Do any of you use pill bugs in your formicaria to control mold/mildew?
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Pill bugs
Started By
BugFinder
, Mar 3 2015 10:26 PM
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#1
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Posted March 3 2015 - 10:26 PM
BugFinder
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#2
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Posted March 3 2015 - 10:51 PM
ToeNhi
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I use them in a THA's formicarium I keep Linepithema humile in, and they do an awesome job cleaning out the mold.
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#3
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Posted March 4 2015 - 12:45 AM
antmaniac
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I actually thought about this and put one in with my Polyrhachis Sp. The queen just keep attacking the bug so I had to remove the pill bug.
#4
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Posted March 4 2015 - 5:32 AM
Springtails really work the best for this. I never see mold again in anything I put them in.
#5
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Posted March 4 2015 - 11:06 AM
BugFinder
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Where do you suggest I can get springtales?
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#6
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Posted March 4 2015 - 1:19 PM
dean_k
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Where do you suggest I can get springtales?
From dspdrew. 
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#7
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Posted March 4 2015 - 1:28 PM
antmaniac
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Maybe somewhere moldy under the pots, but ants may eat them.
#8
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Posted March 4 2015 - 2:55 PM
Well, I'm not even sure where mine originally came from, but I have them in any container that is kept very wet. Some of them I purposely put the springtails in. If you find a piece of rotting wood, and you put it in a container and keep it wet, you'll probably end up with some springtails. I actually recently made some springtail cultures that are just containers for nothing other than growing springtails. I find that they grow the best in wet sphagnum moss. The nice thing about sphagnum moss is that it has antimicrobial properties, partly because of how it acidifies its surroundings, so you don't end up with that nasty rotten egg smelling anaerobic bacteria after it sits saturated in water for a long time. You can also buy springtail cultures.
#9
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Posted March 4 2015 - 9:19 PM
BugFinder
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How much could I pick up one or two from you for?
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#10
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Posted March 4 2015 - 9:22 PM
drtrmiller
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You should be able to find isopods and other detritivores under most any rock in a moist, partly-sunny garden.
They need lots of moisture, and so they aren't likely to be beneficial to Pogonomyrmex or other dry ant habitats.
Edited by drtrmiller, March 5 2015 - 1:37 AM.
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#11
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Posted March 4 2015 - 11:53 PM
I haven't sold any springtails before, but I supposed I could. I don't think shipping them in CA would do any damage to them. Let me see if I could ship you some. I'll get back to you on this.
#12
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Posted March 5 2015 - 6:18 AM
Mercutia
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If you go to any reptile/amphibian info, they usually sell springtails as food for smaller amphibians.
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#13
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Posted March 5 2015 - 1:11 PM
Foogoo
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This is the first time I'm hearing they can be used to control mold. You don't have any issues with the ants hunting all of them down?
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#14
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Posted March 5 2015 - 1:18 PM
drtrmiller
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This is the first time I'm hearing they can be used to control mold. You don't have any issues with the ants hunting all of them down?
Springtails are easy pickings for smaller ants, but isopods are generally left alone.
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#15
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Posted March 5 2015 - 2:59 PM
Miles
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This is the first time I'm hearing they can be used to control mold. You don't have any issues with the ants hunting all of them down?
Springtails are easy pickings for smaller ants, but isopods are generally left alone.
When I have placed isopods near and in ant colonies, the ants often panic and attack them, without relent. I'm not sure how it would go in captivity (non myrmecophile species).
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#16
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Posted March 5 2015 - 3:02 PM
drtrmiller
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It is species and environmentally dependent.
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byFormica® is the manufacturer of the iconic nectar feeders and Sunburst Ant Nectar.
byFormica ant products always deliver consistent performance, convenience,
and reliability, making them among the most beloved ant foods and kit enjoyed by
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#17
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Posted March 5 2015 - 10:40 PM
AntTeen804
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What about a Pseudoscorpion for mites?
nvm ants would eat that
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#18
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Posted March 5 2015 - 10:41 PM
Miles
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What about a Pseudoscorpion for mites?
nvm ants would eat that
I find them frequently coexisting with ants.
Edited by Miles, March 5 2015 - 10:41 PM.
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