Facts: Spring Tails
Name: Collembola (Common Names: Springtail, Snowflea)
Appearance: Averaging 6mm in length, with a segmented body. Springtails are normally white, grey, or brownish in color, with tiny hairs extending off of its body. Collembola do not possess a typical breathing system like most pests. Instead they use small pours on their bodies to take in air. They also have a tail-like appendage that allows them to jump into the air when disturbed, hence their common name – springtail. These pests are often confused for fleas.
Habit: Springtails are commonly seen inhabiting loose soil in woodlands and forests, areas of vegetation and decaying plant matter, and on the surface of ponds or other calm bodies of water. In the wild, springtails are hardly noticed and don’t become a pest until they are accidently brought into a home. Like most pests, they need a food and water source for survival, and are sometimes found around the home in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and areas where it’s damp. The unique feature of springtails is that they can withstand the changes in temperature that occur from summer to winter. The common name, snow flea, comes from the fact that they are often seen outdoors during the winter despite the cold temperature.
Health/Damage Concerns: There is some controversy surrounding the interaction of springtails and humans. There are people that believe that springtails may be a human parasite, and there are documented cases of people claiming to be “infested” by springtails. They say that they can feel them underneath their skin causing severe irritation, scratching, and paranoia. Most researchers believe these cases to be untrue and say the springtail biology would not allow them to be a parasitic creature, especially to humans. Although, the hair that springtails have on their bodies has been documented to cause skin irritations.
Diet: Decaying organic matter; mold, decaying plant matter, fungus and bacteria.
Reproduction: The process of springtail reproduction is unique and can vary from species to species. Males will often scatter sperm sacks, called spermatophores, around an area in which there are females. The females use these spermatophores to create their offspring. Some females even have the ability to lay eggs with no male interaction. Eggs hatch in as little as 3 to 5 weeks, and the springtail emerges as a nymph that looks similar to an adult. These pests also go through several molts stages in the process of becoming an adult.
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