Have springtails coming out into a toilet bowl in bathroom 1 when flushing. 3 or 4 at a time. None in the tank. Cleaned bowl w/toilet bowl cleaner. No springtails emerged. Filled tank w/half vinegar n/half water, flushed, let it sit. 10 dead came out on next flush. Recently did minor plumbing rerouting of supply lines in bathroom 1. Never unmounted toilet. Did major rerouting of drains and supply lines in bathroom 2 on opposite side of wall from bathroom 1 but did not move or disturb drain lines for the toilets in bathrooms 1 and 2 which presumably share a common drain and vent. Did remove toilet in bathroom 2 as part of renovation. Remounted bathroom 2 toilet. No springtails in toilet in bathroom 2. They seem to be literally living in the flush holes under the lip of the toilet bowl. They never emerge anywhere else. The bowl also has a burnt type odor which was not there before. I cannot understand how they have gotten to where they are without going through either the trap water or the tank water. Your opinion is greatly appreciated. By the way, excellent info on your site. I’m a scientist and can never get enough detail. Thanks in advance for your help.
I have seen this happen many times. To best understand how it can develop, you need to understand why springtails migrate and how they move about (it’s not what you think!). And the best way to explain their migration is to think small. You see, 1-2 feet for a springtail is a long journey. So when they move, it’s either because they were dispersed or they’re actively reproducing.
Now they could be on the move because their current location isn’t large enough for the current population which is growing. This will cause some to move to a new “pocket” or nest. Now if the new pocket can only maintain 5-10 adults (due to limited food), some will move from there once that location hits this population. In some cases they’ll all move but many times some will stay behind. And it might only be a few which in turn can become the supply for future generations even though they’re existence is never observed. Springtails are solitary, not communal pests, so they can exist side by side BUT they will have zero meaningful interaction with one another.
And in a bathroom (as well as many other areas in the home), this pattern will play out over and over because most have lots of moisture. So once they’re in the bathroom, they will migrate from “pocket” to pocket as needed. And the list of pocket nests I’ve seen over the years includes the following but is not limited to under the toilet where it mounts to the floor, under the bolt nut covers that hold the toilet to the floor, in the lip of the toilet where water comes out, in the water tank, in the water supply line that feeds the water tank, under the flip handle for flushing, under the on/off valve handle for the water supply of the toilet, in the drain line of any sink, tub or shower present, in all the fixtures of any sink, tub or shower present, in tile grout, under linoleum, in carpeting, in wall sockets, around medicine cabinets, etc.
Now how they get into the bathroom initially is usually via one of the following.
First, one of the most common entry routes is via unused drain lines. Abandoned sinks or tubs are commonly used if the trap water in the elbow dries up. The exterior of any water pipe is another great way they can enter. Basically from below the bathroom they will migrate “up” the exterior of any copper or pvc pipes making their way to the most humid room they can find as they travel. This generally turns out to be a kitchen or bath AND it can take years to fully develop.
Another great way they enter is to drop “down” from air vents, exhaust fans or light fixtures. Remember, springtails commonly infest trees and vegetation. And any tree litter which makes its way onto your roof will commonly be carrying springtails which then move onto and around gutters. In most of these cases, the active populations can live for years unnoticed. But eventually they will migrate into attics and from there, get into living spaces.
Now once they get into the bathroom, they do tend to congregate around sinks, tubs, showers and toilets. We’ve seen them nest in the water closet as well as the drains. Springtails can jump quite high (up to 4-5 feet) and will be drawn to the moist surfaces they can “see” once they get into the bathroom.
In summary, there are many ways they can get into any room of any house. But once they enter, they will commonly find and use the “best” location for any one pocket nest. And many times these locations turn out to be around the sink, tub, toilet or shower. So what you’re describing is nothing unusual and quite common for springtails to do. The good news is you’ve isolated the problem and with the right material, you can easily control them.
So what is the best material to use? Probably LEMON AIR. Labeled for use down drains, use it there but also around and in any over flow ports you can find.
LEMON AIR PLUS or SANNI-SHINE PLUS INSECTICIDE “DOWN THE DRAIN TREATMENT” 128 OZ
Next, consider doing some crack and crevice treatments using our POWER INJECTOR and XEMPT EC. This concentrate is labeled for use down drains too so if you don’t have too many sinks/tubs to treat, you might have enough in our pint jug to handle everything and not have to get the Lemon Air.
And of course, treating all the baseboards, cracks and crevices of the room will be needed too. But if you do the job right the first time, you should kill them all within 1-2 days and from there, the problem should be resolved!
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
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Jonathan
Customer Care
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