Our house is 6 years new. We have an 8′ basement with 2 rows of 8″ block above ground. We live in an area where the water tables are extremely high as our sump pump runs continually and now we have some cracking this year on the slab and I can see dampness in the concrete in the cracks and around the perimeter where the slab meets the walls. Its not actual water; just damp concrete. Our basement recently flooded with about 1/4″ water when the sump switch broke. Took care of the problem, dried up the basement, its fairly empty. On one wall its damp and where the slab meets the wall there is a crevice. I just recently figured out we have had an influx of these snowfleas/springtails near this wall, they were all over a small rug and exercise equipment. Spiders have recently taken nest right along this crevice.
I have 2 questions for you. Can springtails come in and infest through this crack in the floor or are they most likely coming in someplace else? (Their large numbers were near this wall as opposed to any other place)
And is there a way to combat them with more natural methods as we are organic farmers and do not want pesticides?
First, if you read our SPRINGTAIL CONTROL article, you’ll learn springtails exist in most all soil around any structure and from there they will readily migrate into homes. So to answer your question about where they’re entering; they are most likely entering from any crack in the block foundation as well as from underneath the slab. Basically springtails are very much like termites in that they’ll find any gap and once they move into these gaps, they’ll use it for nesting. From there its just a matter of time before they appear in living spaces as they “fill these gaps” and need to find more spaces in which to live.
Second, like termites, springtail problems must be treated by putting in place a protective chemical barrier around the home. The goal of this barrier is to reduce the population of springtails using the area immediately adjacent to the home’s foundation. Once established, this “springtail free” zone will serve as a buffer zone and in doing so, prevent them from coming inside.
Lastly, we’re not aware of any kind of “natural” products that work for springtails other than ESSENTRIA IC and ESSENTRIA GRANULES. These products are made with food grade essential oils, approved for ORMI production plants and overall, pose no hazard to people, animals or the local environment. If used around the homes foundation and inside the basement, Essentria will control most any pest including springtails.
Essentria Granules: https://bugspray.com/exempt/granule/eco-exempt-org-g-22-lb
Essentria IC3: https://bugspray.com/exempt/liquid/eco-excempt-gal
More information on this pest can be found here:
Springtails: https://bugspray.com/article/springtail
Give us a call if you need more help. Our toll free is 1-800-877-7290 and we’re open 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Mon-Thur, Eastern Standard Time.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Customer Care
https://bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
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