Springtails (Good or Bad?) and is there any way to kill them?

Star Dog

Well-Known Member
Afaik most species of springtails are considered harmless they only eat dead decaying matter, i don't mind them at all, if they cause damage i can't tell and its something I wouldn't miss on seedlings.

For a while i noted the numbers had dropped and I was disappointed, when recycling coco they help to clean it up.
 

5dekades

Active Member
not sure why they won't zoom, It works for me. I would say they might be a bout 1mm long...they look like pics on the internet of springtail larvae..now it looks like there are thousands in the dirt, but they like to make a small appearance in the dish under the pots....going to try some Spinosad tonite
 

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5dekades

Active Member
Afaik most species of springtails are considered harmless they only eat dead decaying matter, i don't mind them at all, if they cause damage i can't tell and its something I wouldn't miss on seedlings.

For a while i noted the numbers had dropped and I was disappointed, when recycling coco they help to clean it up.
I started getting worried because the plants were "pooping out" like maybe there are WAY too many springtails
 

Star Dog

Well-Known Member
I started getting worried because the plants were "pooping out" like maybe there are WAY too many springtails
Imo highly unlikely but I'm going on the springtails I've had forever.

Jfc i mean in my grow lol.
 

Nizza

Well-Known Member
Invest in a microscope... vey handy for ID ing pests. You got a pic that is farther out so we can see the scale?
buying a digital microscope is so cool! I bought one but the biggest problem was that it doesn't work when I use a USB extender cable.. it must be connected to my computer. I did get a good one that takes really nice videos and it is so cool, but I would love having a portable one that had a SD card or something

I took some leaves off, and watched the spider mites and it is crazy to see a very slow larvae and then in the same cut see a full size one run by. It is like a scene from alien vs predator or something
 

DoubleAtotheRON

Well-Known Member
buying a digital microscope is so cool! I bought one but the biggest problem was that it doesn't work when I use a USB extender cable.. it must be connected to my computer. I did get a good one that takes really nice videos and it is so cool, but I would love having a portable one that had a SD card or something

I took some leaves off, and watched the spider mites and it is crazy to see a very slow larvae and then in the same cut see a full size one run by. It is like a scene from alien vs predator or something
Standby my dude... I'll show you the one I got... 7 in LED screen, SD card slot, portable, video, photo, 1200x's mag... it's bad ass for $100 or so.
 

5dekades

Active Member
They're easy to sort out on water/nutrient just put in a drop of wetting agent/dish soap.

Springtails can stand on surface tension and wetting agent removes that and sink straight through it.
you mean to kill them? I have tried dishsoap, SNS203, white thyme oil, straight h2o2, microbe lift .....
 
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