Springtails (Collembola) - foe or irrelevant?

arnorrian · #1

Does anybody have experience with springtails, Latin name Collembola? I got them in my seedlings that are under grow lights, mostly in chilis. Some say they are not significant, some say they can destroy seedlings. Overwatering seems to be the issue, which I've cut back.

Moth1992 · #2

As far as I know they are decomposers. I cant see how they would damage a plant?

bower · #3

Did you use a microscope to get that pic?
Springtails in my experience are tiny and black. We find them in chanterelles all the time, and they jump around when you're trying to clean the mushrooms. Since it's pretty well impossible to clean every one off, the joke here is that you must always season mushrooms with a little black pepper. As that is pretty much what they look like.

They're so small, I've never thought of them as being a problem for anything. Can't even see their bites.

arnorrian · #4

Bower wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 5:54 pm Did you use a microscope to get that pic?
Springtails in my experience are tiny and black. We find them in chanterelles all the time, and they jump around when you're trying to clean the mushrooms. Since it's pretty well impossible to clean every one off, the joke here is that you must always season mushrooms with a little black pepper. As that is pretty much what they look like.
They're so small, I've never thought of them as being a problem for anything. Can't even see their bites.

Not my picture, but they look exactly the same. They are less than a milimeter long, it's good thing I have a good eyesight for tiny things.

bower · #5

Yes indeed, good eyesight is needed to be certain you have springtails and not some fungus gnat larvae - these are the bad tiny things I fear to find in my pots. Don't think I have ever had springtails in potting mix, but my eyesight is not good enough to know for sure.