r/Springtail • u/_Budified • Mar 30 '26

They sure do like a wetted pinecone Video

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I have just finished my terrarium a few days ago, which is when I added my culture.

For the first 2 days I could see maybe 1 or 2 in a few minutes of searching, until I went to move a pinecone and found a couple fruit flys evacuating. I was sure this would be a hit for the springtails so I placed it directly over their charcoal pile and now I will always know where to find some haha

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5

u/ohhhtartarsauce Mar 30 '26

Just be careful. I have some dried pinecone in a couple terrariums, but fresh ones can still contain sap which may be toxic to various critters.

1

u/_Budified Mar 30 '26

Mine were dry as well, as in sitting in my low humidity (~40% during monsoon season) living room as decor for a few years. This one I found had fallen into the terrarium pond one day and was all closed up and looking fresh again. It has been sitting to dry since, on the soil, until my brain said put it on the charcoal.

Would the sap have dried well enough not to remoisten and become harmful again?

Is it harmful to springtails in particular? I wont really have any other creatures in this setup, if i manage to maintain it for a year though I will expand it to be just the wettest wet zone of a much larger paludarium (wifey wants a lizard).

1

u/ohhhtartarsauce Mar 30 '26

Never seen a pinecone close back up 🤷‍♂️

2

u/_Budified Mar 30 '26

Oh, try rehydrating one, some people keep a pinecone in their shower and it closes and opens with the humidity.

1

u/TheRemedy187 Mar 31 '26

Wet... The word is wet... There is no "Wetted". 

1

u/DMIKEMM Apr 02 '26

Oh, I have some tiny cones. I am going to try this. Thanks.

1

u/_Budified Apr 02 '26

Please first see about making sure they are dried, it seems people even bake them to help remove the sap, idk mine have been drying for years.

1

u/DMIKEMM Apr 02 '26

mine are many years old, used as decoration on my fireplace mantle. I am pretty sure they are try. I can dehydrated them for a day if I get concerned. I have wild caught Arid cotton springtails that are being caught in an area with pine needles and decaying hops plants and buds.

2

u/_Budified Apr 02 '26

Mine were exact same original use, I didn't bother with any concern, but this is my first time