8 replies to this topic

[AntsAreUs]

Springtails are extremely prolific and useful little organisms that I recommend most people to keep. Lots of the ants I keep frequently or exclusively prey on springtails. They also act as a cleaner crew for your setups if that interests you. I keep mine in mostly any sort of substrate that is moistened and I add small piles of rice every time they get done with their previous pile of rice. Keep in mind different kinds of springtails with have different preferences and diets although most aren't too picky.

 

These here are Folsomia sp. that I caught from a nearby forest. I originally started with about 20 springtails.

Edited by AntsAreUs, August 14 2018 - 3:29 PM.

[Major]

How do you catch them? I find them mostly under bricks and rocks but I have no way of picking them up without any deaths. Just dig up the dirt their in? How do you move them out of the dirt? Can they live in an acrylic formicrium (its very messy, plenty of dead stuff.)

[Zxirl]

Time to catch some Springtails. 

[FeedTheAnts]

Wow.... That's a lot of springtails. I though my cockroach farm was loaded...

[AntsAreUs]

How do you catch them? I find them mostly under bricks and rocks but I have no way of picking them up without any deaths. Just dig up the dirt their in? How do you move them out of the dirt? Can they live in an acrylic formicrium (its very messy, plenty of dead stuff.)

In early spring I was lucky enough to lift a rock embedded into some leaf litter to find a huge cluster of these springtails. I scooped them up into a container as they are relatively slow moving compared to most other springtails. I'm also keeping various other kinds of springtails but not with nearly as much success as these ones.

[Nare]

Are those baked beans I see?

[AntsAreUs]

Are those baked beans I see?

It is just dirt a rice. You might also see some fly pupa casing in there somewhere. I need to make a new culture soon.

[AnthonyP163]

 

How do you catch them? I find them mostly under bricks and rocks but I have no way of picking them up without any deaths. Just dig up the dirt their in? How do you move them out of the dirt? Can they live in an acrylic formicrium (its very messy, plenty of dead stuff.)

In early spring I was lucky enough to lift a rock embedded into some leaf litter to find a huge cluster of these springtails. I scooped them up into a container as they are relatively slow moving compared to most other springtails. I'm also keeping various other kinds of springtails but not with nearly as much success as these ones.

 

I found one of these clusters in May, too.

[CoolColJ]

Water, charcoal pieces and uncooked rice in an air tight container, such as takeaway ones, is the usual means to raise them

 

My culture is booming after a few weeks

Edited by CoolColJ, August 16 2018 - 8:36 PM.