Springtails (Collembola)
What are they?
Springtails form the largest of the three lineages of modern hexapods that are no longer considered insects (the other two are Protura and Diplura). Although the three orders are sometimes grouped together in a class called Entognatha because they have internal mouthparts, they do not appear to be any more closely related to one another than they all are to insects, which have external mouthparts.
Collembolans are omnivorous, free-living organisms that prefer moist conditions. They do not directly engage in the decomposition of organic matter, but, rather, can indirectly through the fragmentation of organic matter. The word "collembola" is from the Greek colle meaning glue and embolon meaning piston or peg.
Members of Collembola are normally less than 6 mm (0.24 in) long, have six or fewer abdominal segments and possess a tubular appendage (the collophore or ventral tube) with eversible vesicles, projecting ventrally from the first abdominal segment. The Poduromorpha and Entomobryomorpha have an elongated body, while the Symphypleona have a globular body. Collembola lack a tracheal respiration system, which forces them to respire through a porous cuticle, to the notable exception of Sminthuridae which exhibit a rudimentary, although fully functional, tracheal system.
Most species have an abdominal, tail-like appendage, the furcula, that is folded beneath the body to be used for jumping when the animal is threatened. It is held under tension by a small structure called the retinaculum and when released, snaps against the substrate, flinging the springtail into the air. All of this takes place in as little as 18 milliseconds.
Springtails also possess the ability to reduce their body size by as much as 30% through subsequent ecdyses (molting) if temperatures rise high enough. The shrinkage is genetically controlled. Since warmer conditions increase metabolic rates and energy requirements in organisms, the reduction in body sizes is advantageous to their survival.
Source: Wikipedia
What do they do?
Basically they help you keep your enclosures clean. They like to eat mould and they make sure it spreads less fast if not get rid of it completely. They can also be fed as prey to small spiders, frogs or even fish. Springtails won't bother your pets.
When you already got a breed, you can just easily take out some springtails with a spoon or use a piece of cork bark filled with springtails and shake it empty in the enclosure. You will see that after some time the mould will become less. If you don't...continue reading.
I got good experience with springtails in my enclosures. I've had mouldy bamboo pieces in my enclosures, I threw a lot of springtails on it and now the mould is almost completely gone!
Setting up a breeding project
Setting up a springtail breed is really easy. There are many different ways to set up a breed, but I will just write down my own way. You just need a box, such as a candy box or a tupperware box, some soil and a few pieces of cork bark. Also, you need to buy a box of springtails at your pet store, reptile store or expo.
1. Make some ventilation holes in the lid and around the box so there's enough ventilation. You don't want your breed covered in mould, or worse: mites.
2. Put in enough soil; about 10 centimeters.
3. Place some cork bark around the box. You use the cork bark to keep the soil moist and it's easier to take out springtails to place in your pet's enclosure (just by shaking the cork bark into the enclosure)
4. Place the springtails in your box and now you just let them do the work!
You have to water them about once a week and you can feed them different things such as raw potato, fish flakes, apple, cucumber or bread crumbs.
After you applied springtails to your enclosure, it takes about a week before the breed is full again.
