Catching Wild Springtails

I conducted an experiment in catching your own springtails as I had been asked by many people about where to get them from - not everyone can acquire them online it seems!
Please, note: This trick doesn't work for everyone and will depend on your climate and location. The can also be performed with any bits of wood or bark you find in woodlands or forests, just make sure the area is damp or humid (not a problem for the UK...rain is something we have a lot of)
If you're daft enough to support a free channel then go for it by buying me a tea, preferably Earl Grey; www.buymeacoffee.com/themanti...
If you're interested in purchasing a mantis or other inverts or have questions then you can find me on Discord - TheMantisGarden#9677 or Instagram - themantis_garden, or drop me an email (this can be found in the about section on my channel page) Thanks for watching :)
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Reputable online shops and breeders that I use;
Unseen Universe - @UnseenUniverse_Mitch - theprayingmantis.co.uk/
MantisNI - www.mantisni.co.uk/
AntsonaRock - @antsonarock - www.antsonarock.com/
BazAntz - @bazantz400 - www.bazantz.com/
Creepy&CrawlyUK - @creepycrawlyuk7102 - creepycrawlyuk.com/
JWInverts - jwinvertebrates.co.uk/
JungleJungle - www.ebay.co.uk/usr/danielleju... (Isopods and plant cuttings)
Nicole Louise - For all your isopod needs;
Instagram - / nicole_louise30
Facebook group - / 654924926000726
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Some channels I couldn't do without;
Markthespiderguy - @shaggyboy0
Dave's Little Beasties - @daveslittlebeasties
Tarantula Ramblings - @tarantularamblings3149
Unusual Pets - @UnusualPets
Aruna-exotics @aruna-exotics2323 Facebook - / arunaexofb

[@geneside0]

Sooo i been finding all these “easy springtail farming/catching” and not a single one was as simple as this.. i just lifted old wood after seeing this, i now have springtails with next to 0 effort. Awesome 😎 thank you. I now have more energy to put into my landscaping instead of building traps, time saver!!

[@themantisgarden]

Glad it worked for you! Doesn't work everywhere in the world but most places I have tried it does, I'm guessing you make terrariums?

[@geneside0]

@@themantisgarden i used to, but im starting to get back into it, just starting some small farms while i decide what to make and where. I also have to do an aquarium as well so hopefully i can find some time very soon to make a start. Im in Australia, been a bit wet at the moment so finding damp wood for springtails was easy, only went as far as my garden that i have seperate from my flower garden that i let go naturally but still maintained for all matter of insects.

[@themantisgarden]

AH! You have one of my favourite mantis over there, the giant rainforest mantis (majuscula). I've not made a terrarium for quite some time now as I've been so busy building enclosures for bugs. Going to be refreshing one today though so hopefully that will be a bit of a relaxing break instead of the usual chaos lol

[@max-255]

I never knew it was that easy

[@1danieljohnston]

After seeing this video I went and flip a few stones where the area was damp in my yard and I found alot. These fam be running away tho. Anyways thank you, cant believe it was that easy😂❤

[@themantisgarden]

That's awesome lol if you look in the right places they're always there to find!

[@tarantularamblings3149]

How did I miss this video.Very interesting and it really works well .

[@themantisgarden]

I have a colony of thousands from doing that for a week lol

[@FlippedClassroomTutorials]

Thank you for sharing this. Will have to give this a go. We are just at the start of the rainseason here, so should be the perfect time to go out and and find a new culture. Thank you for sharing.

[@themantisgarden]

I've been doing this for years! It doesn't work for some climates but in Europe it should. I do know a guy in Malaysia that has tried it and says it got tonnes of them. Thanks, for watching.

[@FlippedClassroomTutorials]

@themantisgarden Will try is here(SEA) this week and let you know. I know we have orange and red varieties occurring here naturally, so let's see. Would be a massive win :-) will keep you posted

[@themantisgarden]

Please, do!

[@MIsopods]

Interesting way to go about it. I am debating putting out a little area in the woods, where I do stuff like this. I see a lot of springtails when I'm out, but rarely consider them. Soon, I'm going to try to collect some. You and I already were out, when I grabbed some of those black chunky ones, this time I want to get more "normal" ones and start them off. Thank you for this!

[@robstevens9667]

Great video 👍 thank you 🙏

[@themantisgarden]

Thanks!

[@dianazaalberg1993]

I like the method how you catch them very much, give it a try tomorrow. If you remove the water from the container the springtails would be more happy and repopulate. What I’ve seen in another video was it is enough to have the charcoal wet. Good luck with your springtails and thanks for the video.❤

[@themantisgarden]

Hi Diana. I actually breed springtails in large 14 litre tubs on substrate. The idea of the water is that they can be easily transferred by pouring out the water into your enclosure/ terrarium without having to try and tapped them out on each piece of charcoal. I don't like the charcoal method I believe it doesn't work as well as substrate, but each to their own I guess - whatever works for you :) Thanks for watching.

[@priyanthadevapriya9069]

Very helpful! Thanks

[@themantisgarden]

Hope so! :)

[@user-ht7vq5mk5b]

Same

[@Ieezeca]

Just want to photograph them, this is perfect!!

[@themantisgarden]

Oh, cool! I would love to see you photographs!!!

[@linkinparkfanforever2728]

Thank you very much for the video, I will definitely do it again, but I don't know exactly when yet 😅.

[@themantisgarden]

Procrastinator! There are certain times of the year and certain kinds of weather that improve your finding chances and mostly depends on what country you live in.

[@metinkaya575]

Perfect experiment. Thanks 🙏🙏🙏

[@Mokeh69420]

guys be carefull not to get termites cuz if you do and 1 escapes ya gotta say goodbye to your house

[@themantisgarden]

We don't have that issue here thankfully lol - No termites!

[@sathyslifestyleuk457]

Like 4 done really amazing share

[@themantisgarden]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@leolastic6286]

might have to try this

[@themantisgarden]

If you then please, let me know if it worked for you.

[@switchedsavage9727]

Did it work?

[@TheLoulouTMB]

Can you keep a springtail colony in orchid bark instead of lump charcoal?

[@themantisgarden]

I do have one in orchid bark. I very, very rarely use lump charcoal, mostly I use substrate for springtails and any old bark I find in the woods. The idea behind charcoal is to give them lots of surface area to lay their eggs on but anything will do as long as they have space.

[@gruntgaming4415]

wait are there springtails in Floridian soils?

[@themantisgarden]

I'm in England lol They're in good British soil haha You find springtails almost everywhere on Earth

[@marshallhowe4925]

So it's just wood soaked in water that's it put in the garden??? I want to try this but I want to make sure I know what I'm doing

[@themantisgarden]

Hi, Marshall. I don't think anyone knows lol - this just works for me. There are several ways to catch springtails and this is only one of them. I used different ways to catch different species in different places. Sprinkle some fish flakes on the ground first if you have them before you place your wood/ bark

[@HistoricallyAccurate247]

​@@themantisgardenCan I use something else instead of fish flakes ?

[@ved007n8]

Hey just had a doubt, how could we know if the indtct gathered on old wood are soringtail or some parasite.. Pleas guide me.

[@themantisgarden]

Springtails have an unmistakable way of moving, mate. It also depends on the country you're in so I have no idea what else could be lurking under your logs! (Sorry for the later reply, I didn't see you)

[@ved007n8]

@@themantisgarden I have got some insect but they are in black and red color strips, l have kept them In a smaller plastic cantner with some coal. also what to feed them, do they eat fish food

[@themantisgarden]

Yeah, springtails love fish flakes, they also like cucumber now and then. I have no idea where you are if you caught red and black stripy ones! 😂 Certainly not something we have in the UK for sure lol

[@annangoldsmith]

Can you feed them with things other than yeast? and how often should you feed them?

[@themantisgarden]

I feed mine with goldfish flakes mate. And you feed them when it's all gone!

[@TheCattyAir]

Rice works well you only have to put a few grains every week or 2

[@tav8385]

how do you know if they are spring tails or mites or other insects

[@themantisgarden]

By looking at them lol mites move very differently to springtails and also look very different to.

[@kerlowkey]

Catching miniature animals by wetting some good old blocks of wood. Fucking hilarious and genius. Building your own terrarium? Just grow it all yourself, otherwise its hella expensive 😂 Btw whenever I hear springtails, I think of tiny animals jumping around like grasshoppers lol.

[@themantisgarden]

Lol I do many things, mate. Not all of them what I do on video, these are just solutions I find to questions I get every day - "No one in my country sells springtails. How do I get some"? Thus, I try to solve the problem for them. Sadly this method doesn't worth everywhere but it bloody does here lol

[@scottallen6915]

Are you sure you didnt capture termites??? There is no clarity in the video.. its a blurr..they look like termites? Btw are the bots commenting here. They all sound same?

[@themantisgarden]

We don't have terminates in the UK lol so pretty sure!!!

[@somersetspiders]

Very cool video, who doesn’t like l free

[@themantisgarden]

Free is always good!

[@Explorejayden]

Am your 665 subscriber very interesting video keep it up and a very useful video I was trying to get spring tails to make a terrarium to start a hobby thank you so much

[@themantisgarden]

Ah, yes! Good choice. I hope it works for you, doesn't work for everyone but that's normally because they don't try it in the right places. I should expand on this video one day. Thanks for sub :)

[@Explorejayden]

@@themantisgarden np man keep it up

[@theanthillfromknow.theanop3960]

i gonna try this if this works i let you know thanks for this information.

[@catbreadcrab9530]

does it work?

[@theanthillfromknow.theanop3960]

the setup is done but i don´t know because of the temperature. just urly summer day put it clos to the pound where they might live.

[@themantisgarden]

I haven't collected any this year as yet, still quite cool here to find a decent amount really. Since I made that video I've found that sprinkling a bit of finely crumbled fish flakes on the ground first under the wood/ bark works even better. This year I am hoping to collect several species of springtails and culture them - and this will mean setting traps in the woods I think rather than my garden. Good luck!

[@theanthillfromknow.theanop3960]

@@themantisgarden exaly i was thinking to do that to whit some rise under it to atrack them even more thanks. I let you now when i got some gonna check later on in the day.

[@theanthillfromknow.theanop3960]

@@themantisgarden hey i tryed another methode. this one if you have or can find a compost hill. just poor some water in a container and then shuffel up some dirt frim the composting hill and put that in the water they come up and float then on the service of the water. you can then suck them up and put it in a farm or terrarium. works realy well. iam still testing your methode to i put some fish food to under it now i wait for a couple of days. thank you very much i let you know when i catch some more whit your methode.

[@themantisgarden]

Yeah, I also use that method depending on where I am catching them and what species of springtail I wish to catch. Good luck :)