How do I know when silkworms are ready?

[Kenny C]

So I have a few silkworms that I have taken from egg to adult. I am going to give it an attempt at breeding them, but I am not sure at what point I should put in the paper rolls? Is there a rule of thumb or size I should look for?

 

[craig90]

I think they start decreasing in size when they are getting ready to cocoon.
There are some good write-ups on this forum about the whole process.

 

[camimom]

Just give them rolls all the time, they will spin when ready.

 

[Kenny C]

Just give them rolls all the time, they will spin when ready.

But how do you know when to put the rolls in?

 

[camimom]

You don't. which is why I never take them out.

Once my silks hit around 3/4 of an inch, I placed tubes in with them.

 

[Kenny C]

You don't. which is why I never take them out.

Once my silks hit around 3/4 of an inch, I placed tubes in with them.

Ok cool they are about that big now so I will put them in when I get home thank you!

 

[nick barta]

They will spin without anything in the container. They head for the corners, and up to the lid.

Nick

 

[Kenny C]

They will spin without anything in the container. They head for the corners, and up to the lid.

Nick

Ok good this is my frist attempt lets see how it goes!!!! I am excited to see how they turn out!!!!

 

[ridgebax1]

I had a dozen or so that I let get to adulthood. According to Piggletts blog they will stop eating but mine seemed that they still wanted to eat and some just started to cocoon on their own. In the corners and up by the lid like Nick said even though there were tubes in with them. They ate all the food and there are two left to cocoon so I don't know if they will or if they will just die. I hope they cocoon.

 

[pigglett79]

Darn it, I just had over 50 cocoon. I should have taken pictures when they were about to. They will be big like 1.5 inch plus and most of the time you start to see the vein pulsing on their back. They will climb up the sides and start to cocoon. I like the rolls to keep them more organized as sometimes they all start to cocoon all over and expel their liquid on the other cocoons. Here is what I have going right now. Plus some eggs in the incubator so I will take more pics at each stage. I am graduating next week so I will have much more time for bug blogging with only work and not work plus school YAY!

 

[Kenny C]

Darn it, I just had over 50 cocoon. I should have taken pictures when they were about to. They will be big like 1.5 inch plus and most of the time you start to see the vein pulsing on their back. They will climb up the sides and start to cocoon. I like the rolls to keep them more organized as sometimes they all start to cocoon all over and expel their liquid on the other cocoons. Here is what I have going right now. Plus some eggs in the incubator so I will take more pics at each stage. I am graduating next week so I will have much more time for bug blogging with only work and not work plus school YAY!

Congratulation on graduating!!! And I am going to post a pic of my boys now.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Darn it, I just had over 50 cocoon. I should have taken pictures when they were about to. They will be big like 1.5 inch plus and most of the time you start to see the vein pulsing on their back.

^this. You will see an obvious pulsing vein along the top of their backs.