I have been having an issue with springtails for a few years. We know they originate outside, but we’re not sure where. I suspect the patio. We also have plastic and rocks around the foundation. Is that a likely spot for them? We will be treating the patio in a few days but I’m not sure if we need to remove the plastic and rocks as well. Both the patio and plastic/rocks were put in about the time we started seeing them.

No doubt any kind of ground cover like weed blocking tarps, plastic under rocks etc. are generally nothing but “springtail generators”. These areas tend to hold moisture – a key component for springtails to thrive.

Personally I don’t use any such plastic in the yard because I know it will harbor moisture and in turn, enable all kinds of pests to thrive. But do you need to remove it? No. You could choose to treat and hope the springtails are living on the top side. This means the treatment would knock them out.

But I would say removing it would be smart and in the long run, the best way to proceed. Only then will you know your treatments are penetrating as far down into the soil as they can which is very important when trying to control springtails as explained in our article.

So with that being said, I recommend ordering some Bifen Granules and Cyonara RTS. And before the order arrives, I’d try to remove as much of the plastic as you can from the ground. This way when your order arrives, you can do the treatments right away knowing they’ll get down as deep as possible into the ground.

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Bifen Granules: https://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb

Cyonara RTS: https://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/cyonara-32-oz-rts

Springtails: https://bugspray.com/article/springtail.html