Here we go again

[Lazy Boy]

So my first go at silkworms went great. Had very few die off and have WAY more eggs then when I started with. The first moth to lay eggs didn't lay a lot 50-100 eggs and then the floods came. Moths dropping well over 200+ eggs, so I cut the paper and put them aside to change colors. The first batch just didn't seem to change, all others changed pretty fast and all went to the fridge. So I had to go out of town for two days and been busy. Got up and do my routine (feeding pets and feeders) I thought well that first batch was infertile and might as well toss them. What a minute they look to have changed now way later then all the others. What a minute they look light grey and ready to hatch Nice I look over and see one hatching and others right behind Sweet. So lay to hatched in just under two weeks. Last time I did mulberry leafs from start to finish. This time I'm going to try chow and see how it goes. Mmmmmm I love some silks.

 

[Lazy Boy]

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I have been asked about my setup from a number of people so here it is.
I run a basic setup. just a petri dish or small plastic tub for eggs. I put the paper towle the moth laid eggs on right on the bottom. I clean everything with 91% iso alcohol before i put anything in. After they hatch i dont touch the dish unless i wash my hands I only clean out old or dried food. I leave the poop the entire time the are in this dish (10-14 days) after that time i transfer them to a plastic tub with bottle caps at the bottom holding gutter guard up and zip ties for handles on the gutter guard so you can pick it up. This is where they stay tell they are ready to coccon. There is really just a few things to watch and silks are easy.

1) clean everything with rubbing alcohol before you use it.
2) wash hands and dry EVERYTIME you touch the dish or food.
3) rinse all leafs with warm water and pat dry (disregard for chow)
4) I keep temps at 80-85f ALWAYS
5) feed them

If you cover all this its a cake walk and not hard at all. It takes a lot of fresh mulberry if you use leaves so keep a good supply.

 

[Cap10Squirty]

I have been raising mine just as you have been and with great success. One thing I would like to add: if you can afford the time, try to feed the young silkworms 3-4 times per day. I used to have the little fuzzy ones dry up on me...I thought they were just sick - it was really that I wasn't feeding them enough.

I've been using mulberry leaves...this fall I am going to experiment with making a chow from dehydrated mulberry leaves. I've already got the homemade hornworm chow down, along with preservatives to prevent mold to a great degree. I think leaves will start to fall around October so is better figure something out since I have between 4,000-5,000 eggs in my fridge from silkworms breeding this past spring.

Oh another point to add..if you are using leaves, try to provide the smallest lightest colored ones possible for the 1st and 2nd instar caterpillars. Otherwise, finely chop them as it allows the little guys to find the edges a lot easier.