Springtails in flower pots?

[jamest0o0]

okay so i was thinking, could you add these guys and/or any other useful bugs to your plant soil? Would they stay in the and reproduce? I read they eat mold, gnat larvae, dead feeders, poop, etc, wondering why i don't hear about people adding these more often. I know people do this with bioactive substrates, but why not just throw them in the pots and still keep the bare bottom?

 

[Andee]

It depends on the type of springtails you get, most are tropical species... and I am not sure they would just "stay" in a flower pot. I have not tested it with an open enclosure

 

[poison]

Hi, they likely would stay in. Often times you'll find them in the pots regardless of introducing them yourself. Yes they do help break down rotting organic matter but keep in mind adding insects to an enclosure is not the end to the bioactive enclosures. Though they do help very much a true bioactive enclosure would have beneficial bacteria. Most keepers that understand this go outside and collect leaf litter. Staying away from ant trails and spider webs.

 

[poison]

I should also mention you would need a food source if you would like them to stay in. Such as dying wood, leaf litter etc.

 

[jamest0o0]

Good point about the bacteria. I free range my panther and his plants are in some huge flower pots. Figure, why not add some beneficial bugs to them? Don't see why i couldn't add some appropriate soil, leaves, bugs, and plants straight to the flower pots. My only worry would be turning my house into a bioactive free range....

 

[poison]

Pssh put a couple feet of soil all over your house with a lot of live plants. That's life. Jk Are you worrying that the bugs will spread through your house ? If you plan on adding Isopods or springtail they will both die outside a moist environment so I wouldn't worry about that.

 

[jamest0o0]

Hah hey you're onto something, maybe that'll get the dishes and cat litter done.

 

[poison]

Not gonna lie after I said that it sounds tempting. If you do decide to use something like isopods id suggest using leaf litter to allow them to hide from your Cham so he doesn't attempt to eat them. My favorite species are dwarf whites.

 

[jamest0o0]

Great i think i'll give it a try, thank you for helping!

 

[Pearl Fields]

ok i know this thread is a few years old, but i was wondering about this also, so @jamest0o0 did you ever put them in pots, and did it work?

 

[CasqueAbove]

I do this in all my pots. The colonies do survive, but I do find the occasional isopod. If the pots are smooth plastic they cant climb.

 

[JoXie411]

All my house plants have spring tails and giant canyons in them to keep them healthy. Madmartigan doesn’t have a full bioactive bottom just party due to needing a better bin still but I added isopods and springtails to the bins and they are doing fine.
And like @CasqueAbove said if you don’t mind finding isopods roaming your home go for it

 

[Pearl Fields]

ok, thanks! i may try some springtails in some plants because i have a couple that cannot have the soil totally dry out anyways and they could keep the soil gnats down

 

[coastal_chameleon]

I was watching gardening videos and people try to get rid of isopods and consider them pests because they eat seedlings .
* just a thought

 

[CasqueAbove]

I was watching gardening videos and people try to get rid of isopods and consider them pests because they eat seedlings .
* just a thought

They do eat plants. seedlings would not fair well. But with an adult plant it is different.

 

[jamest0o0]

Yes I did, I have isopods in my plants too