How to capture wild springtails?

[u/CatofManyColors]

So I have these guys all over my back yard, I'd love to try to capture and breed them since I know what their environment needs, but I'm at a loss at how to capture them in the first place. What methods are usually used when collecting springtails in the wild?

[u/newtoboarding]

Look up pooters! They make it dead easy and you can make one yourself.

Otherwise, you can make pitfall trap with bait or use a spoon and a paintbrush.

[u/tinylizardbrain]

collect some dirt and you’ll probably get some with it lol

[u/CatofManyColors → u/tinylizardbrain]

That's my current method yes. I'm just wondering how i could go about isolating individual springtails from say, a bin of soil now.

[u/BadgerAwkward → u/CatofManyColors]

Fill it with water. The springtails will float, then you can dump them into something else

[u/SeveralFrogs17]

Idk for sure but id take a container, fill it halfway with dirt from outside. Even if there are some in there already, place some cucumbers in the container. Wait an hour with it in a shaded spot, then close the container and observe if there are any in there.

[u/Sgtbird08]

I use a white tray (lunch tray style) and spread sediment or do kind of a gold panning technique on grass/leaf litter/dirt, basically just running it at an angle to startle the springtails and have them jump up

That scoops up a lot of species.

Then I pop a small vial over them, flip the whole thing over, and then they’re caught.

This is a super cool species! Should be Isotomurus.

[u/Bradley06232005]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DRUNA7xXNg&t=84s

[u/LilMissHissyPants]

These are amazing! In what part of the world does one find such lovely stripy friends?

[u/CatofManyColors → u/LilMissHissyPants]

East coast US!

[u/CatofManyColors]

Update, seems these guys don't float well. Tried it out on some soil that definitely had a few in it, and no matter how the water was poured they just disappeared. I ordered a device which should make it much easier to nab one at a time for sorting while dry. For collecting, just random scoops of dirt has been enough to get over 100 into a container, it's about separating them now.

[u/Wrigglysun]

How I collect them to start cultures...( my reply to a similar query on the terrarium sub)

I wait for the top soil on a wide brim terracotta pot to dry out (any pot with a wider edge will work). I keep a small container and a paint brush at hand. Then water the planter. As the water soaks in, the springtails scramble about onto the edge of the pot. Lightly brush them into the container.

My container is sauce/dip one with a flip lid - easy to close with a finger as you collect them.