15 replies to this topic

[john.harrold]

I currently have a Camponotus sansabeanus colony in a GroTube. It took me a while but I finally found that they really enjoy eating fruit flies. So I've been happily feeding them, and they've been storing the left overs in the nest. Now some mold has started to form and I ordered a springtail culture from Josh's frogs. I really had no idea what I would get but evidentially it's some charcoal with water. I can see the little buggers in there. There're only a few but I figure they will start to grow pretty quickly.

 

I'm curious, what's he best way to get these things into the formicarium?

[Subverted]

I just was playing with springtails earlier, how funny!

 

The best way to move them around is to work over a large bin and have a few tools: a container, a funnel, a small spoon, and a piece of paper (business card sized, but thin).

 

Stand the funnel in the container, try to scoop up some soil with a springtail and hold it in the funnel (without dropping it) until the springtail falls in. If it jumps into the bin you need to chase it down with the paper and then into the funnel it goes. Repeat as necessary.

 

Good luck!

[dspdrew]

The way you're supposed to move springtails around is by adding water to the culture, and pouring them out. Springtails float on top of the water and will not drown.

[iXvXi]

Curious about this myself, so I'll be following.

Is there a noticeable improvement in mold reduction?

[john.harrold]

The way you're supposed to move springtails around is by adding water to the culture, and pouring them out. Springtails float on top of the water and will not drown.

 

I got that, but then do I just dump the black water into my outworld next to the opening on the nest? This seems suboptimal to say the least

 

Is it possible to pass this liquid through a filter and put the filter in the outworld?

[Miles]

John, I can't see how using a filter would do any harm. Seems to make sense to me.

[dspdrew]

I've always just poured a little bit of water with springtails into my nests. Once the springtails start multiplying in the nest, they usually will eat all the mold before you ever see it.

[drtrmiller]

I always liked to take a pipette and draw them in from the top of the water, where they would float on top inside the pipette, and then pump the water almost out and draw in more (springtails/water).  Then, when I have a good number in the pipette, a simple puff places them where I want in the formicarium.

[dspdrew]

I was doing that for a while too.

[Trailandstreet]

I used my exhaustor and now I have them nearly in every formicarium.

[Runner12]

Dumb question, but how effective are these?

[dspdrew]

Very effective.

[iXvXi]

Off topic a little but I can't seem to find an answer.

What happens to these during hibernation?

[Trailandstreet]

I've got a few in some of my formicariums, but a lot more in the Messors. It seems, that they feed on the mold on the seeds

These are the ordinary ones, that live here in Austria, not the tropic

[dspdrew]

Those look like the dark colored species we have here that thrives where it's fairly dry. I have a lot of them in my harvester ant nests.

[Trailandstreet]

Yes Drew, these are our local species and the Messor are harvesters too. Maybe the harvesters produce more mold, because they collect so much seed and sometimes it gets too moist. So the springtails are a good opportunity to to keep the mold low.