# Woodlice & springtails



## Drew (Nov 9, 2006)

Any issues with keeping them in the same culture? My woodlice culture is kept in a very large tupperware type container, bark, moss, leaves, etc. Any issues adding springtails? I don't want to crash out the woodlice culture.


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## EDs Fly Meat (Apr 29, 2004)

Hi Drew,
That's a good question. I would suspect that 1 of 4 things would happen.
#1 the lice take over and the springtails crash, #2 The springtails take over and the lice crash, #3 they both crash, #4 they both live cooperatively. I'm sure that someone out there has already done it.
My vote would be #2 but that it would take a long time. Your thoughts?
Dave


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

I have never done it on purpose - but I seem to always get springtail contamination in my isopod cultures. I haven't had an issue with the dwarf white woodlice. Springs and the DWW seem to coexist just fine (well at least for the year and a half or so I have had my cultures going).

I have had issues with some of my other dwarf varieties (namely the pygmy red) and silver springtails. In this case, the springtails have dominated the cultures and isopods are a hard find. So - it can go either way.

I just try to set up cultures regularly to keep the numbers in check.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

yeah, i have a wood lice culture that is loaded with silver spring tails and they are just fine.


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

My original woodlice culture had some springtales in it when I got it. I was able to pull the woodlice out and start new ones but the original eventually turned to all springtales.


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

My pygmy red woodlice culture, same as Oz, some silver springtails got in there and the woodlice crashed. On the other hand my dwarf striped woodlice culture and the silver springs in their culture and have done well together thus far.


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## Drew (Nov 9, 2006)

Well, I just looked thru the lice culture and noticed a few springtails. Not sure where they came from, I didn't put them in... I did pick up some leaves from outside but the were rinsed and microwaved so I don't think that the leaves are the source. I am guessing that they were already in the substrate when I bought it. Hopefully there won't be any problems.


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## Ollie1972 (Dec 11, 2020)

Julio said:


> yeah, i have a wood lice culture that is loaded with silver spring tails and they are just fine.


Are they still okay after all these years? Are YOU still okay after all these years? I hope so, on both accounts.


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