For Release July 23, 2006

Springtails and Silverfish

AGRI-VIEWS

     by Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent

            It seems rather odd to be talking about a couple of insects that are usually associated with cool moist environments, when we’ve been suffering through temperatures over 100 in recent days. But this hot and somewhat dry weather is exactly what is causing these insects to be showing up.

            While many folks have heard of silverfish, very few have heard of or seen springtails. In fact, I have had more specimens of springtails brought in for me to identify this year, then in my previous twenty plus years combined! We have three basic types of springtails in Kansas and while they have slightly different body shapes, they all have a few things in common.

            All springtails have a projection on the back of their abdomen that they use to propel themselves in the air. Most people that have brought springtails in for me to identify thought they had fleas because they were seen jumping. Springtails, like fleas, are very small. But springtails are usually very light colored, whereas fleas will always be dark colored.

            Springtails are found in areas of high humidity. When high humidity, moisture and rotting organic matter start to disappear, springtails will die if they don’t find better conditions. So when periods of cooler and moister weather are replaced with blast furnace southwest winds, the springtails will quickly try to move to a better climate, and they start entering houses. Fortunately for us, they usually won’t live inside of a house for very long. If chemical treatment is needed, any pesticide labeled for indoor use will be very effective at controlling them.

            Unlike springtails, silverfish can be damaging and certainly annoying. While we associate them with cool, dark and moist locations, there are two species of silverfish found in Kansas that thrive in hot and dry conditions. In the insect world, silverfish are rather interesting for several reason. Silverfish can live for as long as seven years. It may take two years for them to become adults. Silverfish can withstand long period of starvation and have managed to stay alive in laboratory experiments for up to ten months with no food!

            Where springtails feed only on decaying organic matter so are seldom a problem in homes, silverfish will live on almost anything! Their broad spectrum of food includes paper, glue and paste in book bindings, wallpaper paste, starch in clothing, cotton, linen, and rayon fabrics, wheat flour, breakfast cereals, dried meats even dead insects. Silverfish can be extremely destructive to any form of stored paper products and books, especially if stored in a cool dark and slightly moist environment.

            Sanitation is very important in controlling silverfish. Remove old stacks of newspapers, magazines, paper, books and spilled foodstuffs. Lowering the humidity with dehumidifiers and fans can help. Lighting a normally dark area can move silverfish out also. The one thing that silverfish uniformly avoid is bright light. Silverfish can often come into a building in stacks of old papers, books, etc. If you are bringing any of these into your house, check them over carefully first!

            Sanitation alone will not clear out a severe silverfish infestation. Use any pesticide labeled for use in your home and apply to areas where silverfish would normally be found including cracks and crevices in basements, around baseboards, under sinks and in closets and around pipes. Both of these pests can be unsettling and annoying. But a little time and effort will soon get them under control.

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