Tiny jumping bugs in a Los Angeles sink, tub or planter are usually springtails, not fleas. Springtails are harmless moisture pests about 1/16 inch long. They do not bite, and sprays rarely solve them because damp conditions keep producing more. Fleas bite, leaving a small red spot with a red halo, and they concentrate where pets sleep. Jumping spiders are a third case: daytime hunters that are not known to be a health hazard.
How do I tell springtails from fleas and jumping spiders?
Look at body shape, where you found it, and whether anyone is getting bitten.
- Springtails are 1/16 to 1/8 inch long and whitish, bluish or dark gray to black. They jump when disturbed, using a tail-like appendage tucked under the abdomen that works like a spring. You find them in sinks, tubs, floor drains and damp potting soil. Nobody gets bitten.
- Fleas are no larger than 1/8 inch, reddish brown and flattened side to side, so they look as if they are walking on edge. You find them on pets and where pets sleep, and the bites are small red spots with a red halo.
- Jumping spiders look like spiders: eight legs and a front row of four eyes with two large middle eyes. They move in quick erratic bursts across walls and ceilings by day, and they stalk and pounce on prey instead of spinning a web.
Still unsure? Walk around your pet's resting areas wearing white socks pulled up to the knee. Fleas jump onto the socks and show against the white. Springtails have no interest in a host.
Why are springtails in my bathroom and planters?
Moisture is the whole story. Springtails need damp conditions and soon die indoors unless they find water, so where they appear maps where water sits in your home:
- Slow leaks under sinks, behind tub and shower surrounds, at the toilet base, or around the water heater and dishwasher.
- Overwatered houseplants, especially in potting mixes that never dry out between waterings.
- Bathrooms without a working exhaust fan, plus damp basements, crawl spaces and wall voids.
When the ground dries out in hot weather, as it does across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, springtails go looking for moisture. UC IPM notes that after a hot day they may congregate on the side of a building in tremendous numbers. From there they get in through window screens, open doors, vent pipes or potted plants.
Why do sprays fail against springtails?
Sprays fail because they kill the springtails you can see while the moisture keeps producing more. UC IPM states that insecticide sprays are generally not recommended for springtail management, are often no more effective than vacuuming, and may need repeated applications. University of Minnesota Extension goes further: pesticides are not effective against springtails and should not be used inside the home for them.
Spraying a bathroom or kitchen also exposes your household to a product for no lasting benefit. PesPro's general pest program uses Integrated Pest Management, which identifies the pest and its source before any product comes out. For springtails the source is water, and the fix is often a plumber, a dehumidifier or a new watering schedule.
How do I fix the humidity that drives springtails?
Dry the area and keep it dry. University of Minnesota Extension calls moisture control the most effective option; springtails are a temporary problem that dies off once moisture levels drop:
- Find the leak. Check under every sink, around the tub and shower, at the toilet base, and behind the washer and dishwasher. Repair it first.
- Vent the bathroom. Run the exhaust fan during showers and leave it on afterward. Replace failed caulk and grout where water pools.
- Let planters dry. Water less often but more deeply, and let the soil surface dry between waterings. Repot plants sitting in soggy soil.
- Move air. A fan or dehumidifier dries a damp bathroom, laundry room, basement or crawl space. Remove wet or moldy wood.
- Fix the outside. Extend downspouts away from the foundation, pull mulch back from the wall, and keep sprinklers off the slab.
- Seal and vacuum. Repair screens, add door sweeps, caulk cracks around pipes, and vacuum the stragglers or wash them down the drain.
When is a flea treatment actually needed?
A flea treatment is needed when you confirm fleas, not when you see something jump. Confirmation means bites that show as a small red spot with a red halo, a pet that scratches and loses hair, or fleas on the white socks.
Flea control has to cover the pet and its resting places, indoors and out, together. UC IPM explains that larvae develop only in protected spots with at least 75 percent relative humidity, such as pet resting areas and carpet beneath furniture. Pupae are protected inside cocoons, so adults keep emerging for about two weeks after treatment. Never apply permethrin or amitraz products to cats.
The CDC says southern California, Hawaii and southern Texas account for most US cases of flea-borne typhus. Fleas pick up the bacteria by biting infected rats, cats or opossums, and infected flea droppings get rubbed into the bite wound, other wounds or the eyes. If rats are on the property, flea and tick control without rodent control is temporary. The Los Angeles flea exterminator guide covers the full plan.
What should I do about a jumping spider indoors?
Usually nothing beyond moving it outside. Jumping spiders are day-active hunters that stalk and pounce on insects instead of building webs, so they eat pests you do not want. UC IPM notes that one red and black species, Phidippus johnsoni, may bite if disturbed, but the bites are usually not serious. Utah State University Extension lists them as not known to be a health hazard.
Catch it in a jar and release it outside, or vacuum it. Frequent sightings point to a steady insect supply; door sweeps, tight screens, sealed cracks and lights kept off the structure cut that supply.
The spiders that justify a service call are black widows and brown widows, covered by our spider control service. For more, see why spiders are in your home and what they are after.
When should I call PesPro about springtails?
Call when springtails persist after you have dried the area, or when you cannot find the moisture source. In multi-unit buildings the leak can be in another unit. Springtails fall under our general pest control program alongside silverfish, earwigs and centipedes.
Expect the inspection to cover the places UC IPM lists for springtails: sinks and tubs, floor drains, potted plants, crawl spaces, wall voids and the foundation perimeter. If a product is used at all, UC IPM points to foundation walls around the perimeter, not the bathroom, plus screening or caulking entry cracks.
Ask for a GreenPro-certified plan when you request your quote. Same-day service is available for an extra fee and depends on the day's route. Every service carries our 30-day guarantee: for springtails and other general pests, a return visit within 30 days costs 30 percent of the original price. Cockroaches, bed bugs and rodents get a third visit at no extra cost in the same window. The written quote is free: request yours or check your city on our service areas page.
Frequently asked questions
Do springtails bite or carry disease?
No. UC IPM is explicit that springtails will not bite or otherwise harm people or pets, nor spread disease or damage household furnishings. If you are being bitten and see small jumping insects, you are almost certainly dealing with fleas. Treat the fleas.
Can springtails live in my bed or carpet like fleas do?
Not for long. Springtails soon die indoors unless they find moisture, so a bed or carpet full of jumping insects points to fleas. If the insects in your bedding do not jump, our bed bug treatment page explains how to confirm bed bugs before anyone sprays.
Will springtails go away on their own?
Yes, once the moisture is gone. University of Minnesota Extension calls springtails a temporary problem that dies off when moisture levels are reduced. If they keep returning, you have not found the source: hidden leaks, damp crawl spaces or wall voids, and soggy planters are the usual holdouts.