Check It Out: Snow Fleas Are Back In Snowbanks Across Maine

I'm typically not too phased by a bug here or there. But bugs in large groups...they're not my favorite...especially if they're all wiggly and squiggly!

While some great things happen in Spring, the increased sunlight, the buds starting to pop out on the branches and birds start to show up and sing a bit more, one thing that also happens in spring is that insects wake up and start to do their thing.

If you've looked down at a snowbank recently and thought "Hmmm, what are those little black buggers that are hopping to and fro?" you are likely witnessing the wake-up routine for something we, here in Maine, affectionately call 'snow fleas' (even though they're not fleas at all.)

According to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry, they are actually called Springtails.

"Springtails belong to the insect order Collembola, a primitive group of small wingless, soft bodied insects which possess a forked muscular structure at the tip of the abdomen that enable them to hop about in a springing action when the abdomen is arched and suddenly released... The title is misleading as they do not bite but are so named because of their ability to jump. Their swarms can literally blanket the surface of the snow. They may also become abundant on the ground during prolonged rainy spells in the spring or fall."

The Farmer's Almanac says, unlike real fleas, snow fleas are NOT parasitic, which means you, your pets, and your little ones are safe.

They appear in the snow, they say, because, while other bugs go into a dormant almost hibernation phase, these little guys spend the winter eating, and then head to the surface, looking for snacks, when the snow melts.

"Perhaps the most interesting thing about snow fleas is the way they come out in the winter, appearing in melting snow instead of remaining in a period of dormancy like their insect and arthropod cousins. This is because they produce their own type of antifreeze, a protein that is rich in the amino acid glycine. Glycine prevents the formation and enlargement of ice crystals, enabling these creatures to keep on munching organic materials despite the bitter cold."

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Their life cycle isn't that long, so if you're bothered by them, know this: once the moisture in the ground dries up, these little critters tend to pass on.

So you may not want to make a snow angel in that snow bank these days, but if you do, you'll at least know that if any of these snow fleas end up on top of ya, they're harmless. Just think of them as Nature's confetti!