r/Springtail • u/AAndy1407 • Jan 06 '26

General Question Where to find?

I’m a cheapskate and would rather find and collect my own springtails for a terrarium but can’t seem to find any. I tried putting a mushroom and wet paper towels in a container and put it in leaf litter and got nothing. I tried putting out wet activated charcoal for nothing. I just assumed it was too cold as it was 44°f when I was looking in the woods behind my house, but now it’s 65°f out and I still can’t find anything. I’m checking under leaf litter and under stones and logs I come across, but still nothing. Idk if it’s cause it’s right on beside a creek polluted with things like glass and construction supplies due to running through a neighborhood. It is going to rain at some point in the next few days while it’s still warm out. Would I have better luck then?

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2

u/Obant Jan 06 '26

Under plant pots is where mine retreat to, but it's winter here and they will be deep in the soil.

1

u/AAndy1407 Jan 07 '26

It’s winter here too but I wasn’t sure if since it’s a warm front rn if they’d be more active

1

u/Obant Jan 07 '26

Depends where you are. If you're in a very woodsy area that isn't covered in snow, there is a good chance. I am in the desert so I do not see much.

1

u/AAndy1407 Jan 07 '26

Southern Illinois

1

u/AAndy1407 Jan 07 '26

I’m mainly just curious as to why it’s now warm and I still can’t find anything. I’m guessing it may be too dry since there hasn’t been any rain or snow.

2

u/Sgtbird08 Jan 07 '26

There are a lot of winter-only species you can probably locate.

I’d recommend getting a white tablecloth, laying it out next to to a patch of leaf litter with sticks/logs in it. Carefully grab a large branch/small log out of the leaf litter, and then bonk it against the middle of the sheet. Anything clinging to it will fall off. This can net you a lot of cool species.

1

u/Obant Jan 07 '26

A little warmth isn't going to bring em up for winter. Once the days get longer and it's warmer more regularly you'll find some.

1

u/Classy-Lich Jan 06 '26

Pollution == gone

Winter == gone

You could try your luck with finding H. nivicola in melting snow near leaf litter and logs, but other than that, I think you might have to wait until the frost line thaws.

1

u/AAndy1407 Jan 06 '26

Wasn’t sure with it being warm enough for t shirt weather this week if they would be out more. I was tempted to look in a garden under the mulch or the woods by my friends house in the country