How to Care for Springtails 

for harvesting, if you use the water method you will also wash some of the eggs away and so slowdown production

Hello! Could you give us a follow up to this method? I am curios to hear your opinion on Clay based substrates, and if you tried them? Great video, keep up the good work!

Over the years, I’ve noticed a band of tiny, jumping insects around the base of each of my big, maple trees, on top of the snow. When I looked up what these were, I was quite charmed to learn about springtails, and I miss them in the years that the snow melts too quickly. Did I understand correctly that I could bring some indoors and invite them to live on the dirt of my house plants? Would there be any benefit from them? I don’t have a terrarium, nor any pet frogs. I’m looking forward to the serenade of the peepers starting up sometime soon, though I know I have to wait for most of our snow to melt!

Thanks a lot

I have a bioactive tank with some charcoal in it. Can I just trust that they eat the biodegradables i have in there? Or do i have to give them food?

They will eat decaying plant matter, rice, anything like that. I chopped up some leaves from birch tree, and crushed up some organic rice into little crumbly pieces and dust. Mixed the chopped leaves and rice, got it wet, and applied it as a paste in my plant soil (I keep springtails in the plants they love it and my plants love it too) whenever I water the soil, they swarm out from under where I placed the food mixture. I am told it molds first, they eat the mold and it breaks down the vegetation/ rice over time. After about 4 days, the population has increased probably double, there so so many now. I also have some semifinished compost (bout 85% done, only small bits of leaves in very moist compost dirt) in the soil as well and that’s where they came from. They absolutely love it and I watch them after I water my plants. Gonna throw coffee grounds in there and watch them eat those 😹😹

Hi, I am getting a supply of springtails in 2 days. once I feed them etc. do I store them in a cool area that is dark or do they stay out under a light? thank you

Is the food the same as the Fruit Fly Media?

How often do you change the charcoal? Great vid!

Are there different breeds of springtails? Cause I am planing an arid terrarium for beardies. Or does it not matter as long as they have a wet spot (where the plants are)??? Good video, btw...thanks

Hi, bought 4qt. bag of Josh's charcoal for springtail substrate. The pieces was so small. Why would they sell them so small like that? I couldn't send it back so I am using it. I feel every time i move the container all them little pieces are shifting and probably killing some springtails. Am i just worrying to dam much?lol

Cant they eat mold? I was told to add a few pieces of rice or even elbow macaroni as their food

Do they eat mold that grows on dirt?

Give them a slice of broccoli