Springtails are wingless hexapods that are good for the environment. But they can be bad for your Aiken home if they enter uninvited. Aiken Pest Control is here to help you keep springtails outside where they belong.
Springtails
Springtails did not earn their name by appearing in spring. Instead, springtails earn their name because of their ability to jump or “spring” into the air. They can propel their tiny wingless bodies into the air by using an appendage called a furcula. Since they only grow to a maximum of 1/8th-inch long, mathematically, springtails can jump almost 100 times their body length.
When they’re not springing about, springtails live outside in the soil. They especially love piles of moist leaves, rotting wood, or discarded decaying weeds outside the flower garden. They blend into the background with their black, gray, and brown coloring. Springtails play an important part in decomposing organic matter and recycling its nutrients back into the soil. It is estimated that thousands of springtails can be found in a small bit of rich, moist soil. Springtails ingest fungi, mold, bacteria, and algae.
Springtails absorb water and oxygen through their bodies. They must have moisture to survive. Without water, they will die. But too much moisture will kill them. That’s the biggest reason why springtails leave their soil-enriching posts to come indoors into your pest-free home. Moisture! They either escape dry South Carolina soil or rain-saturated soil.
Nuisance Pests
Good news! Springtails don’t bite or sting. They are not known to spread diseases or cause allergies of any kind. But, the bad news is that springtails are nuisance pests. They can be irritating when they come inside your home because of their large numbers. And once they settle in, springtails are difficult to get rid of.
Their presence in your home may signal a more dangerous issue of water damage or mold. Springtails will hang out in your home where there is excessive moisture. The bathroom, kitchen, attic, or basement, even your over-watered house plant is a prime habitat for springtails. For barely visible springtails, it is easy to squeeze through cracks or gaps to get inside homes.
Springtail Prevention Tips
The best way to prevent springtails from getting into your South Carolina home is to start inside and work outside:
- Address moisture issues: Since springtails may signal a serious moisture issue in your home, start by checking for leaks and drainage problems. Use dehumidifiers to decrease the humidity from Aiken’s steamy summers and make sure your home is well-ventilated. If you eliminate moisture, springtails will die off quickly.
- Seal entry points: Be on the lookout for possible entry points for springtails. Seal any cracks or holes in and around the foundation of your home. Also, seal around doors and windows where moisture is high.
- Eliminate piles of leaves, weeds, or rotting wood: Look around your yard. Do you see hotspots for springtails? Rake up leaf piles and discard old plants or wood.
- Keep the woodpile off the ground: Create a pedestal for your woodpile to keep soil-to-wood contact at a minimum. This can also help to avoid transporting springtails inside.
- Trim the area around your home: Densely packed shrubs, trees, and grasses can retain moisture and make a prime environment for springtails in the area around your home. To keep them from getting too close, keep grass, hedges, shrubs, and trees trimmed near your home.
Have you tried to prevent springtails from coming inside to no avail? Contact Aiken Pest Control for total springtail eradication or for more prevention advice. We can help!