r/Springtail

And what are they doing to that aphid!!

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I'm interested on having Red Thai, Santa Claus, and many others...

I wanted to day hi to this forum, show off my little guys and ask you if yiu've ever managed to export your springtails to Mexico.

As an early enthusiast, right now I'm growing Green Iridescents, Tiny Blues, Yukianuura Oranges and couple lore, but I'm interested on other ones as Red Thai, Santa Claus and so...

Second question is how to grow and maintain slime mold... Where do you get your first culture if not with distributors and how to maintain it...

Thanks!

At first i had more black springtails now i don't see any black springtails what do y'all think happened?

No idea what species, but I'm in southwest Washington state USA. Found in peat moss seedling pots in our backyard partly under fir trees

Growing the slime is so much fun as well. I love checking in on them in the morning.

Sorry for the bad photo, they’re the brown bugs on the potato slice (bottom middle of the picture). this week my folsomia candida population in my closed terrarium crashed and these popped up instead! I’m afraid they could be killing my springtails.

Big thanks to Ezyeddie!

Hi team, I’m in a pickle. I completely underestimated the variety of isopods and everything going into them. I thought I understood what they would need but I’m seeking out some guidance to double check.

I have a terrarium that I grow a variety of plants in for my tortoise to eat. It’s easier to keep them separate since he demolishes greens and they need time to grow! I decided I wanted to start a bioactive terrarium(vivarium? It has bugs in it so perhaps vivarium). It’s got about 8 inches of dirt and 2 inches of sand and pebbles for drainage. I started off with some red wigglers from someone and decided I needed more friends in there to get this thing going.

But now I’m worried I’ve made some mistakes. I have a moss corner, I put a piece of cuddle bone in, I have a variety of leaves(oak for eatin magnolia for hiding) and a piece of bark I added in. I put my some of my tortoises poop and some old greens of his. I have little sea shells I put some fish food in, one wetted and one dry in hopes the protein will make babies.

What I don’t have is a very good moisture gradient. Since getting them I’ve made sure to water the moss side more, but the whole thing has plants so I still have to water it all. I also added in my springtails at the same time and didn’t let them take off before adding isopods. I’ve been looking around and all I see are predator mites. I’m worried I got a weak pack of springs and they all got eaten! Is this possible or am I just overthinking it? Will I don’t think the predatory mites will bother my isopods but I’m worried they’re causing more harm than good. I wish they’d eat more of the fruit fly eggs!

Lastly I’m worried I’ve gotten too powerful of an eater to go with a tortoise. His enclosure is actually kept at a pretty decent humidity so I’m not worried about them drying out, but I’m worried about them nibbling on him. They’re specifically Milkbacks and not Dairy Cows but I’m worried they’re too close as relatives and will have the same issues.

Should I restart with armadillidium vulgare? Are my springtails just hiding? If they did get eaten and I have to restart with a bigger batch will the isopods manage? Sorry for the Great Wall of text, I’m just fascinated by these little guys and want to do what’s best for them. Is pod tax a thing here? I’ll leave pod tax just in case.

Hi! Putting out feelers. Does Anyone have suggestions for where to get healthy and colorful springtails inexpensively (or gifted freely 🤞❤️🤞)?

for shipping guesstimate, I'm in the Pacific NW, U.S.

*pest free only please (no fungus gnats, etc).

Please comment and I will DM.

Thank you! ✨

Please help me with identification of this springtails. Found in Germany

I just received my first culture of springtails. They came in a large 32oz container filled with charcoal. I would like to transfer the springtails to their new home in a clay based substrate container. How do I get them out without pouring all this in their new tub?

a few months back I bought 5 cultures for my tarantula enclosures, I've got common whites, bylas ants, tropical pinks, little soils, and blue podura. the thought is jumpers and nots, surface and down unders. kind of get them going through all of my substrate and whatnot. I keep them separate until I get a good bit, then tap a bunch of all of them into some substrate with yummy oak leaves, wood chips, moss, organic top soil and coco coir. I use springtail food from Springtails US, same vendor as my cultures come from. I have a mountain forming where I put food in the attached image, I don't add food till it looks like the clay. I just want to check with y'all that this is ok? it doesn't mold (which is why a couple other don't have it, I q tip out mold if it happens) two are in soil, not clay, so theirs doesn't mountain either.

Wondering if anyone can help ID this springtail? (the small black thing that comes from top right.. not the Isopod).

Location is South West UK.

Could it be:

Sminthurinus trinotatus?

or

Sminthurinus bimaculatus?

.. other idea's are very welcome :D

Its probably about 0.6mm in size, the Isopod is very small still and no where near fully grown so don't use it as a size guide.

I know the video isnt great but I saw it while having lunch and was in a rush :S :S

I realize this may be a silly question, but when they hop into the water dish can they hop back out? Im unsure if the water surface tension makes em stuck.

Image quality is awful, so I understand if there’s no species or genus ID, just wanting to confirm this is a springtail or some sort. Found a bunch of these dudes in my python’s water but not really anywhere else? From what I can tell when they walk around they have 6 legs but they’re very very tiny (maybe 1-2 mm) so it’s hard to tell even through the magnifier (which was a gift that I unfortunately do not have the name of but I’ll try to figure out. I’m like 99% sure it’s just a springtail but I’m a helicopter parent so I’m double checking. Thank you!! I’m trying to get ahold of a memory card for this thing so hopefully I can get better pictures.