This is the 2nd year in a row that I've been experiencing springtail problems. They congregate on my (quite old) brick retaining wall (which attaches to foundation) as well as my slate patio in the backyard. Some of these critters like to scale the vinyl siding and enter door cracks and window sills. I find them as far as the 2nd floor window sills (even though the windows are always latched shut).

I called a local pest control service and the guy was nice enough to recommend I try something on my own before he comes out. He told me to spray Malathion on the mulch right next to the retaining wall as well as the slate patio. After buying this stuff and opening the container at home yesterday I was grossed out by the smell. It was sealed in the store so the odor was not evident then. After doing some research on this chemical I'm not sure I want to spray this on my patio, retaining wall, and siding because of the health effects (I have two young kids), the lingering odor (how long it lasts I don't know) as well not knowing how the oily substance would discolor the slate on my patio and the slate slabs on the top of the retaining wall.

But I really need to do something about this. Every day I see 3-4 springtails on each window sill. I also find them in the basement everyday underneath my dog's water bowl (stupid bugs drown themselves in the puddles of course) which is near the foundation wall. Last night I left his water bowl in the middle of the basement and no bugs this morning. I spray the outside of the window frames with bifenthrin (Ortho Home Defense Max) but this seems to be completely ineffective. It doesn't bother them. They just keep coming.

Any recommendations?