Detailed Explanation of Key Points for Edible Mushroom Springtail Control Techniques

Springtails, also called ash insects, most commonly include the purple springtail, black flat springtail, and others. Edible mushrooms harmed by springtails include oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, shaggy mane mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, wine cap mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, lion's mane mushrooms, and almond mushrooms.

I. Morphological Characteristics

1. Adult. Shaped like a flea, difficult to see with the naked eye, body length 1.0 mm--1.5 mm, pale gray to grayish purple, with short antennae, soft body, often crawling rapidly on the growing medium or fruiting bodies, with a furcula at the tail end, good at jumping, jumping height can reach 20 cm--30 cm, and upon slight stimulation it either leaves by jumping or feigns death and stays motionless. The body surface has a waxy layer and is not afraid of water.

2. Larva. White, similar in shape to the adult, molts after dormancy, silver-gray, gray when in groups, like ash, hence the name ash insect.

3. Egg. White spherical, semi-transparent, often laid in the edible mushroom growing medium or on the casing soil layer.

II. Living Habits

1. Growth and reproduction. The cycle is short, and growth and reproduction are fast. Springtails are quite active under warm (20°C--28°C) and humid (relative air humidity 85%) conditions, with the fastest reproduction rate, and can produce 6--7 generations per year.

2. Fond of humid environments. Springtails often gather in the growing medium or on the surface of mushroom caps, biting the spawn after sowing or the already germinated mycelium, harming young mushrooms and causing them to wither and die. They can also burrow into the mushroom stipe or cap to feed, and within 1 day--3 days they gnaw mature fruiting bodies full of holes, causing them to lose commercial value. According to surveys, the small pits formed after damage to the stipe of wine cap mushrooms can harbor hundreds of springtails.

3. Wide living range and strong omnivorous nature. Springtails mostly occur in mushroom houses with poor ventilation, an overly humid environment, and extremely poor sanitary conditions. They not only harm various edible mushrooms in mushroom houses, but are also seen year-round on soil, weeds, dead branches and fallen leaves, and livestock manure. They can float on the water surface and jump freely, and are especially more numerous after continuous rain followed by clearing.

4. Carrying and spreading diseases and pests, causing cross and repeated infection. The adults and larvae of springtails carry large amounts of pathogens and mites on their body surfaces. With activities such as egg-laying and feeding by springtails, springtail diseases and pests also spread rapidly wherever they go. If conditions are suitable, cross and repeated infection occurs, causing major losses to edible mushroom production.

III. Control Measures

1. Cleaning and sanitation, eliminating insect sources. ① Thoroughly remove garbage inside and outside the spawn production sites and cultivation sites, especially avoid standing water, to prevent springtail breeding. ② Springtails prefer warmth and humidity but cannot tolerate high temperatures. It is best to use fermented material for the growing medium, bringing the material temperature to 65°C--70°C, which can kill adults and eggs. ③ Mushroom houses and casing soil must be fumigated and disinfected with chemicals before use. ④ Install gauze nets on the doors and windows of mushroom houses.

2. Trapping and killing method. ① Springtails have a habit of liking water. For places where springtails occur, water can be used to trap and then kill them. The specific method is: fill a small basin with clean water, and many springtails will jump into the water; the next day change the water and continue using water to trap and kill them. After several consecutive times, the insect population density will be greatly reduced. ② Use 90% trichlorfon diluted 1000 times plus a small amount of honey to make a trapping and killing agent, subpackage it into basins or dishes, and place them separately on the mushroom beds. Springtails will jump into the basins when they smell the sweetness. This method is safe and non-toxic, and can also kill other pests.

3. Chemical control. For edible mushroom diseases and pests, pesticide control is not advocated; other methods should be used as much as possible, and pesticides should be used sparingly or not at all. Only when the pest damage is severe can it be done as a last resort. The specific methods are: ① When there are no mushrooms on the bed surface, 0.2% dimethoate can be sprayed to kill them. ② During the fruiting period, 150-times solution--200-times solution of pyrethrin can be sprayed. ③ Spray neem preparation: prepare according to the ratio of neem bark:water = 1:3--1:5, mix evenly and decoct for 1.5 hours to obtain the stock solution, dilute 1-fold when using, and use immediately after preparation. ④ Fumigate with 10 g of aluminum phosphide per cubic meter.