Springtail Control In Washington DC

Springtails in Washington DC

Most springtails are dark-colored, brown, grey or black. Some species may be white, and some are even brightly colored.

• Springtails are usually slender, elongate insects, but there is a group that is round and stout
• Springtails are very small, between 1/16th and 1/8th inch long
• Springtails have moderate length antennae

Springtails do not have wings and cannot fly, but they can jump up to several inches using a special forked structure under the abdomen called a furcula. Springtails are found in areas of high moisture and in organic debris. They are nuisances and do not damage food, clothes, furniture or property. Springtails do not bite or sting and are harmless to people. They feed on decaying roots and fungi and rarely damage plants. Moisture control is the most effective option for controlling springtails.

Springtails: Bugs That Look Like Fleas

Despite both fleas and springtails possessing the ability to jump, there are many important differences between these two insects that will help to identify if you are dealing with a springtail or a flea.

Fleas are small, wingless insects and are reddish-brown in color. They are compressed (flattened) from the top to the bottom of their body, a shape that enables them to easily move through the fur of their hosts. They have strong, muscled legs that enable them to jump long distances relative to their size.

Springtails are multi-colored insects that jump by using a spring-loaded body structure called a furcula, which is located on their abdomen. When springtails coil and release their furcula it causes the insect to be “launched” into the air and avoid a perceived danger.

Snow Fleas In Washington DC

One of the greatest joys of cold weather is the lack of bugs. When the temperatures dip in winter, it becomes an inhospitable climate for many of the creepy crawlies that make our lives miserable in the spring and summer — fleas, ticks, stinkbugs and the like. But it turns out, there’s a little known critter sometimes known as the snow flea that makes its home in snow banks and the sprinkling of snow around the tree trunks in your yard.

Snow fleas are not actually fleas — and officially, they aren’t classified as insects, either, though they do look like bugs. These small wingless creatures are often referred to as “springtails,” but their scientific name is Hypogastrura harveyi or Hypogastrura nivicola, depending on the species. Snow fleas are classified as hexapods, which is a subtype of the arthropod family. Like insects, springtails have six legs but researchers say that they are more closely related to crustaceans.

Jumping Bugs - Springtails

Springtails (order Collembola) are very small, jumping insects that sometimes alarm homeowners by appearing in large numbers in moist indoor areas such as kitchen sinks, bathtubs, and in the soil of houseplants. They may also be found outdoors in swimming pools, moist landscaped areas or vegetable gardens, and on the surface of mud puddles. They usually appear in the spring and early summer, but can be found year-round in moist environments. Because they jump when disturbed, springtails are sometimes confused with fleas. However, springtails do not bite humans or pets, nor do they spread disease or damage household furnishings. They are mainly a nuisance by their presence.

Do Bed Bugs Jump Or Do I Have Springtails?

Bed bugs do not have wings and are not capable of flight. Unlike other wingless insects such as fleas, bed bugs also are not equipped to jump long distances. Bed bugs may move from host to host, although this is typically accomplished by crawling.

Springtails do not have wings and cannot fly. But, they can jump up to several inches using a special forked structure under their abdomen, called a furcula.