Soak the pot in hot water (our faucet gets to about 70C and I used that) for about 5 minutes. Alcohol smothers the ones on the plant above the soil. The life-cycle is about 8 days from eggs to hatching so do it again after a week.

That follow-through, like a good backhand, is critical!

Here is one of her plants today. They are grown in a bright windowsill - her succulents are colourful and compact.

I think they may have come from outside? Not sure. Started with a couple and then they multiplIed.

Just warm water and alcohol? Sounds easy enough. I think the follow up is really key and that's what gives most people trouble.

Of course, happy to hear any springtail experience stories because they aren't discussed very often here!

We are starting a freshwater dwarf puffer aquarium, and of course lots of aquatic plants, interesting that spring tails appeared in our tank. I'm wondering if it's the same type? They have several types of liquid pest control products that get rid of them, although no need really because they aren't harmful and tend to appear due to over feeding. Could be useless info but if same type of pest might be helpful... is there any photos of the springtails?

Hm, they are kind of hard to photograph because they crawl quite quickly. The easiest way to tell is if you go to prod them they will flick and spring up/away.

What pest control products were you using or would use?

http://www.planetinverts.com/what_is_that_bug_in_my_aquarium.html

Ok here is a link used for identification, scroll down a little ways to get to springtails and tell me what you think?@ewwmayo

Uh, I think they are usually darker looking that that. Maybe it's the light of the photo.

They spring up when disturbed, that's the real distinctive identification means, in my opinion.

Hey mayo-I've run into the same predicament with some of my gritty mix pots too. Frustrating to say the least, but even more so when you search the internet up and down for solutions/ideas and realize how little info there is out there about house plant springtails!

After researching extensively myself and consulting with Al, my top two options were 1) an Imidacloprid drench/soak of infested pots, or 2) the same with a pyrethrin solution.

As far as effectiveness, I cannot speak to that because despite buying both products and having them on the ready, it seems the springtails made themselves scarce and I haven't seen them recently. If/when I do, I'd likely choose the Imid drench.

Hope this helps atleast a little bit!

Thanks EHH! I am a bit skeptical about the imidacloprid because they would mostly be eating decaying plant matter. But maybe on contact it may still be effective. Will try something later this week!

Hopefully the weather is good so I can dry them outside after.

I recently (last month) started using Azamax, which is a neem oil extract concentrate, on my succulents for mealybugs (I picked off the 5 I saw on my watch chain and sprayed) and also for thrips that were on my vegetable seedlings, my succs, and African violets. It's worked REALLY well, not sure if it will work in spring tails, but I don't see why it wouldn't. I have always used neem but Azamax is superior, in my opinion and it's OMRI Listed for use in organic production. I used the least amount directed on the label and it cleared out everything! I even used it on mesembs, cuttings, propagating leaves, lithops, etc. I grow mostly in grit with a few plants in C&S/perlite - plus of course the potting soil/compost that the veggies are in.

Hey sorry I had problems with my phone server and had to delete it. Then I lost my password etc so had to figure that out again! Anyway in studying up I would try D Earth first. It's organic and I order it from JeffersPet a lot cheaper than most other places. It's the petsafe type. Hope this helps @EwwMayo! Apologies again for late reply:) if it doesn't work I'd try neem then others, neem worked on thrips so I'm guessing it would help with springtails..

Okay, Bayer 3-in-1 did not work whatsoever. Imidacloprid is useless because they don't really feed on the live tissue much at all. The Tau-fluvalinate (Pyrethroid) was also pretty useless as well. I soaked the pot and plant completely and it didn't change anything a week later.

However, doubling watering time to two weeks and letting the pot totally dry out inside helped significantly. Not all are gone but their numbers are reduced to very few.

Plants are showing quite a bit of drought stress under lights and a couple absorbed older leaves but the springtails are now under control.

My advice is sacrifice succulents looking perfect for several weeks by dehydration and extra airflow. Don't bother with the pesticides (it was a bit of an experiment anyway).

Oh! I forgot the hot water soak... Maybe that'll be for next time.

Might have to retract my statement above! The other plants from my friend are clean now after treatment despite watering semi-normally (but with better drying and extra airflow). This might need more testing... if there are any left to test with haha.

Mayo, it's funny you posted this because just last night during my watering routine I noticed that the 'springtails' are back. Their numbers increased significantly too, so I am now prepping things to take care of the issue. They are incredibly small and are all over the exterior of my terra cotta pots/within the saucers... They're so tiny that it makes me think I may have an oribatid mites infestation (soil mites) as opposed to springtails.. I'll try to post some photos taken with my loupe.

So your take was that the Bayer 3 & 1 was not effective, is that correct?

Thanks for following up!

After I finished watering, I would say that Bayer 3-in-1 was highly effective (so far).

No signs of springtails except in the first batch of pots that I watered. Maybe those few pots I didn't do a good job treating? Will try a follow up treatment next week and see if they are totally eradicated.

I prefer not to have to use pesticides when not necessary and I need to wait long enough to see if the eggs/larvae were killed at the same time to be sure it fully worked.

Right on! That's good to know. Here's what I'm looking at all over the exterior of my containers...

I'm definitely leaving towards soil mites and a remedy of a pyrethrin dunk/drench of everything... There are some springtails too mixed in.

Hmm, hard to tell from your photo. Could they be baby root mealybugs?

Anyway, mites can be hard to get rid of. If you use Pyrethrin, treat fully once, wait until the next batch of eggs are supposed to hatch, then treat again.

You may need third and fourth treatment. Use a pesticide that kills with a different mode of action otherwise they can grow resistant. One easier to get and affordable one is Sevin, but I never tried it yet on succulents. So no promises there, unfortunately.

Other acaracides are $$$. There is another good thread on pesticides I posted and update periodically. You may want to check that out.

They look like mealies, in pic above, the neem oil works well on mine for awhile, you know our outdoor infestation is beyond control, but I control the ones that make it inside by using garden safe fungicide it's cheaper and works well! Best wishes on getting them gone, also wondering if your springtails might be thrips...@eww

Whoops above isn't yours @ewwmayo but hope it helps @EHH824

Yes, mine are not thrips! Springtails 'spring' when you blow on them. They are/were on my friends succulents.

Thrips are quite something else, whole different discussion and strategy.

Thanks!

Lol Eww I messed that up completely and thought it odd you didn't recognize it was mealies in the one pic, and then thought since it was mealies I have noticed thrips tend to also infest with mealies, jerks ;( anyway so disregard my comments above other than the best of luck! However it did make me think maybe just sticky tape would laid around the plants with the springtails might help on black paper.. cheap too!

I am still wondering about so many springtails...any ideas why, in the first place?

They like damp soils and locations like under debris-logs-paving stones-compost...if it gets dry, they will migrate to moist areas. They feed on mold and fungus. So I am wondering how and where were these plants kept?

She kept them in an extremely bright windowsill. I was really surprised how colourful her succulents are.

She waters over the sink and doesn't leave water in the saucer. I think that if you tread the line of always a little moist in the mix (which is actually very good for growing progress) then I can see how they would survive easily. She waters them once a week.