Springtails In New Jersey

What is as tiny and secretive as the flea, and you probably have many of them thriving in your backyard? It’s springtails. These pests love compost piles, leaf litter, and they will gather around any decaying plants, or anything that is used to fertilize your garden.

Due to their small size, about a millimeter in length, you probably won’t see them. However, if they make their way into your home, they can become quite a problem. While they’re not harmful, they’re a big issue. Thankfully, they won’t bite you or your furry friends, and they’re not known to carry any disease.

Unlike the termite or carpenter bee, they won’t cause any damage to your home. However, this still doesn’t mean that you want them moving in. Just seeing or knowing they are there is enough to send most people on edge.

How Do You Know If You Have Springtails?

Some people may confuse this pest with a jumping spider or a flea, as they like to jump across the floor. Their small size makes it even harder to identify if you don’t get up close and personal. Shockingly, springtails are some of the smallest critters in the world, and they range anywhere from .2mm up to 10 mm in length. Typically, you will find them on the 1-2 mm side. 

Looking at their body, you will see that they have six legs in total. Their body is long with a softer outer shell. Their antennae have 4-5 sections, and their eyes are basic. In North America, scientists have discovered more than 700 different varieties of this bug, and most can be found in the backyards of the average New Jersey home. 

Due to their whiteish gray body color, they blend in well with their surroundings. However, some of the varieties can be red, green, yellow, or even orange. One thing you will instantly notice about this insect is its forked tail. This is also called the furculum, and you will find it on just about all of the 700 species. 

They usually secure their tail under their body, but they have no qualms using it to help them when jumping or if they’re disturbed. They need this to help them gauge long jumps, which are an inch or more in length. If the insect is on the smaller side at around 1-2 mm, it may not have a tail. 

The smaller insects don’t jump and only have a tube-like area under their abdomen. The collophore is a tube-like structure, and it’s believed to help them drink water. Though some people confuse these insects with fleas, comparing them side-by-side shows quite a big difference. 

Fleas are known for their black or brownish color, and they’re not gray or white. Additionally, fleas are flatter and have a teardrop shape that makes them unique. Fleas also have quite an appetite for both human and pet blood, whereas the springtails won’t bite you at all.

Ecology and Behaviors

The diet of springtails includes munching on algae, fungi, bacteria, and anything that is rotting or decaying. If you use these types of materials to fertilize your soil, then it will attract these pests. A few species will find nourishment in meat, as some of them tend to be carnivorous.

Though they pose no harm to you or your pets, they can damage your plants. They prefer the young, tender plants and can be found in abundance in New Jersey greenhouses. These areas are like smorgasbords for them. Shockingly, springtails can be incredibly beneficial to some plants, as they help bring nutrients from the fungus they carry. 

Springtails prefer an area that is moist and has plenty of decaying matter all around them. This insect tends to be a bit picky, so any significant fluctuations with temperature can wipe them out. Additionally, they need food and moisture amply to thrive. They will thrive in an area with plenty of leaves and decaying matter, but they can also live quite well in the urban backyard. 

To put it into perspective, you have no clue how many might be lurking in your backyard. There can be 10,000 bugs for every cubic foot of soil. In your Garden State backyard, there can be millions. If the weather is favorable, they will increase very rapidly. 

When it comes to getting inside your abode, they can crawl up the sides of your home and enter around any tiny crevasse. Any gaps around your windows or doors can be a welcomed invitation for them. They are like ants and trigger the entire colony to come once they find a place with food and shelter. 

You can wake up to hundreds being in your home when there was seemingly not an issue before. However, once they get inside, the lack of food and unpleasant temperatures will kill them. The only exception to this rule is If you have indoor potted plants, they will likely thrive as the moist, nutrient soil sustains them. 

If you have a swimming pool or hot tub, it’s not uncommon to see these pests floating on the surface. They’re waterproof so the water won’t kill them. If you use a skimmer to clean your pool, then you’re likely to see many of them hopping about during a routine clean. Like roaches, they can hitch a ride from one home to another in boxes or on clothing.

Controlling Springtails

Source: Frontiersin

If you have abundant food, the proper humidity, and a suitable habitat for them, they can reproduce like flies. Some species can live in dry environments, but most will require a humid place with moisture to thrive. If you have heavy rain in the area, the penetrating water can flush out any springtails from the ground, bringing them to the surface. 

Once they’re flushed out, it can help them to boost their populations. If you want to reduce the number of springtails near your home, you need to focus on keeping decayed matter at bay. Additionally, only water your lawn about once a week. Overly wet soil is an instant attraction for them. To keep them from getting into your abode, you want to seal off any cracks around your windows and doors. 

Expanding foam is another beneficial product that can help keep them at bay. Please make sure the weathering strips around your doors are intact, as this is an easy way for them to get inside. 

To keep these pests from entering your home, there are a few things that you can do to eradicate the problem. First, using an insecticide around the foundation of your home can help to keep them away. Here are some methods to prevent them from getting indoors:

  • Keep mulch one foot away from the foundation of your home. 
  • Most infestations will run their course in a few weeks. 
  • Spray insecticide 5-10 feet around the perimeter of your home to keep them from getting inside. 
  • Make sure to heavily saturate your entry points, like your windows and doors. Also, make sure there are no openings in your siding or brick that would encourage them to come inside.

Getting Rid of These Common Pests

If some springtails find their way into your home, they won’t live long. However, if you have the proper environment, like plants, they could hang around longer than you would like. First, set all plants outside to get the pests from the inside to the out. 

Another issue is that springtails may get into insulation that is thick with moisture, as well as the tank of your toilet. Anywhere fungal growth is present, it can sustain an infestation. Any organic matter that is troublesome should be removed to keep from being an issue. 

If you find that the springtails population is out of control no matter what you do, you could have a mold problem or some other decaying matter driving the infestation. You can call on our professional assistance to help you in this matter. 

Though most people don’t need our help with springtails, we certainly know how to help with this common problem. If you don’t want to tackle the issue and would rather have professional take care of it, then we’re just a phone call away. With 700 species around the area, you never know when you might need help. 

More comparison articles:

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House Mice and Deer Mice: What’s the difference?
Termites and flying ants: What’s the difference?
Carpenter bees and bumble bees: What’s the difference?

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