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  • Springtails Problem

    Created by Allison Barfield on November 5, 2016 at 10:48 am

    I have an infestation of Springtails as a result of a yard that has accumulated years of leaf rot and covered in ivy. Of a house I bought 6 months ago. I have since cleaned up yard (removing rotting leaves, vines etc.) and spread Biden granules around property. They have moved into my home as well. I have been treating them indoors in numerous ways but have yet to completely get rid of them. I’ve had them identified by Entomologist and have confirmed they are indeed springtails. I have an intense allergy to them and they are incredibly irritating to my skin. Do you have any suggestions. Everyone I talk to and everything I read seems to have contradictory info and opinions. I have also tried to use a pest control company to no avail. I have researched and read more than I ever wanted to know about this pest but have yet to have success. I found info on your website regarding using other live insects and nematodes to rid of pests. Is there anything that has been found to feast on springtails? I would greatly appreciate any info you could share to help me with this overwhelming terrible problem. By the way this all started when I began cleaning and clearing our yard in March of 2016. As you can imagine, I am ready to get these pests out of my life or at Leary reduced to where we can all live in harmony together.:)

    Thanks for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

    Allison

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  • November 11, 2016 at 6:30 am #216304

    Eric Vinje
    Keymaster

    Hello Allison!

    Springtails can be be a major bother when they gather in large numbers.

    Regarding your comment on using pest control to manage them, if you employed the help of chemicals, it may have been in vain. Springtails have shown an incredible hardiness to most chemical concoctions seeing as they are a hexapod that have been around for an estimated 400 million years and have had a lot of time to build a tolerance to most pesticides.

    Springtails thrive in well fertilized, wet/moist conditions, especially if there is fungus or mold in the area. My best guess would be the ground cover of dead leaves etc. made for perfect conditions to repopulate and inhabit as there may have been a brew of fungus growing underneath in the damp environment so when it was disturbed, they went looking for new residency.

    I would suggest you invest in diatomaceous earth as well as beneficial nematodes and spread them over your lawn, as well as any spots in your house with concentrated numbers. You can find more information on both products on our website. Their numbers can be greatly effected if the area they are inhabiting is kept very dry. So, if you can shy away from watering, that could be your last method of defense.

    As far as your allergies, springtails might be a pointer of something more sinister lurking in your house seeing as there is little to no concrete evidence of them causing allergic reactions. If there are any leaking pipes or otherwise damp, dark places in your house, you may want to look into an inspector to check for various molds. There are an array that can cause your symptoms such as black mold.

    Here is a link to our springtail information page that will shed a bit more light on the situation, as well as offer alternatives – https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/houseplant-pests/springtail-control/.

    Hope it helps!

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