What are these critters in my vermicompost bin ?
What are these critters in my vermicompost bin ?
And are they bad for my worm population? It has decreased a lot. The picture looks wet because I just watered it as it looked a bit dry before.
Collembola, (spring tails) belonging to the family isotomidae. Harmless, and good at breaking down organic matter
PS. I AM an expert
I keep these species of springtails for my terrariums. If you disturb them, they may jump which is a way to identify them. They can jump something like 50x they're body length so it's pretty easy to notice.
They are beneficial and very useful of my terrariums. Springtails help control mold and fungus growth while the isopods (terrestrial shrimp) break down larger matter like feces, leaf litter and food.
I think I also read that they are good for plant roots as they help aerate the soil as they crawl around. I'm not an expert but read quite a bit about making bioactive terrariums where these are used frequently.
Thanks. Could they be the reason for the decline of my red worms population?
Unlikely - they are pretty benign
Look like springtails:
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/springtails-3
In no expert, but I believe they are friendly. I've had lots of these too, and I think they difficult to avoid.
My vote? Termites. Looks similar to a friend’s house where near the barn they had decaying matter. They generally run and hide when exposed.
I’m no expert, but my first guess is they look like termites …