UC IPM: UC Management Guidelines for Springtails on Lettuce

UC Pest Management Guidelines

Springtails are primitive insects in the insect order Collembola. Their bodies are less than 0.12 inch (3 mm) long, wingless, and with a forked appendage at the tip of the abdomen used for springing into the air.

Springtails feed on young, tender plant parts in close contact with the ground.

Recent additions of organic matter (e.g., adding compost or incorporating a cover crop) can temporarily increase springtail populations dramatically. Wait until populations return to normal before planting. If large populations of springtails are present in the soil, treatments may be necessary.

Common name

Amount/Acre**

R.E.I.+

P.H.I.+

(trade name)

(hours)

(days)

When choosing a pesticide, consider information relating to the impact on natural enemies and honey bees and environmental impact.

DIAZINON* 14G

14–28 lb

MODE OF ACTION GROUP NUMBER¹: 1B

COMMENTS: Apply just before or at planting.

**	Mix with enough water to provide complete coverage.
+	Restricted entry interval (R.E.I.) is the number of hours (unless otherwise noted) from treatment until the treated area can be safely entered without protective clothing. Preharvest interval (P.H.I.) is the number of days from treatment to harvest. In some cases the REI exceeds the PHI. The longer of two intervals is the minimum time that must elapse before harvest.
*	Permit required from county agricultural commissioner for purchase or use.
¹	Rotate chemicals with a different mode-of-action Group number, and do not use products with the same mode-of-action Group number more than twice per season to help prevent the development of resistance. For example, the organophosphates have a Group number of 1B; chemicals with a 1B Group number should be alternated with chemicals that have a Group number other than 1B. Mode of action is assigned by IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee). For additional information, see their Web site at http://www.irac-online.org/.

UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Lettuce
UC ANR Publication 3450
Insects and Other Arthropods
E. T. Natwick, UC Cooperative Extension, Imperial Co.
W. E. Chaney, UC Cooperative Extension, Monterey Co.
Acknowledgment for contributions to the insects and mites section:
N. C. Toscano, Entomology, UC Riverside

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How to Manage Pests

UC Pest Management Guidelines

Lettuce

Springtails

DESCRIPTION OF THE PEST

DAMAGE

MANAGEMENT

PUBLICATION