# What are springtails?



## everywomanshero (Dec 21, 2008)

In some of my houseplants I have this little silver "flecks" living in the potting soil. They are not even the size of a flea and are living in the soil itself (even the potting mix without plants has them in it). Are those springtails and if so I cannot imagine how anyone could have trouble raising them? I just added water to the potting soil and they showed up.


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## Jayson745 (Dec 13, 2006)

sure they aren't mites? How fast to they move?


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

Mites usually don't colonize plants, occasinally "red mites" will devour decomposing plants, but the more common types like drier surfaces like plastic or metal. 

Everywomanshero- they are probably sprigs, there are so many different kinds, yours sound like the temperate ones, which are more silver/grey in color as compared to the bleach white of the tropical variety. One way you can confirm they are not mites is to blow on them, if they pop up and start "dancing" they are sprigs. Mites will not be uplifted by your breath and they move a lot slower.


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## Nubster (Jun 16, 2008)

Go out in the summer and scoop up some mulch, you'll see all the springs you would ever want to see...lol...I would say they are springs as well living in the plant soil.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springtail


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## everywomanshero (Dec 21, 2008)

They are living only in the soil not on the plants, yes they are like silver flecks. Im going to try to get a photo tomorrow.


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## Nick_ (Mar 24, 2008)

H. miles (a predetory mite) is present in most all soils. It could also be the parasitic mites but they need arthropods or other 'bugs' to feedon. You need to prvide a much more detailed description to narrow down what they could be. Even if they a fraction of a mm, there are a alot of inverts that size.
Here are some shots I took through my microscope of H. miles and a springtail for comparison...










Sorry for the horrible pic, I dont have an adapter. Both of these creatures are around .02 mm. H.miles is the red bettle looking one. Though in your case it could be anything, the 3 'gus' I mentioned are the most common ime.


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## garweft (Mar 11, 2008)

I'm going to go in a different direction and guess that they are the larval stage of the fungus gnat. Mostly since I have seen them about a hundred times on my house plants, and have yet to see any springtails take up residence on my house plants.


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

I have no idea if you have gnats or not, but I would not rule out sprigs just because you have never come across them in house plants. I have sprigs in about 1/4ish of my house plants. It really depends on the type of soil and how frequently they are watered. Sprigs like well drained soil that stays moist, so if you have plants that dry out inbetween waterings thats probably why you have not seen them before.


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