Soil centipede care

[9darlingcalvi]

I want to keep soil centipedes (Geophilomorpha sp.) they will be in an old plastic card holder with a fine mesh, I was thinking dirt and moss. Any feeding/water info out there? Or info in general

 

[Mastigoproctus]

I suggest just some soil out of your garden as long as you don't spray pesticides and yeah a bit of moss is a good idea to help maintain moisture. Smallll feeders like pinhead crickets or smalls. Baby roaches are good too.

 

[9darlingcalvi]

It's okay, they like never pop up to eat, so should I drop the cricket in overnight?

 

[Hisserdude]

These guys seem to be really picky, and I doubt you'll be able to get them to eat crickets. Springtails and, if you can find them, nematodes would be my go to food sources for such a tiny predator. You can try putting dog food in the enclosure, it works for some small centipedes, (Lithobius for example).

 

[9darlingcalvi]

What does dog food do?

You know the little tiny brown Ants that like never bite people or really kill much of anything? Could those be food

 

[Hisserdude]

What does dog food do?

They would hopefully eat it, some small centipedes do.

You know the little tiny brown Ants that like never bite people or really kill much of anything? Could those be food

Adult ants are too hard bodied and don't have much meat on them to work as a food source. However, these centipedes have been found in ant colonies and are known to eat ant larva and pupa, if you could get some of those you centipede would probably eat them.

 

[9darlingcalvi]

Okay, also how do you culture springtails and can I add mites for them to eat?

 

[Hisserdude]

Okay, also how do you culture springtails and can I add mites for them to eat?

A deli cup filled with a moist substrate made of rotten wood, dead leaves, and maybe compost would make a great and nutritional substrate for the springtails, thiugh plain old coconut fiber with a layer of dead leaves and some bark works as well. Brewer's yeast should be offered often springtails just eat that stuff right up. Keep them moist and wait for their population to explode!

You can introduce mites, I don't know if the centipede will eat them or not, they aren't as attractive as springtails are.

 

[9darlingcalvi]

This is the species I want (Geophilus oweni) and that method works with temperate springtails?

 

[Hisserdude]

This is the species I want (Geophilus oweni) and that method works with temperate springtails?

Yes that method should work for most springtails.

 

[9darlingcalvi]

Okay, I found a stone centipede today! Getting closer to the soil centipede

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

I keep Geophilomorpha often, and they eat fine on prekilled crickets or cricket parts. As long as it's fresh, any smallish insect should work.

 

[9darlingcalvi]

Alright, I'm still looking for them. This weekend it's supposed to be in the high 60s so hopefully they come out!