Persistent Springtails in houseplants

[Greenallover45]

A recently-brought plant infected my other two houseplants with white, head-lice-looking creatures that jump. The soil was swarming with different sizes of these after only a couple of days. The biggest was probably 1-2mm. After some research, I've diagnosed these as springtails. I live in a warm, dry new-build apartment (no access to a garden), so am fairly certain it was my new plant which brought them into my house. I've since been trying to kill them unsuccessfully using a standard insecticide, which took care of most of the population straight away. However, if I leave it a couple of days between applications, I start seeing a couple of big springtails foraging again in the soil in my different plants. I don't see the babies any more and assume the insecticide took care of those but how are the big ones still alive? If I'm fast enough to get them directly with the spray, it does seem to kill them, but why is treating the plant's soil every few days not getting rid of any I don't manage to hit directly? Is there anything else anyone can suggest?

 

[Tetters]

Hello @Greenallover45 and welcome to the forum. With this kind of situation the very best thing to do in my book is to take all of your plants out of their pots, discard all of the existing compost, wash the roots and leaves thoroughly in lukewarm water and repot them in fresh compost. If shopping is difficult for compost at the moment , you can order it online.
We had a similar problem recently with mealy bugs on the cactus collection, and after trying other ''solutions'' we found this to be the best idea.
The old compost needs to be quickly bagged up and dumped in the bin !! Good luck

 

[Jewell]

Springtails are not harmful to plants and are often purchased for terrariums to help keep plant litter cleaned up. If you did have spring tails don’t worry your plants will be fine and you are doing all that is necessary. Otherwise what Tetters suggested is your best alternative.

 

[Tetters]

Extremely good point @Jewell