtub. I tried everything last summer to get rid of them. I over chlorinated, tried to rise the P H, skimmed with an old pair of nylons. I did not know that they floated and lived in the water. Do you have any suggestion for when I open my pool this summer? I hate to have to take it down, we Love the pool!!!

Jess @ 1:10 pm #

I live in Las Vegas, so it’s a desert climate and just started warming up here. I used to see these little guys in my kitchen sink and in front of my patio doors (inside). I have a monthly pest control service now (to rid myself of a few scorpions who made it in the home) and the sink/patio springtails have all but disappeared. I will very rarely find one in the sink. However suddenly I am finding 5+ of these guys in my second floor master bedroom on the bed. I am mortified and have been sleeping on the couch downstairs for about a week. I had my pest control guys come out and spray the baseboards, the master bath, and they even pulled back the carpet a few inches off the wall and sprayed beneath the carpet. They also sprayed inside and outside all bedroom windows. But these buggers keep popping up on my bed. I am at a loss for how to get rid of them because I can’t tell where their point of entry is. Nothing on the window sill. Nothing in the master bath 8 feet away. Only on the bed and always near the headboard. Any suggestions? I’m tired of sleeping on the couch :( I have vacuumed all carpeting daily, even moved furniture around to get the normally harder to reach carpeted areas. I need them gone asap. Thanks!

Jess @ 2:17 pm #

@Tech Support:
Thanks. I will work with my pest control team and hopefully get this resolved soon.

Any thoughts as to why they’re taking to the bed? There is a central air vent directly above the bed near the headboard, and I had a hunch they might be coming out of there. But this is just me reaching for an answer. I put some clear packing tape over parts of the vent to see if I catch anything, so I’ll check in a couple of days. But I doubt they’d be in there. I’ve tried tape on the carpets but haven’t caught a thing. Only on the bed. And again not in the logical moisture places like the master bath just feet away.

Jenna @ 10:07 pm #

Hi last year we had a problem with springtails more on the outside of the house which some ended up inside but I m a little freaked out cause I really don’t wanna deal with this again but my question is: is it possible that we only had a problem last year because of the amount of snow the winter before? With the ground being so wet for so long and never really being able to dry out?? I’ve lived here for a while and never seen them before last year. Hoping they won’t be back!!

April 26, 2012

Jeremy @ 11:46 am #

I manage a self storage facility in Michigan and a tenant who has an interior storage unit that is not climate controlled called to tell me that she took some boxes from her unit and when she got home she noticed these very tiny bugs on and in the boxes. She called a pest control service that immediately identified them as springtails. Since the building is not climate controlled there is humidity retained in the storage units during humid/rainy days and the concrete floors can become wet with condensation. I sell a product called Damprid that many of my tenants use to eliminate moisture in their units. Will eliminating/reducing the moisture and humidity in my tenant’s unit prevent the springtails from migrating into her storage unit? Also, can springtails cause any kind of damage to her belongings in storage?

April 30, 2012

Linda @ 6:12 am #

We are having our home treated outside for springtails because we had an infestation in the house that has taken us months to get under control. There is only one room in the house that no matter what we do, we can’t get them out. It is a small office, carpeted. We are running a dehumidifier in there for weeks now. We’ve taped the windows shut and checked everywhere they might be getting in. Unfortunately I am one of the few that has a reaction to these little pests so they drive me insane! Could they have a nest under the wall to wall carpet? This is a second floor room. I am afraid we’ll have to take the carpet up because we have a cat and I’m afraid to use heavy duty chemicals inside the house. It’s been seven months of battling these critters. Is there something I could put on that rug or would you suggest ripping it out and installing vinyl flooring?

Eric @ 4:28 pm #

I sent a comment before about seeing springtails on my front porch. I have only seen a couple in the house but I want to kill them before they get in. I have red rocks in my flower beds and all around the house, not mulch. Will the granules penetrate through them and get in the soil or will I have to move the rocks? Also, I have this pest control service that has tubes that were built in with the house, so when the pest guy comes all he has to do is attach to these 2 boxes on the outside of the house and the spray will release through the tubes that are in the walls of the whole house. My question is, should I have him pump the Bifen through the tubes next time and should that take care of treating the wall voids? Thanks.

Sandy @ 7:56 pm #

We bought a home back in 2009 and we noticed we had them last summer! Our house is on a slab with no basement. We noticed them first in our kitchen floor and some around our kitchen countertop around the sink but not necessarily in the sink. We open our vents in the kitchen and living room and noticed some in there too! How do we get rid of them?? And are they harmful to humans as I have two small children that are constantly on the floor? We’ve already caulked all over our base board to try and seal them out. It did help a little bit but we are still seeing them! Should we worry we might have a greater problem… Like our foundation?? Please help!!!!!!!

May 1, 2012

Vivien @ 11:47 am #

Just tonight I came out of the shower to find a tiny grey insect on the tiles just outside the bathroom. I tried to squish it but to my surprise it jumped. I tried a few more times but it kept jumping away, not very far, just about 20cm away from where I struck. So I tried to pour some water over it first hoping that it would get stuck or drown but it didn’t and when I tried to squash it again, it jumped away again. I was getting very frustrated with it and the next time I tried, I found it had disappeared and I could not find it again. I was afraid it was a flea or lice since it jumped but after some research online I’m thinking it is more likely a springtail. I have never come across one before and there was only one that I could see in the house (so far) and it did rain a lot today so I am hoping that this is the reason a stray one entered the house. But after reading this article I am very afraid that it will soon be an entire population in the house so I am just wondering if you had any suggestions for me to do in preparation to prevent that from happening. Thanks in advance.

May 11, 2012

Mike @ 11:04 pm #

I have springtails coming in at my windowsills, which are aluminum. The home is solid masonry, three wyths of brick, so no wood to be damp, but as we all know, masonry tends to stay damp. How would you recommend getting rid of these little critters?

May 18, 2012

Tami Kilmarx @ 11:47 pm #

It would seem we have springtails in our bathroom sink on the second floor. My son just brought a shirt to me that was hanging on his bedpost that was crawling with tiny bugs that appear like those in the sink?????? (His bedroom is on the second floor?)

Would springtails be migrating into his bedroom and now all over his bed? What do I do? Help?

May 19, 2012
May 29, 2012

Josh @ 12:57 am #

We just started digging for a pool. Suddenly these little bugs are all over my siding, few are crawling into the home. Could digging the pool have stirred them up? What should I do?

My home is new, no leaks that I’m aware of. These little bugs have been found in every room now. Albeit very small numbers so far, but we have been killing them. We had the exterior and interior sprayed, and it has helped reduce numbers, but I still see a bunch of them crawling on our siding.

May 30, 2012

Carrie @ 12:40 pm #

Okay, I read the entire article and all the questions and answers. I think I read so much I am confusing myself.

We have Springtails all over the siding, window sills and coming in the bathroom. This means they are migrating from the yard, right? I’m already noticing they are worse than last year.

We have 4 dogs (small ones)

To treat I should start with the yard and use Bifen and Cyonara spray over top. Should I use the Cyonara on the siding too?

Then use the DForce in the house along windows and such?

Sorry, I know you must get tired of the same questions.

May 31, 2012
June 2, 2012

Amy @ 8:20 pm #

We believe we are having an issue with the springtails. They are in the basement, garage and on the front porch. We live on 5 acres.. I guess I am wondering where you would focus your efforts when your yard is large… Also we have a pet; how safe or what precautions are needed if we were to do any of these treatments?

June 16, 2012

Emilie @ 3:24 am #

I’ve done my research and I’m positive they’re Springtails. It misted and sprinkled at my house the other day and since then I’ve notice THOUSANDS of these horrible things. But as of today, they are inside too. Not only my bedroom but my bathroom, porch area and also the kitchen. They are
everywhere and they need to go. What might I do? Would it be alright to call exterminators, do you think they could fix this problem?

June 20, 2012

Jen @ 10:31 am #

I am treating with the Bifen granules every two weeks as suggested. However my husband and I are still seeing them on our patio which two years ago we had a termite job done on the patio and all around the home. Our patio is roughly only five years old. Do you think we need to do your “termite treatment” with the foaming agent or do you think that the springtails on the patio are an overload from the ground around it? We also have them in the basement and we had a termite treatment done on our basement floor at the same time we have the house treatment done. What are your thoughts and suggestions? The problem is definitely much better than it was two summers ago. However, they are still coming in through the electrical panel in my kitchen where my light switches are and I see them on my kitchen window sills and in my bathroom as well as the basement and outside… again it is much better than it was two summers ago. We’ve also dusted inside the electrical panel with the Delta Dust but we still do see them coming out of there every few days.

June 21, 2012

Laura @ 1:32 pm #

I live in NW New Jersey and have a similar problem with a lot of the other people who have left comments. Have seen springtails in the house for the past few summers. They disappear completely in fall but we start to see them again around May. We always see them around the kitchen and bathroom sinks but this year they seem to be in parts of the house I have not noticed before. Wonder if they may travel through the AC duct to those rooms? We have had the house treated by a professional pest control place for carpenter ants and cave crickets. The products they use work great on those creatures but apparently have no effect on springtails. I would like to try the Bifen granules and Cyonara RTS but want to make sure they are ok to use with the pesticides that have already been put down which according to my receipt are Demand CS, Generation, and Termidor. Any information you have would be very appreciated.

June 22, 2012

Laura @ 2:39 pm #

Thanks for the previous advice. I am ready to order several products to get rid of these springtails but it turns out the Bifen granules and Bifen IT cannot be shipped to NJ. I see that you recommended the Complete Granules as an alternative to someone who had a similar shipping issue. Do I apply the Cyonara over those the same as I would with Bifen granules? Also, since I can’t order the Bifen IT is there another product you recommend for spraying the foundation and baseboards or might the Deltamethrin dust be enough? Thanks!

June 29, 2012

Benzo @ 12:58 pm #

I live in an apartment complex and its been really hot and humid in Michigan lately.. so I decided to spray my bed sheets with a water bottle thinking this would cool me down a bit at night.. well I am laying in bed and bam! Two gray bugs of good size come crawling up the mattress .. my bed is also against the wall by a heat vent.. what should I do to rid these things.. I know not to spray water on my bed now after reading this :)

June 30, 2012

Benzo @ 12:09 am #

Ok then, sounds good. Thanks for the advice. Cheers!

July 1, 2012

Laura @ 8:44 pm #

Hi –
We received all the products from you very promptly and have applied the granules and cyonara outside and will be using the delta dust and Dforce. There is a crawl space under half of the house that is very accessible. Which product would you recommend we apply there?

July 4, 2012

Laura Jackson @ 2:51 pm #

My first experience with springtails happened today. Very weird to see them jumping out of my landscaping. The landscaping is about 15 feet from my house. When I treat the springtails in the yard as you suggest, will I risk “chasing” them towards the house?

July 5, 2012

Michelle S. @ 10:36 pm #

I just want to say thank you for providing us with this information. I first noticed springtails after getting some mulch from a local garden store. It’s been two years of just killing them when we saw them occasionally in our bathroom and this year we are seeing hundreds (or more) outside. We found several in our bathrooms and a few in the kitchen but immediately started treatment and although they keep coming back, we are noticing a difference. I was in such a panic – I hate bugs! But having your website and encouragement that continuing treatment will eventually lead to a bug free house gives me great comfort. No one here has even heard of springtails. We first tried calling several exterminators and none of them had heard of them. So thank you!

July 7, 2012

Candi @ 11:28 pm #

I have had 3-4 different pest control companies treat my house since I purchased it in late 2005, yet none of them can control the springtails or earwigs. The current company that comes, according to their treatment slips, is using Talstar and/or Bifen. However, there has never been a decrease in the population of either pest. We have them year-round and they seem to be getting worse by the day. I have quarterly treatment plus call back at least once monthly for “problem pests”. Wondering if I should just try to fix the problem myself instead of paying someone else??

July 8, 2012

Kathy @ 12:05 am #

Thank you for the information. I have a few questions about which items to purchase for the 1/2 acre of yard I need to treat. Do I purchase:
1). Bifenthrin G 25 lb bag with the Bifen XTS (in place of the Cyonara which treats smaller areas)?
2). To determine quantity for a year treatment program, would I apply each of these products monthly from April – November (near Chicago)? Do I stop once there is frost or do I continue as long as there isn’t any snow?
3) Again to determine quantity to purchase, do I treat the house interior with Survivors and D-Force on a monthly basis? I have a very persistent invasion problem.

July 9, 2012

Anonymous @ 11:34 am #

Is there a secure site to order the stuff?

Josh @ 2:53 pm #

I just want to say thanks for the advice and the product recommendations. We have seen the springtail invasion reduced to almost nothing in two weeks. I plan on continuing treatment every month or so to maintain control.

Thanks again!

July 12, 2012

Jason @ 11:34 am #

Hello,
I am finding springtails on the wooden ledges and trims of my windows in multiple bedrooms, kitchen and finished basement. They also appear to be running along bottom wood trims in my rooms and through AC vents which are located on walls near the floor of many rooms. I have found some in my kitchen sink as well. I will rarely find any in the bathroom. I have cedar mulch up against the front foundation of my home for the past 6 years, but this is the first year I am having this problem.

I recently put wood chip mulch over a porous rock landscape mat around the side and back of my home but I since removed all the matting and mulch in those areas when I began noticing the bugs inside. Unfortunately, this has not fixed the problem. I have raked back the cedar mulch in the front of home home about 1 foot. I ONLY see the bugs inside my home at night. I never see any during the day, but once 8:00 p.m. comes I start seeing them in multiple locations inside the home described above. I do not have any leaking pipes. Can you provide any insight, based on my situation, as to where they are likely coming in and what would be the best attempt at treatment? Thank you!

Jason @ 7:52 pm #

Thank you so much for your response. I will apply the Bifen granules and Cyonara RTS as you prescribed. However, I am interested in being rid of these forever and not needing to constantly apply this stuff every 2-3 months. Do you recommend me removing all of the cedar mulch from the front of my home, and replacing it with gravel with a weed mat underneath? Thanks again!

July 14, 2012

Kandy @ 2:00 am #

I have a two-story 2300 sq/ft home on a slab that is 3 years old. I have springtails everywhere. They are coming in the front door. The patio door. Through the kitchen window. The drains in bathroom and tub, under baseboards. Traveling up the walls in the kitchen and bathroom, coming out of light switches, on the kitchen table, etc. Just name a place and those bugs are there. I ordered the dust and sprayer. What else do I need to do?

Brandi @ 8:51 am #

Your article and answers have been so helpful. I live in Michigan and we are currently experiencing a terrible invasion. It has been a really hot and dry summer, so I assume they are migrating to find moisture? I plan to treat with the granules and the spray first. Is it helpful to water the yard intermittently to draw the springtails back to the moisture there? Will that at all help? Also, we live on 5 acres, in the middle of a hay field. How far around the house would you recommend treating? Thanks!

Brandi @ 9:33 am #

@Tech Support:
Thank you very much. We have them everywhere inside, mostly window sills and along the base boards. Should the cyonara also be sprayed on the concrete around the house? Like along our walk out basement and leading in to the garage? Are any of these products available at local businesses, or are they online only? Thanks again for your help.

Brandi @ 1:10 pm #

@Tech Support:
Thank you. I’ve placed my order. Hoping to get these things under control.

July 15, 2012

Tamara @ 2:13 pm #

I was just curious as to why one house in the neighborhood might have an issue with springtails outside/inside the house and their neighbors don’t have an issue (or a known one anyhow)? We’re the house with the issue of course!

We used your site last year to initially buy/treat outside, but I’ve just re-read all of these answers to re-educate myself on treatment guidelines since we still have them. Therefore, my husband will now be treating more of our yard (as he was only doing the Bifen & Cyonara about 4 feet from the house at most), especially since it sounds like it’s safe for kids after the first few hours.

Since we see them coming up from sinks/drains, I am also going to buying Survivors and Gentrol Aerosol. I have to have hope that if we continue this routine, it will “solve” the problem over time. We’ve been doing it since last year routinely, but will expand out treatment area and utilize the drain solutions in hopes to finally decrease their numbers to non-noticeable numbers!

Thanks again for having the most information about a subject that most have never heard of.

July 16, 2012

Tamara @ 9:49 am #

Ok, a follow up question about treating inside while we continue to attempt to get control of them from the outside…..

We have been using a less concentrated amount of the Cyonara to spray inside (around baseboards, etc). Is that what we should be using for indoor treatment of the springtails or is there a better (and of course, safe for indoor around kids) product to be using? We do have Delta Dust we are trying to spray around the pipes coming into the house in the basement as well. But wanted to know what is best for overall indoor treatment.

I see Bifen IT listed as well as D-Force. These are good for crack/crevice treatments, but is it also the best suggestion for overall spray for baseboards and such? Not sure how long the Cyonara lasts versus the D-Force or Bifen IT either.

Thanks again!

Tamara @ 9:55 am #

Ok, and one more follow up question from my husband (sorry for the separate threads – forgot when I was typing the previous message).

My husband just informed me that for the past year of treating outside with Bifen, he’s been watering it after applying it as the Bifen bag says to do so. I had him read your information (and watch the video – great by the way!) and told him he should be spraying the Bifen with the Cyonara instead. Is that correct? That he should skip the “plain water” step and activate it with the Cyonara/water mix instead?

Also, we have a pump sprayer we use for outside Cyonara treatment on the house and over the Bifen. Since we don’t have it in a ready to spray/hose bottle (and still have a lot of the concentrate left to use), do you have any tips on how heavy to put it on/how much to use using a hand pump method?

Thanks again (again!)

Tamara @ 10:44 am #

Thanks. We are pretty sure they are coming in from the drains unfortunately. Or at least, that is the main source as we see them in sinks/tubs mainly. So doing the Survivors and Gentrol, but also wondering if we should have the pipe going into our house checked for cracks, especially since in that area we had water seepage through the foundation wall (had that crack repaired from the outside). Just wondering if there is an issue with the pipe coming from the city’s main pipe into our house (which I’m unsure how to explore anyhow). Ugh, we will keep trying, but infuriating!

Kim @ 1:42 pm #

Hello – Unlike the comments above we don’t see them in the sinks or tubs. They are in our bathrooms and bedrooms on the first floor (on a slab) and we noticed that they tend to be around the floor length windows / in the corners. They could be elsewhere, in the carpet, but we put down “sticky strips” and that’s how we try to track where they are / volume. Now I am seeing them on the ceiling! Is this normal for springtails? The other side of the house is over a partial unfinished basement and I know we get them there as well. We had professional pest control for years and then starting spraying on our own since they didn’t really help us. We also have mulch around most of the house. Should we consider landscaping with rocks instead of mulch? This website was the most helpful information I’ve found. Thanks!

July 27, 2012

Jill @ 2:42 pm #

Your article states that these bugs eat decaying plant matter. Can this translate into them eating the wood siding / flooring in my home? Coming inside appearing to be a pest and actually eating / destroying my home are two different things!

July 31, 2012

Teresa @ 12:25 pm #

We live in a new construction home that is 4 months old. I am seeing about 5-10 springtails a day in both bathroom bathtubs and shower drain. There has also been few around some windowsills both upstairs and in the unfinished basement for the last 2 weeks. Does this indicate how large of a problem we may have? I have ordered Bifen Granules, Cyonara, Survivors and Gentrol Aerosol.

Tom @ 10:38 pm #

I’m in New Jersey and have a springtail problem around my pool. The insect control company we used said they legally can’t spray around a pool so they just spread Talstar EZ granules on the surrounding stones and lawn and said that rain would help activate it. The treatment was done 5 days ago and it rained immediately afterwords, however, the problem has not improved and we are still getting thousands of springtails in the pool around dusk. Do the granules take time to work or should I (can I) consider spraying the area with Cyonara RTS at this point?

August 1, 2012
August 2, 2012

Teresa @ 7:28 am #

The springtails appear to be penetrating the perimeter of the house as I have only seen them in perimeter facing rooms. I will be treating the outside of the house and lawn. What is the best treatment for window sills and inside walls?

Teresa @ 7:47 am #

I forgot to ask what treatment should be used on insulation? It was removed to look for mold and there was none found, so it was replaced. But there are some springtails found on the insulation on the partial exposure wall in the basement.

August 11, 2012

max @ 4:15 pm #

Just discovered through your website that the bugs in my kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and tub are springtails. I’d been killing 10-12 a day in the kitchen for a few weeks, and just started seeing them in the bathroom now the last couple of days. After reading the article I did some investigating. I didn’t see any evidence of them in my basement, or even around the house. Though I do have some flowerbeds (with weed blankets and mulch) that I’ve been watering religiously during the drought. Didn’t find any under the sinks, or even in a utility sink in the basement. Only in the two sinks and the tub themselves. Haven’t seen them anywhere else in the house as of yet. I’m hoping that means I’ve identified the problem early on before things get worse. At any rate, before I found your website last night I closed the two sink drains and the tub drain, and put tape over the overflow holes, and have only seen a couple of stray springtails since. Am I correct in thinking that my problem might be a crack in my drain pipe somewhere? (I don’t have a septic system). I’ll certainly have it inspected by my plumber. I’m planning on treating my lawn and flowerbeds regardless, but also considering the Survivors and Gentrol for the drains, and something for under the tub and in the “tub box.” Given my situation, would you recommend anything else? Thank you for your help!

August 24, 2012

Jimmy @ 1:14 pm #

Hi there, I am seeing springtails around my back patio sliding doors, on the floor. Only about 2 or 3 here and there, maybe 10-15 per day. We have a new home, about 2-3 months, with new landscaping that does include mulch. Would using bifen granules and cyonara rts on the mulch and patio area do the trick? What can I use on the door sills of the sliding doors? Thanks!!

September 1, 2012

Jimmy @ 5:55 pm #

Thank you for the advice! Will the Phantom work right away or does it take a few days for it to kick in?

@Tech Support:

September 2, 2012
October 5, 2012

Chris @ 1:04 pm #

Hello, I recently discoverd your site and it contains some great information. I am interested in ordering the correct products from you but concerned about the severity and origin of my infestation. I have lived in my older victorian home that has aluminum siding for approximatley 5 years. The infestation does seem to be getting worse but are still what I would call random. Seems to happen heavily in the spring and fall with an occasional outbreak in the summer. Usually these infestations last a copule of weeks and then subside. But buy heavy infestation I mean hundreds to a thousand or more. They like to sit/collect on my window screens and back door and siding around these areas. They are most almost always highly concentrated on the north corner of the house that gets little direct sunlight but by no means is this area consistantly damp. I’m going to start tracking to see if heavy rains trigger the out breaks or not. But interested in why they may be collecting on windows and screens (as opposed to wood) and why I can go weeks to months between outbreaks without much evidence or activity at all. I hope and assume that my interior wood sheathing is not moist so they wouldn’t be feeding and breeding there. I would guess they are nesting in the ground around the foundation and poured concrete walkways (slabs) as your site indicates. But again curious about the areas they collect in and why the ramdom outbreaks. And since the concentrations can be high in my opionon, does it help to treat we higher amounts of Bifen for the soil or is there another approach that can be considered? I need to get this under control as it has become a huge nuisance.

October 13, 2012

Chris @ 10:02 am #

Thanks again. One final question, is there an average depth in the soil that springtails tend to live and breed in? I’ve also just realized my neighbor has a plastic tarp over his planting beds…approximately 15-20 feet from my problem area. I feel my efforts could be futile treating my property without asking them to remove that plastic so I can treat that area as well??

October 31, 2012

Cathie @ 12:05 am #

Do Springtails leave tiny crumbs and tacky dust every where like termites? I live in an apartment that is loaded with these tiny bugs. I thought I had termites. My sister’s bug man told me that I had Springtails coming out from under my walls and in my bath tub. Thank-u for all the good information.

December 4, 2012

Elvira Guiton @ 9:05 pm #

Hello, I have thousands of springtails all over my outside walls and outside floor is completely covered and a couple in my kitchen sink. I don’t know what to do anymore. I tried applying boric acid but that didn’t seem to work. I don’t know if i should try to do it my self or call a pro..?? Please help.

January 14, 2013

Kacee @ 11:58 am #

We have springtails in our bathroom, primarily around our shower. I cannot find their nest but think it might be around/behind some cracked caulking. I live in a high rise apartment so drilling holes, etc… is not a real option. We have two young toddlers. Any thoughts on what to do in terms of treatment?

Kacee @ 1:17 pm #

Thanks for such a quick response. I live in NY so Phantom will not be an option. As for D-Force, would it be effective as a residual treatment in a shower stall or will it wash away? The springtails seem to like to congregate in the corner of our shower stall and right outside.

Kacee @ 1:40 pm #

Extremely informative. Our plan is to treat several times and then re-grout and seal all of the cracks which should go a long way, hopefully, to eliminate the problem.

February 24, 2013

Catherine @ 3:12 pm #

@Tech Support: Hi, after reading through your extensive posts I have found lots of helpful information but unless I missed it, I haven’t seen a situation exactly like mine. Please help!

We live in a suburb of Toronto, Canada, and have had tons of snow these past couple of months. About two months ago I noticed little black bugs on my hardwood floor in my living room, along the wood trim of the patio doors. Most were alive, some were dead and when I opened my patio doors to see where they were coming from, I was shocked to find a thick trail of these bugs leading to a (horrifying) squirming mass of them tucked into the wood trim of my doors.

They were along the metal track where the patio doors close and all over the wood trim, just inches away from piles of snow. I thought this was really odd that bugs would be above ground during such cold and snowy conditions, so I grabbed tons of paper towels and wiped them up, thinking that they must be a lucky pile of bugs that had somehow evaded the cold and snow. Boy was I wrong!

Vacuuming the kitchen today, I shook out my dog’s bed into the snow and noticed a bunch of little black jumping bugs. Initially I thought that my dogs must have fleas…(sorry girls)! But then I remembered that squirming ball of bugs from two months earlier so I checked the hardwood floors in my living room and saw they were back. Much to my horror, they are not only outside of my living room doors, but are also in giant balls outside of my family room patio doors and kitchen patio doors now too. They are only inches away from 3 foot piles of snow! We live on 2 1/2 acres that backs onto forest and have three kids and two dogs…how should we go about getting rid of these bugs during winter?

March 12, 2013

James @ 9:03 pm #

Located in NY. Can you recommend any granules or sprays that can be used in NY. Bifen and the other products can’t be purchased in New York. I have been using Eco smart granules. The exterminating company we were using were not reliable.

Any recommendations would be great looking to treat the problem myself at this point.

March 13, 2013
April 5, 2013

Shobhan @ 2:14 pm #

We live in Phoenix, Arizona and our home sits on a slab. In the last few months our two bathtubs and shower floor have been crawling with tiny bugs. From reading this article and the comments, I believe they are indeed spring tails. We see a few crawling on the bathroom floor as well, especially around the toilet. What product(s) should we use and how frequently for our dry, hot desert southwest climate? How safe are the products to use in a home with allergy-prone people?

Thanks.

Shobhan @ 3:00 pm #

Thanks so much for the prompt and detailed response. We plan to follow your advice right away.

April 28, 2013

Rudy @ 1:36 am #

Hi – I bought a house plant from Home Depot about 3 weeks ago and 2 days later I started noticing the springtails. Once I realized the only thing that changed in my apt was that I brought in the house plant, I moved it outside but I keep on finding them near the window and front door. I fogged my place recently and then realized there was a ton outside so I tossed the plant out. My question is since I got rid of the plant (nest in my opinion) and cleaned the patio could I have invited a new nest under my concrete or is my problem on the way to being over?

May 9, 2013

John @ 11:09 am #

@Tech Support: In your above reply to Tamara dated July 16, 2012, you did not recommend using the pump sprayer to spray over the Bifen Granules. I’m not a fan of using the hose end sprayer because I always feel that too much water is coming out and diluting the product. What if I use the Cyonara concentrate from a pump sprayer to spray over the bifen granules on the approximate 2,000 square feet of lawn/dirt and then follow it up with a light spray of water from the hose? Does that make sense?

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