Springtails don't feed on mold

I've been culturing Springtails on different mediums - soil, live moss, synthetic foam, and others. 

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Mold often grows on any medium that I tried in the first month after I seed new Springtails cultures.

I learned to keep Springtails in the same container with Grindal worms. 

And it makes no difference what kind of food I feed to Springtails and Grindal worms. 

Grindal worms always gather on the food given to them. 

While Springtails always gather on the wet walls of the container and areas surrounding the food. 

I have never seen Springtails gather on mold or even on the food given.

 Do Springtails feed on mold?

 It is questionable based on my observations. 

Here you can see untouched patches of mold. 

Springtails certainly like moist walls and the bottom of the container. 

Take a look at a time-lapse recording I published previously. 

Springtails seem to gather on wet surfaces surrounding the flakes of food that Grindal worms eat. 

It happens all the same, every time, in every container, on any medium I tried. 

I decide to set up an experiment to see if Springtails would feed on mold and flakes without any medium. 

Put Springtails in a similar 16oz food grade container. 

Crush half of a cereal flake for Springtails to feed on. 

Mist the inside of the container with water. 

Make needle sized holes in the lid of the container for air circulation. 

So in this container,  Springtails have everything as in any other containers I culture them except no medium and no Grindal worms. 

All set and ready on December 15th, 2021 

Check on Springtails daily. 

The food in the middle of the container starts spoiling 2 days later on December 17th.

 Moisten the culture a bit. 

The same goes the next day and the day after. 

Springtails gather around the wet area.

 I mist the culture without adding new food. 

12 days later on December 27th all food is covered with mold.

 It seems to me that the number of Springtails decreased. 

And again, Springtails gathered around the wet spots - away from mold. 

January 3rd, 2022 

It's been about 3 weeks since the initial setup. 

I don't see any Springtails. 

January 24th

 I cannot find any Springtails, adult or babies, in this container for the past 3 weeks or so. 

Only patches of mold are here.

 I decide to give it another try. 

Let's deposit a new crew of Springtails with a flake of cereal. 

There is a lot of mold for Springtails to chew on if they really feed on it. 

And let's moisten the culture. 

One week later on January 31st. 

I did not see any live Springtails in this container with mold for the past couple days. 

Now I am not surprised Springtails stay away from mold in my newly set up cultures. 

Mold kills Springtails. 

Overfeeding that often happens in the first month after setting up new Springtail cultures seems to be the main cause of mold growth. 

Well established cultures with a strong population of Springtails consume organic waste quickly, leaving nothing for mold to grow on. 

Springtails feed on algae, waste, and decaying organic matter. 

So, feed your pets sparingly.

 And let Springtails clean up your pets’ waste and spoiled food leftovers. 

Have fun and happy Springtails :)