I am in need of silkworm food but on a budget...

[Kenny C]

So I purchased 500 Silkworm eggs that have all hatched! and are growing nicely. Now I need to purchase more food I found a post the other day with a link to a site with silkworm food cheaper than any other site, but I can't seem to find it again... Does anyone know said site?

 

[SPork]

I believe that would be the silkworm shop. Oregonsilkworms.com

 

[Kenny C]

I believe that would be the silkworm shop. Oregonsilkworms.com

That is it thank you!

 

[sandrachameleon]

to reduce costs even further, use a green leafy like Dandelion leaves for a quarter of the diet, instead of the chow

 

[Kenny C]

to reduce costs even further, use a green leafy like Dandelion leaves for a quarter of the diet, instead of the chow

Where can I get those?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Hm. Well, where I live, dandelion is a weed. It grows in my vegetable garden, in cracks in the sidewalk, in my flower beds, and in the lawn. (I don't use chemicals). It looks like this:

If you don't have this free weed in your garden (or if you don't have a garden), consider what inexpensive greens you might have access to. Romaine lettuce perhaps? thin shaved carrot sometimes works, but not as well liked as dandelion leaves.

 

[ridgebax1]

Search for silkworm chow on ebay. It's the same company Oregon silkworms and even cheaper than the website. Also some large grocery store will sell dandelion greens in the same section as other greens like collards and kale.

 

[SouthCentralFeeders]

what about mullberry leafs?

 

[ridgebax1]

From what I understand, once fed mulberry leaves it is very difficult to get the worms to accept the chow.

 

[Cap10Squirty]

I've picked a few dandelion leaves from the back yard...however the young silkworms don't seem to want it yet...I'll try again when they are bigger.

 

[Kenny C]

Thank you guys I will check my local whole foods store

 

[Cap10Squirty]

By the way, where did you purchase your eggs?

 

[sandrachameleon]

From what I understand, once fed mulberry leaves it is very difficult to get the worms to accept the chow.

smear chow on the last of your leaves, and you'll find they switch over just fine. Mine did.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I've picked a few dandelion leaves from the back yard...however the young silkworms don't seem to want it yet...I'll try again when they are bigger.

use young thin dandelion leaves for the babies. Spring leaves / new growth is better than the old tough winter leaves.
try smearing small amount of chow on the leaves to help transition. once they accept the dandelion, they'll go back and forth without the smear