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Springtails

  • Scientific Name: Collembola
  • Nicknames: Democrat Bug, Zug, and Maple Bug
  • Length: 0.03" - 0.05"
  • Color: Clear, white
  • Aggressive? No
  • Do They Bite? No
  • Poisonous/Venomous? No
  • Disease Carrying? No
  • Invasive Species? No

The Springtail

Springtails are only about 1 to 2 mm long but can rapidly move 3 to 4 inches in a single motion. This represents a distance of about 100 times their body length. Springtails move rapidly because of a "springing" device on their abdomen called a furcula. The furcula is a hinged appendage that is bent forward and is held in place by a latch mechanism called a tenaculum. When the furcula is released, it springs down, sending the springtail through the air.

Another interesting anatomical feature of springtails is a ventral tube called a collophore, which projects down under the first abdominal segment. The collophore is wet and sticky, and helps a springtail adhere to surfaces. It is also used for water uptake. Springtails are able to breathe through their thin body covering. Water is also able to pass through this covering. Because of the ease with which moisture can escape their bodies, springtails are extremely sensitive to drying out, and many species inhabit soil.

How Do We Remove Them?

One of the pest management experts at McMahon Exterminating will visit your home and provide a proper assessment and ID the bugs that are infesting your home or property to better understand the type of insects or pests that they are dealing with to properly coordinate a plan that will work best for you.

We help educate the customer on things that they might be able to do to help deter the pests as well, and will try to prevent this from becoming a reocurring infestation.

The treatment will begin and we will monitor the situtaion closely to make sure that the numbers are being depleted in the area. We want to try to deter the insects from coming to your area as opposed to just chemically treating them, as that will only be a short term solution for you but with McMahon's C.A.N. initiative and our three easy steps — Canvas the area, Act on those results, and Negate re-entry for the pest, we can work to getting your home to pest free status.