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HOW TO CULTURE SPRINGTAILS
Requirements
Starter culture
Container with tight fitting lid. Choose a container with depth as springtails can jump.
Horticulture charcoal
Filter floss or cotton wool
Dechlorinated, RO or distilled water
Nutritional yeast
Method
Rinse charcoal in Dechlorinated, RO or distilled water. Let charcoal soak in water to ensure it is moist.
Fill container with charcoal to approximately half to 3/4 full.
Add a couple of cm of water to the bottom to keep the culture moist.
Seed with the starter culture.
Sprinkle a small pinch of nutritional yeast as a food source.
Make a small hole in the lid of container as a breather hole. Stuff hole with filter floss or cotton wool. If not available tape paper towel over the outside of hole to cover. This prevents pests from entering the culture.
Harvesting
Simply pick pieces of charcoal with springtails and shake to feed.
OR you can flood the culture with water and pour the floating springtails to feed.
Re-Culturing
Repeat steps outlined in method and seed new culture with springtails.
Feeding
Sprinkle nutritional yeast into culture once entirely consumed. Do not overfeed culture.
Recommendations
We recommend starting minimum of 2 cultures. This allows a backup culture if one crashes, and prevents overharvesting of your main culture. You will require several cultures if you intend for heavy feeding.
Store away from direct sunlight in temperatures approximately 20-29 degrees Celsius.
Ensure you have a tight fitting lid and breather hole is covered. Otherwise unwanted pests such as fly’s and mites may enter your culture.
