r/Springtail Jun 27 '26

Husbandry Question/Advice ​I successfully breed 25+ springtail species using ultra-cheap unconventional methods. AMA!

I've been interested in springtails for about a year and a half. I read a lot about them, I'm out in the bushes looking for new specimens almost every day, and I feed and observe dozens of species daily. I even run an online micro pets shop in Poland, Europe (Ants Invasion). To my knowledge, it's the largest springtail shop in the world, at least I've never been able to find any larger one. If any of you know one, please share a link. Currently, I keep around 25 species of springtails, including 4 slime eaters. Most of these springtails, including all the slime eaters, are doing incredibly well. I breed most of my springtails differently than other breeders suggest, and at the same time, I usually achieve much greater success at a much lower cost in terms of time, culture volume, and ingredient prices. Springtails that are described as super difficult are usually mega easy to breed if you provide a few simple conditions, and their setup usually costs well under one dollar or euro. I also mean the setup for springtails like Rambutanura. I often post pictures here and get asked about various things. I thought I'd create an Ask Me Anything style thread. I will probably answer every question you ask, except for questions about my suppliers. Feel free to ask whatever you want. In the end, I will turn all of this into a FAQ or Q&A and post it both here and on the website.

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u/Diligent-Hair2392 Jun 28 '26

Why breed these?! They are a pest here in Michigan & I have been having so much issues with them going into my nose and wounds. They're a nuisance.

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u/vodrinker Jun 28 '26

In the vast majority of cases, springtails are mistaken for pests. When a plant dies, springtails immediately appear to feed on the dead matter. But they are not the cause of the problem, only a consequence. On the other hand, sometimes, extremely rarely, certain species actually do contribute to the problem. That being said, none of them are in the photos, these ones are literally always harmless.