We have suddenly (for 1 month) been seeing some springtails coming out of our bathtub drain.Our house is 55 years old w/ the original tub and drains and traps. We also are noticing a slight foul odor from that same drain. We have quarterly pest control, and have been doing so for a few years now. They say that they can't do anything for the springtails because springtails only appear from moisture. The house is on a slab, and the pipes are under the slab. Is this a pest control or plumbing problem? There is no water backup--how do we get rid of these sudden pests in the bathroom?Thanks for any help or suggestions. A plumber came out and sees no signs of leaks,etc.:mad:

Have you tried pouring Clorox down your drains. It freshens them. Bugs can't survive.

Make sure you clean your bathroom with a mixture of Clorox and water.

Thanks-we have already done that along with using a bacterial drain cleaner-but it has not worked. Any other suggestions? Thanks.

Springtails can jump! (http://www.pestproducts.com/springtails.htm)

After reading up on them, I would choose what I wanted to get rid of, the springtail or the very dangerous fungus that grows in old dark and wet areas of the house.

Good luck in controlling them.

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_9_16.gifI let the silverfish in my bathroom eat the stuff that could kill me because I don't believe in clorox. I use quick & brite to do my cleaning - which is biodegradable.

Springtails are more of a nuisance than most infestations.

Try this:

Springtails, HYG-2070-98 (http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2070.html)

Good luck!

Gypsy, it sounds like this is most likely a plumbing problem. If they are getting into the pipe, there has to be an opening for them at some point along the pipeline. The problem is not knowing exactly where it is. It could be right below the slab, or much further down the line, which would translate into major dollars to try to repair the problem. Are you on a well & septic system or hooked into city water/sewer? If you are on a city system, you could ask any of your surrounding neighbors if they are experiencing the same problems. If enough people have the problem, as a group you can demand they inspect the main water line and fix it. Not sure how far that will get you, but worth a shot. If you are on your own system, it is extremely problematic because as I said, you don't know where it is originating from and could be quite costly having someone come in to trace it back and fix the problem. If you don't have a plumber that you trust who will come in and give you constructive feedback and not charge you a small fortune, speak to friends & neighbors and see if they have anyone they recommend. You need to find someone who has experience with this sort of problem and is honestly working to help you resolve it.

Well , perhaps you could get your pest control company's attention if you ask them for a referral to another pest company. If you have used them for two years, chances are if they think they are going to lose your business, they may come up with a few more ideas.