We've had an infestation of springtails on our deck in Minnesota for the past two years. Both years I sprayed our deck with Bifen XTS and it has no effect on them. I've also sprayed with permethrin and did a test section with Raid Flying Insect Killer (not sure what the active ingredient is) and neither seems to affect them and they populate the areas that I sprayed just an hour previously. Why don't insecticides kill springtails? I've read that there is debate whether they are considered an insect or not ... is that why the sprays don't have any effect? Do they have a different biological build than an insect that makes them immune to insecticides?
The Bifen I sprayed is labeled to kill springtails, but hours after spraying, I don't see any dead ones on the deck and they are just as numerous as ever. Also, I've read posts from the university extension office confirming that insecticides don't work with springtails, but they don't say why.
I know you have to get rid of moisture, and I think they are breeding and hatching from a planter we have on the deck that may have soil that doesn't drain well. I've drilled some more drainage holes in the bottom of the planter, so I'll see if that works to get rid of the source of them. But why don't insecticides kill these springtails?
[link] [comments]
source https://www.reddit.com/r/Entomology/comments/hkuo5g/why_dont_insecticides_have_any_affect_on/
No comments:
Post a Comment