What Eats Springtails? The Enemies of Springtails Revealed

We know that springtails eat just about anything (including molds!), but what eats springtails? Let’s find out which of your pets can consume springtails.

With more than 8,000 species of springtails around the world, these pests are extremely common.

If you have a springtail infestation in your garden or on your potted plants, you might want to bring in natural predators that can get rid of the pests. This is true more for your yard or garden plants since keeping predators in your home isn’t very convenient.

You might also be wondering whether springtails can serve as feeders for your pets. Well, no matter why you are curious about what eats springtails, let’s go and find out the facts!

Do Ladybugs Eat Springtails?

Yes, ladybugs love to eat springtails too. Ladybugs are one of the best generalist predators to keep in your garden.

Farmers and gardeners often buy ladybugs to protect their plants and crops from springtails, aphids, thrips, and other pests.

Ladybugs are harmless to humans and look quite beautiful due to their right colors.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Springtails?

No, bearded dragons prefer isopods, not springtails. If you have a pet bearded dragon at home, you might be thinking about feeding it springtails, but they probably won’t eat them.

But it’s a good idea to add springtails to their terrarium nonetheless. The springtails will clean up the terrarium by feeding on dead plant matter and thus provide a healthy environment for your pet.

Do Spiders Eat Springtails?

Spiders are rather well-known as insectivores, and small pests like springtails are a part of their diet. Spiders are excellent for natural pest control.

This is why it’s a good idea to let these eight-legged friends be if they are in your garden, as long as it doesn’t end up in a spider infestation.

However, keep in mind that it’s usually the non-web weaving spiders that prey on springtails.

Do Dart Frog Eat Springtails?

Yes, if you have pet dart frogs at home, you may feed them springtails. Like most frogs, dart frogs are insectivores and eat a variety of pests.

If you are keeping your dart frogs in a vivarium, the springtails can also serve as natural cleaners by helping decompose organic matter.

Do Larval Fish Eat Springtails?

Springtails are great for feeding your pet fish, adult, and larval alike. Besides springtails, larval fish also feed on microalgae, protozoa, copepods, etc.

It’s convenient to feed fish with springtails as these insects can keep floating on the surface of the water for hours. The fish can spot them easily and eat them.

Can Dance Flies Eat Springtails?

Dance flies do eat these pests, but only male dance flies are active predators of springtails. However, although female dance flies can’t hunt springtails, they eat them too.

The males often prey on springtails or other insects and gift them to the female dance flies as a part of their mating rituals.

What Birds Can Eat Springtails?

Small birds like the Lapland Longspurs and snow buntings often tend to feed on springtails. This is especially true in snowy regions, where the insects are prominently visible against the snow.

Do Lizards Eat Springtails?

Adult lizards may or may not eat springtails, as springtail species can often thrive in the same tank as your lizards. However, these tiny insects are an excellent choice for feeding young lizards.

What Else Eats Springtails?

Springtails have plenty of generalist and specialist predators in nature. In addition to the ones we spoke about, other springtail predators include shellfish, mites, gastropods, etc.

Insects such as beetles, wasps, ants, and bees prey on springtails and other pests too. Many of these natural predators are likely to be present in your garden already.

This is why you should try to stick to pest control measures that will specifically kill the pest you want to get rid of and not the helpful predators. You may even consider introducing new predators into your garden to keep the pest population under control.

Frequently asked questions

What animal eats springtails?

A vast spectrum of animals, ranging from small predatory insects to amphibians, feed on springtails. Frogs, lizards, wasps, beetles, fish, and small birds are some of the common predators.

What will kill springtails?

If you are trying to get rid of springtails by deploying natural predators, consider getting some ladybugs, predatory mites, frogs, or beetles. They will help eliminate the springtails by feeding on them.

Do predatory mites eat springtails?

Yes, predatory mites kill and feed on a vast range of pests, including springtails. This is why it’s good to have them in your garden. They can also eat harmful pests like thrips and fungus gnat larvae, which can cause immense damage to crops.

Do Hypoaspis miles eat springtails?

Springtails are a part of the diet of hypoaspis miles, a predatory mite species. These mites are especially good at keeping the soil surface free of springtails, as they tend to hunt on the soil.

Wrap Up

Having springtails in your garden, terrarium, or vivarium isn’t a bad thing – these harmless insects help maintain the flow of nutrients by decomposing dead insects and other organic matter.

Such decomposers are a vital part of soil food webs and help maintain ecological balance. However, excess springtail reproduction can lead to an infestation, which might be problematic.

Springtails living on agricultural soils can damage roots by chewing them. Thank you for reading!