Have you remark some diminutive jump and fly hemipteron in your menage that resemble fleas ? While fleas themselves do n’t fly , there are a few other common household pests that are often mistaken for fleas due to their coming into court and ability to jump . Learning to properly place them is key to getting rid of these nuisance bug .
In this article , we ’ll cover 3 vernacular hemipterous insect that bet like fleas but can fly , how to tell them aside , and in effect control methods
Common Flying Bugs Mistaken for Fleas
Here are 3 bugs commonly confused with fleas due to their little size and jump power :
Springtails
Springtails , also called Charles Percy Snow fleas , are tiny wingless insects only 1 - 2 millimeter long They are found in damp locations and get their name from their power to jumpstart via a spring - like mechanism on their venter Though wingless , springtails can propel themselves several inch into the air .
Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnats are tiny mosquito - corresponding louse about 1/8 ” long . Unlike flea they have long antenna leg , and a dyad of clean wings . The larvae provender on fungus while adults eat plant nectar . They are commonly witness around overwatered houseplants .
Thrips
thripid are tiny slender insects 1 - 2 mm long . They can be wingless or have fringe annexe . Some metal money can jump and many thrips can vaporize . Thrips fee on plants by puncturing cells and sucking out the content .
How to Tell Springtails, Gnats, and Thrips Apart from Fleas
While they may seem similar at first glance , a closer inspection reveals discrete differences between fleas and these other flying bugs :
Appearance – Fleas are small , wingless , flattened insect about 1/16 ” long . Springtails are flyspeck and round - bodied . Gnats have clear wings and long legs . Thrips are even smaller and sylphlike with fringed wings on some variety .
Jump height – Fleas can jump up to 8 inch vertically , which is 150 time their height ! collembolan and thrips only start a few inches . Gnats do n’t leap out at all .

Habitat – Fleas populate on animal hosts . collembolan inhabit moist dirt and mulch . gnat spawn in moist potting stain . Thrips thrive on plant life .
demeanour – Fleas bite and feed on blood . Springtails eat mould and dilapidate plant material . Fungus gnats fuddle ambrosia . thripid pierce plant cell and suck out fluids .
Life cycle – Fleas go through orchis , larva , pupa , and grownup stage . Springtails are born take care like mini adult . Gnats and thrips also go through complete metamorphosis .
cautiously observing the louse ’s strong-arm characteristics , behavior , and location where they ’re happen will help aright identify flea look - alikes . If require , a pest control professional person can positively identify the bug .
Effective Ways to Control Flea-like Pests
Once you ’ve decently identified the bug infesting your home , you’re able to implement target treatments to get rid of them :
For springtails :
Fix wet issues and leaks to rid of moist habitat they ask
Improve ventilation and atmosphere circulation
Apply desiccant dusts like diatomaceous earth in infested area
habituate a dehumidifier and devotee to dry out damp spaces
Treat outdoor mulch bed and soil near the plate ’s foundation
For fungus gnats :
Remove overwatered houseplants and right watering practices
employ mucilaginous traps and pheromones to capture grownup
Apply Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis ( BTI ) to stamp out larvae in ground
Allow pot soil to completely dry out between waterings
Replace potting mix in severely infested industrial plant
For thrips :
Prune and dispose of heavily infested leafage and stems
Use pesticides containing spinosad or pyrethrins
Apply horticultural oil color to stifle thrip on plant
Use blue or yellow sticky traps to capture the flying adults
unblock predatory speck ( e.g. Amblyseius cucumeris ) that eat thrips
practice reflective mulches like aluminum enhancer to deter thripid
For serious infestation , anticipate a professional pest control service is commend . They have admittance to stronger pesticides and intervention methods like fumigation to rid of severe bug infestations .
While small jumping or flying bug might ab initio look like flea , examining them more intimately and identifying key difference allows you to pinpoint what pest you ’re actually deal with . This take into account you to take appropriate step to get rid of springtail , fungus gnats , thrips , or other flea expression - alikes and foreclose future invasions .
Conclusion & Next Steps
We desire you have learned a minute about these annoying fiddling jump insects that cue you of flea . Springtails have long been a nuisance in residential , commercial , and multi - family housing structures alike .
You learned a bit about their living cycle and what they are attracted to . We talked about how we get rid of these bug using a swimming production that can be approved by both the FDA and the EPA and dry in one hour . Also , you watch about some of the exterior treatments that come with either a one - time service or an yearly armed service like the Peak Seasons Plan .
The last thing you teach about springtails was what they look like , what they eat , and some questions that people often inquire about them .
If you have any doubtfulness ever , give us a call ! 651 - 342 - 9489 . finally we want to help you with your pesterer problems , offering solution unique to each attribute and circumstance .
We ca n’t hold off to help .
Done Right squad
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How We Treat for Springtails – Springtail Control
Done right-hand Pest Solutions uses a stove of products that shoot down springtails to ensure you get complete command . All products we apply are EPA and FDA approved and safe once dry ( within the hour ) .
We would first apprise you to rule out the water source , because springtails will go where the water is . If you could get rid of the piss source ( not a drainage or something ) , then you do n’t need to call a pest control company .
But if these plague are bothering you and you ca n’t get rid of them , we have expert way to get rid of them for the time of year .
A one - meter crawl louse handling should do the trick . Each option , whether it ’s just the interior or the outside and inside , comes with a two - calendar month warranty .
Our Peak Seasons Plan includes treatment for both in spite of appearance and outside at dissimilar clock time of the year . It also comes with a 12 - month warranty that permit you call us at any time if you have any pest problems like these .
We so look forward to helping you out .
A lot of common people unremarkably have questions when it comes to these fiddling jump dirt ball in their home . Below we erupt down the most frequently asked questions about springtails .
Are springtails severe ?
Springtails are not dangerous . Although springtails and flea count a good deal likewise , they are not the same . They do n’t need a host , they do n’t drink blood , and they do n’t bother mass or animals .
Are springtail seasonal ?
Springtails can be seasonal , or seem seasonal . They are most mutual in the spring , and any rainy season . Springtails like it when it ’s smashed , so water that pond in the slide door track can be a uncouth topographic point for them during certain meter of the year .
That said , they really can dwell your home , sink , tubs , drain , year - orotund . For this reasonableness , it is overnice to have a yr - troll preventative pest ascendancy programme .
Are collembolan rough-cut ?
collembolan are very common , specially in showery time of year .
Are springtail pests ?
Springtails are consider pests because they are annoying and a pain in the neck .
Where do springtail bugs follow from ?
Springtails often live in mulch or on the ground near home . When it rains , they fly high . If it does n’t rain , they can lift into place and check sinks , tubs , and drains for water .
Where do springtails come from ?
Springtails hold up in the mulch , prime bed , or simply on the land near your home . collembolan can in reality alert you to a problem with a leaky pipework in a bulwark null . So do n’t brush off an infestation .
Will springtails go away on their own ?
While springtails can go away on their own , it ’s really unbelievable . With daily use of sinks , tubful , drains , etc . Because our homes are always damp , like in kitchen and bathrooms , springtails may always be drawn to certain areas of your family .
Will springtails ever go away ?
collembolan can go away on their own . But it is n’t likely that they will go aside on their own . Springtails are attracted to dampen areas , and sinks , tubs , and drains are always a little dampish and moist . springtail typically need pest ascendance before they go aside .
Will springtails die in the wintertime ?
springtail can cash in one’s chips in the wintertime . If they made their menage in an international rampart null they may die in the winter . It is potential that they might just hole up in the winter .
Springtails in your abode would adhere around through the winter , too .
What spray kill springtails ?
Done Right Pest Solutions ’ expert technician have quality ware that will kill off springtails .
When do springtails come out ?
As their name advise , springtails often issue forth out in the leaping . Spring , with the melting of snow and rainy season , is the utter time for springtail to come out .
When is collembolan season ?
Springtail season is spring through fall , typically . But , springtails can populate household year - orotund .
Why do springtails occur at heart ?
wintertime is when springtail come within because they want to find a damp place to live . They are attracted to the damp areas of minute place like sinks , tubs , and drains .
Why are collembolan so gruelling to vote down ?
Springtails are so hard to kill because they are so small . They also like to jump . Insects with long leg , or jump dirt ball do not get into physical contact with chemical pest control products easily . Therefore , it is hard to wipe out springtail on one ’s own .
Have springtails in your home ? Give Done Right Pest Solutions a call for afreequote today ! 651 - 342 - 9489 .
How often do springtails breed ?
Springtails do not breed frequently . A exclusive female springtail typically lays single eggs or a few egg in a bunch . In other Holy Scripture , springtail are not like roach , which consist eggs that are then hatched by dozens or even hundreds of other insect .
How often do springtails procreate ?
A individual female springtail lays a single egg or a few egg in a cluster . She can lay several clump at a time , but they do n’t reproduce as quickly as some insects .