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My Springtail Culture (6 Months)

springtail springtails springtail culture culturing springtails

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#1 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted August 14 2018 - 3:08 PM

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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.

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#2 Offline Major - Posted August 14 2018 - 3:49 PM

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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.)
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#3 Offline Zxirl - Posted August 14 2018 - 3:54 PM

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Time to catch some Springtails. 


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#4 Offline FeedTheAnts - Posted August 14 2018 - 4:25 PM

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


I accidentally froze all my ants 


#5 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted August 14 2018 - 4:29 PM

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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.



#6 Offline Nare - Posted August 14 2018 - 4:35 PM

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Are those baked beans I see?



#7 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted August 14 2018 - 4:39 PM

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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.



#8 Offline AnthonyP163 - Posted August 14 2018 - 4:59 PM

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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.



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#9 Offline CoolColJ - Posted August 16 2018 - 8:36 PM

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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.

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Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/






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