MILD LATE WINTER DAYS ARE THE BEST TIME TO FIND TINY SPRINGTAILS – AN EARLY SIGN THAT SPRING IS ON THE WAY!
You know how the snowbanks start to look dirty as the stronger sun of late winter starts to melt and shrink them? That’s just road dirt. But if you see specks of dirt under a tree, especially a tree in a park or woodland where the leaves don’t get raked, look a little closer. You might find that the “dirt” is moving, or even – Hey! Where did that one go?
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These tiny critters are called snow fleas because they appear on the snow and they jump like fleas – but don’t worry, they aren’t actually fleas. They belong to a group of bugs that aren’t even technically considered insects, but have their own order: Collembola, or springtails. And springtails are amazing! Here’s why:
