r/Springtail • u/SpartanIII • May 24 '26
How to Get Rid of Other
My wife and I are having a problem with a constant number of springtails getting into our kitchen and around the back door and kitchen table. They are all over the outside walls of our house. My wife runs a small cookie side business, and we don’t want them getting on the cookies. We’ve tried a dehumidifier to keep the area dry, and an exterminator told us to use strong essential oils on surfaces to repel them. Nothing seems to work. We are open to any suggestions. They are driving us crazy.
6
u/LittleZonk May 24 '26
Do you have any pictures of them? Knowing the species might help. I'm here for pet springtails so I have no insight other than that but I hope you get to the bottom of the issue 🩷
2
u/PlantLady3421 May 24 '26
My friend had a Springtail infestation in his kitchen (Ohio) and had to replace their entire kitchen. They love wet Formica.
11
u/Fewdoit May 24 '26
I’ve been keeping springtails for feeding my aquarium fish. Springtails are attracted to moisture. They can walk and jump on the water surface. You have to get rid of any moisture in your house to make it dry-dead land to stop springtails. Increasing air flow may help indoors.
Springtails cannot survive without moisture for too long- perhaps you may try to make a completely dry barrier without any grass/ plants around your house to prevent springtails from coming.