# what do spring tails look like?



## george dobson (May 20, 2009)

just wondering what hey look ike as i have a pot full of dirt which is full of either spring tails or silver fish, i was hoping to put them in a tank which i have just discovered mites in, would siverfish get rid of mites, whats the difference between silverfish and springails?

thanks
george


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## Lucifus (Aug 30, 2007)

Springtail:


















Silverfish:


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## george dobson (May 20, 2009)

thanks,mine look like very small white strands, some jump some run, some are silver some are white


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

Could be both then mate.

Silverfish can't jump, they run... what size are they all?


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## george dobson (May 20, 2009)

just saw one jump very far, does this mean springtales?, if so how can i increase the population within there?


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

You're best bet for getting rid of mites is to remove uneaten food and to dry the enclosure out, basically remove anything the mites would eat. If you have multiple hundreds of them then you might want to consider removing your spiders from those enclosures beforehand.
Silverfish don't tend to inhabit dirt, these are the things you seen in your bathroom sometimes, very speedy sweeping inverts.
Springtails are like fleas, usually white which scuttle a round and have the ability to jump.
Neither springtails or woodlice will kill off your mites, you've probably mis-interpreted posts in here. They compete for the same food as mites, at a faster rate and therefore the mite populations don't have the opportunity to explode in numbers. However, it is rumoured that these might attack mite eggs.
Best way of increasing their numbers is to provide plenty of rotten veg on a coir and wood chip substrate within a damp cricket tub in the dark.


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## george dobson (May 20, 2009)

Poxicator said:


> You're best bet for getting rid of mites is to remove uneaten food and to dry the enclosure out, basically remove anything the mites would eat. If you have multiple hundreds of them then you might want to consider removing your spiders from those enclosures beforehand.
> Silverfish don't tend to inhabit dirt, these are the things you seen in your bathroom sometimes, very speedy sweeping inverts.
> Springtails are like fleas, usually white which scuttle a round and have the ability to jump.
> Neither springtails or woodlice will kill off your mites, you've probably mis-interpreted posts in here. They compete for the same food as mites, at a faster rate and therefore the mite populations don't have the opportunity to explode in numbers. However, it is rumoured that these might attack mite eggs.
> Best way of increasing their numbers is to provide plenty of rotten veg on a coir and wood chip substrate within a damp cricket tub in the dark.


thanks for the reply

its my mated female cambredgi with the mites, so i dont want to disturb her, nor do i want to decrese the humidity, if i put some spring tails in could they kpep he mites at a low level?,


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Yes, they'll help to reduce an increase if you have sufficient numbers. How infested is the enclosures and how damp is it? Are the mites localised or within the whole enclosure. Mites are not good with egg sacs!


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## george dobson (May 20, 2009)

Poxicator said:


> Yes, they'll help to reduce an increase if you have sufficient numbers. How infested is the enclosures and how damp is it? Are the mites localised or within the whole enclosure. Mites are not good with egg sacs!


yeah i heard that they arent good atall, they are situised around the hide area, thats the only place i could see them, its fairly damp, not wet but damp,there are no bolars or uneaten food in there, the female was mated on the 18th of feb so still a while to go, ill just dry the enclosure out a bit and see if it helps, i saw around 10 mites in there so there isnt many


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

That amount of mites really isnt worth worrying about. If the P. cambridgei has webbed herself in there's little point in providing food. Dry the enclosure out a bit, but not bone dry, and provide a large water dish. Its likely they'll move to this making it easier to remove them. 
I'd also put the springtails near where you found the mites.


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## george dobson (May 20, 2009)

Poxicator said:


> That amount of mites really isnt worth worrying about. If the P. cambridgei has webbed herself in there's little point in providing food. Dry the enclosure out a bit, but not bone dry, and provide a large water dish. Its likely they'll move to this making it easier to remove them.
> I'd also put the springtails near where you found the mites.


ok thanks very much for your help pete, much appreciated


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