A low-cost apparatus for the extraction of living soil animals from soil or litter samples, consisting of a modular bank system with three horizontal shelves. The system is designed to accommodate lamps and soil samples over funnel and jar systems for animal collection, thus serving as a practical and standardized modification of the well-documented Berlese-Tullgren funnel. Shelves are vertically bolted on 4 mm threaded rods and wing nuts for easy assembly/disassembly and stability. Shelf material is 2 mm plywood (or similar), laser-cut (or similar) to facilitate lamb sockets, tubes and funnels. Soil samples are inserted in 10 cm tubes from standard ⌀50 mm PVC piping that can also function as corers for direct collection from softer soils. Tubes are fitted in the bank shelf, each directly under a 25 W lamp and over a funnel and jar system. Lamps are located ~20 mm over the tube top creating a temperature gradient that drives soil animals towards the bottom end of the tube which is fitted with a sieve mesh. Standard 102 ml jars are filled with a safe-to-handle preservative (e.g. Propylene glycol) to the bottom of the funnel fitted in them. The apparatus offers portability and scalability with low-cost standard material.