SPRINGTAILS +
Why do I have them in my house?
First, this insect is teeny. It moves by walking or “pinging.” It jumps using a hinge-thingy on its tail. (Do you really need to know the exact name of the thingy? OK, then, its called a “furcula.” Now go win a game show and send a few dollars my way.)
Second, they don’t do anything to you or your pets.
Third, there IS a reason they show up: a moisture problem. So, the long-term solution is to solve THAT.
Examples of moisture problems where I have found them:
1. Bad shower tile. Water got beneath the shower floor and springtails moved in.
2. Drippy drain under a kitchen sink. The customer thought they had “fleas” on the kitchen counter. I said, “Nope! You’ve got a sink leak.” They did.
3. Wet mulch. The yard drained into the mulch bed. The mulch bed drained nowhere.
4. Bad window caulking. Rain was running beneath siding and collecting at the sill plate.
5. Poorly designed lawn sprinkler system. The lawn was over wet (because the system was on automatic and we had a lot of rain).
6. Poorly designed lawn grading. When it rained the water pooled in the lawn. It needed a French drain system.
7. And, of course, roof leak. Water always wins. Your roof is SUPPOSED to make water go away. A leak is a roof failure.
Fourth, why moisture IS the problem. Moisture that doesn’t dry up causes mold and mildew spores, which, by the way, is exactly what these critters eat. Spores are a high-protein snack for them. You eliminate the snack by eliminating the moisture. But springtails also munch on decaying organic matter like mulch. Don’t use mulch in the two feet next to the foundation. Simple, really!
[Do you know what other insect LOVES spores caused by excess moisture? Fungus gnats! It is not uncommon to have one or both of these critters if you have a moisture issue. Moisture in the wall causes fungus. Fungus gnats snack on the fungus spores. Then, too, you may just be over-watering your houseplants. Don’t water the surface of the plant soil. Instead, find a plastic cup, like a small plastic prescription bottle, and drill a few holes in the bottom. Bury the bottle in your planter and pour your water into your plastic cup. The gnats will soon be gone.]
Springtails have a very high reproductive rate (much faster than rabbits). One day you’ll have none and a week later you could have a thousand. [Same for fungus gnats.]
So, if you don’t solve the moisture problem you WILL NOT solve the insect problem. Sure! A pest control guy can “control” them for a month or so, but you’ll be paying for a never-ending contract (my kind of customer!) Actually, I always was straight up with my customers. “I’ll take your money, but the insect is telling us there is a bigger problem.”
[Lots of invasive pests show up when there’s a moisture issue. Millipedes, Sowbugs, Pill Bugs (Roly Polys), and spiders. Lake houses get them all.
I once treated a house that had literally THOUSANDS of millipedes INSIDE climbing the walls, ceilings, and everything else. All the water in the back yard pooled right next to the house. I treated it and a month later I did a follow up. There were only about 30 inside the second time. But the real problem was the exterior drainage. They should have installed a yard sump station to eliminate the water after every rain.
Moisture draws lots of critters. Lots of critters draw spiders. If you want to reduce spiders without pesticide you should use a dehumidifier in your basement, lower level, or crawlspace. 50% or lower humidity at floor level is best.
SPEAKING OF PESTS … IT ISN’T a GUEST in MY HOUSE
A friend or a guest in my house would have manners. He wouldn’t rearrange the furniture or interrupt a conversation with a video. If I told him I did not desire any help he wouldn’t insist on helping. He wouldn’t leave the water running when he left the bathroom. He wouldn’t leave lights on all over the house or insist I listen to his music.
BUT, my phone and my computer constantly behave badly even when I tell them to stop. I can’t trust my mapping app to maintain the settings I have selected. When the phone updates it rearranges the apps on the homepage. It turns things on that I turned off.
My computer refuses to turn off the AI search assistant (which does a horrible job, by the way). It plays ads constantly and makes me wait until something totally unrelated to my click finishes whatever IT is doing. It has pop ups, and objectionable ads, and “talkies” that run (and I have to search for the pause button which is hidden from view). None of these things is friendly. The internet is a GUEST in my home and it doesn’t behave like one.
If tech is supposed to “help” it does the worst job possible. I would never willingly hire it as a personal assistant or even as a gardener (I’m sure it would plant everything in the wrong place, at the wrong depth, with the wrong amount of fertilizer or water. Nature alone, I am sure, would do a far better job).
So, I ask, why aren’t people totally “done” with it all? My next phone with be a flip phone (or none at all). My next computer will be a typewriter.
Today we went to the library to make copies. 75 buttons and settings on the device, but none of them said, “Hey! Why don’t we just do the simplest task … like making an exact copy of what you have!” Why not, by the way? That’s exactly what 95% of the users do. It reminds me of an ATM a while back which was situated in a part of town inhabited by people who understood and used English as a first or second language, but was set up to ask users to SELECT language FIRST. It wouldn’t spit out your cash until you first confirmed that you ABSOLUTELY DID want the instructions in English. It could be 65 degrees below zero and you still had to freeze your arm off answering THAT question. If there is anything tech is superior at … it is making everything much more involved and complicated.
Tech is here to stay, but it doesn’t have to be my master or my friend. It is ONLY a misguided tool. My other tools have a place and a time. Why not these?
Copyright 2026 Donald Whelpley
[PLEASE NOTE that Don is always open to discussing the thoughts and opinions he shares here and welcomes comments as shared in the comment section. He doesn’t use other social media platforms and won’t see whatever you’d like to share with him if you post it elsewhere.
ALSO, Don is always open to offer his thoughts on various topics. If you have a specific request, you can let him know in a comment; he reads – and replies to – them all. ~ Sherry]
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