# Spring tails...tell me where I can buy them!!!



## ABbuggin (Mar 12, 2008)

Well I thought I had access to a spring tail culture, I was wrong &lt;_&lt; So I went to two websites that I knew that carried springtails, but they are out of stock!  So can anybody post links of online stores (in the US) that sell spring tails? In the meantime I will continue to look.

Thanks!


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## macro junkie (Mar 12, 2008)

how comes u want to use them..there so tiny its amaazing.


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## ABbuggin (Mar 12, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> how comes u want to use them..there so tiny its amaazing.


Can't tell just yet.  But I do need them ASAP!


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## ABbuggin (Mar 12, 2008)

Never mind, just found some! I FINALLY found a supplier that sold spring tails, in the US, was in stock, and was the temperate variety (I had to go through like 15 google pages under 3-4 different search subject!). :blink:


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## woo boo hui wan (Mar 12, 2008)

curious as to what your using them for, i have thousands in the backyard. can i feed them to newly hatched mantis?


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## macro junkie (Mar 12, 2008)

ABbuggin said:


> Can't tell just yet.


 :lol:


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## ABbuggin (Mar 12, 2008)

woo boo hui wan said:


> curious as to what your using them for, i have thousands in the backyard. can i feed them to newly hatched mantis?


You can feed them to mantids, but fruit flies are better (since they are bigger).



> laugh.gif rolleyes.gif


I will only give one hint, I need them for a small application.  I'll make a thread about it when the time is right.


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 13, 2008)

ouuuuuuuuugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh a secret! Me loves secrets


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## Orin (Mar 13, 2008)

You didn't see them on BIC? What kind of springtail did you order?


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## ABbuggin (Mar 13, 2008)

Orin said:


> You didn't see them on BIC? What kind of springtail did you order?


I ordered temperate springtials from josh's frogs.  

http://joshsfrogs.com/catalog/product_info...?products_id=51

Is BIC a website?


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## Orin (Mar 13, 2008)

ABbuggin said:


> I ordered temperate springtials from josh's frogs.  http://joshsfrogs.com/catalog/product_info...?products_id=51
> 
> Is BIC a website?


Peter's website BugsInCyberspace.

I notice on the frog site the guy says less than half a centimeter, I'm pretty sure he means less than half a millimeter.


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## ABbuggin (Mar 13, 2008)

Orin said:


> Peter's website BugsInCyberspace.I notice on the frog site the guy says less than half a centimeter, I'm pretty sure he means less than half a millimeter.


He doesnt have springtials. Im pretty sure the frog guy means 1/2 a mm too, because I've seen this sp. a lot and they are soooooooooo [SIZE=8pt]tiny[/SIZE] lol. Just wait until what you see I need them for!


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## Precious (Mar 13, 2008)

I must admit, I'm very curious about the mystery mantid. I hope those springtails work out for you. I ordered them once, I think for virescens. What a mess. Pot of dirt with invisible bugs. I threw it away.


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## ABbuggin (Mar 13, 2008)

Precious said:


> I must admit, I'm very curious about the mystery mantid. I hope those springtails work out for you. I ordered them once, I think for virescens. What a mess. Pot of dirt with invisible bugs. I threw it away.


lol I actually have some cultures waiting here at home that I made. They will be a LOT easier to use than the charcoal Josh uses.  

Just give me a couple weeks and you will find out about the mystery mantid


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## Orin (Mar 14, 2008)

ABbuggin said:


> He doesnt have springtials.


Yes he does, a 'giant' species or a normal size species.


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## blitzmantis (Mar 14, 2008)

A mantis must be very small to eat those, they are almost invisible...


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## Hypoponera (Mar 14, 2008)

I've used springtails from my back yard with great results. They are great for those timid L1 nymphs. I've used them for Chinese, Narrow-wing, S. limbata and Litanutria minor. I was surprised at how quick the mantids molt to L2 while eating only the springtails. They may be small, but they seem to be highly nutritious!

I currently keep a colony of springtails in a 10 gallon tank with an ant colony. The springtails help to keep the ant colony nice and clean! Just a fringe beni of using springtails.


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## Mantida (Mar 15, 2008)

How do you actually "dish" out the springtails for the mantids? I put them in one of those sand bottles with the funnel tip and shook it until springtails came out in the small container the mantis was in. If anyone has a more effective way of dishing them out, please do share.


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## asdsdf (Mar 15, 2008)

Why do springtails need charcoal? :blink: I thought that soil would be the same...


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 15, 2008)

Precious said:


> I must admit, I'm very curious about the mystery mantid. I hope those springtails work out for you. I ordered them once, I think for virescens. What a mess. Pot of dirt with invisible bugs. I threw it away.


Invisible bugs, she cracks me up :lol: , invisible bugs....


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## Hypoponera (Mar 16, 2008)

Hey Mantida,

I use an aspirator I bought from BioQuip years ago. It works great on house flies, D. hydei and fruit flies as well! Makes feeder transfers easy and fast. BioQuip still carries the aspirator I have as #1135A. And it only costs $7.45! There are a few other types of aspirators carried, but they are much more expensive! You can find them on pg 57 of the catalog. Or you can hunt them down on the website:

www.bioquip.com


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## Merek (Mar 16, 2008)

Go to ATLFROG.com, we have them for sale there. $6 per culture, etc.



ABbuggin said:


> Well I thought I had access to a spring tail culture, I was wrong &lt;_&lt; So I went to two websites that I knew that carried springtails, but they are out of stock!  So can anybody post links of online stores (in the US) that sell spring tails? In the meantime I will continue to look. Thanks!


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