How to Kill Springtails Safely in Your Bathroom

Mold settles into the caulking and grout around a bathtub.
  • 1 hours
  • Beginner
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What You'll Need
Fan
Vinegar
Bleach
Water
Gloves
Mask
Goggles
Insecticides
What You'll Need
Fan
Vinegar
Bleach
Water
Gloves
Mask
Goggles
Insecticides

Springtails, also known as snow fleas, are extremely annoying. They normally cause major problems by arriving in large swarms and they can be difficult to get rid of. Although these fleas do not cause any harm, they can instantly spring up out of nowhere. This makes lots of people panic whenever they find any springtails in their bathroom.

Springtails are often found in dark and damp conditions. They eat fungus and mold and will prosper in these conditions. If they cannot breed in the house, the infestation should eventually die out by itself without needing to do anything, so making your home uninhabitable for them is the best, most effective method of extermination. Here's how.

Step 1 – Get Rid of Moisture

Springtails like moist, damp environments. You can prevent them from ever being a problem if you get rid of damp areas from inside your home. Use a fan to circulate air and help keep things drier inside. You need to also concentrate on fixing any leaks in your bathroom pipes or faucets to avoid creating problems with mold that snow fleas are attracted to. If you have springtails outdoors then you will need to get rid of any piles of waste that retain moisture.

Step 2 - Brighten Up the Area

Now you need to make the area as bright as possible. Snow fleas do well in dark environments, so if you keep most areas in your home well-lit, you will be able to minimize the problem of an infestation.

Step 3 - Deal with the Problem

If there are any infestations anywhere in your bathroom then you can wash the affected area with vinegar. This vinegar will damage the pest from the outside without harming you or your family. This might be something that you need to do several times in order to get the best result. Springtail infestations are normally part of a colony of thousands of insects, so you might need to repeat the process over and over again before you get the result you want.

For a harsher effect you can use chlorine bleach diluted in water and apply it directly to the affected area. (Be careful when using chlorine bleach because it can be harmful to humans.)

Step 4 – Try More Harsh Chemicals

If you can't control the infestation with vinegar or bleach then you can instead use insecticide. You should choose an insecticide with pyrethrin as the active ingredient as this is very effective in the fight against snow fleas. Concentrate on applying the insecticide around any cracks or anywhere else the bugs are getting into the house.

Any areas of infestation can also be treated by sprinkling pellets of Bifen or Diazinon. This will keep the infestation at bay.

Step 5 – Keep the Infestation From Coming Back

Once you have managed to get rid of the springtail problem, you will need to do your best to keep the infestation from returning. Continue to follow the steps listed above to aid in prevention or you may quickly find yourself in this situation all over again.