Look what I found this morning
- Thread starter dlegare
- Start date
Psychobunny
Avid Member
I have a hard time keeping the silkies alive in the winter long enough for them
to cocoon, hatch and mate.
I cant find a good warm place for them, so I keep them on a heating mat because that room can get down to 60F as the house heating system does not reach that part of the house very well.
Tried space heaters, but makes the bill go up, and sometimes trips the circuit breaker.
to cocoon, hatch and mate.
I cant find a good warm place for them, so I keep them on a heating mat because that room can get down to 60F as the house heating system does not reach that part of the house very well.
Tried space heaters, but makes the bill go up, and sometimes trips the circuit breaker.
Kate
Avid Member
Congratulations. Yes it is very interesting. All they want to do is mate. I put paper towel underneath them and they lay their eggs on it. The eggs are well stuck on the towel. I have got to the stage now where the eggs are hatching and I have tiny worms. Keeping them warm in an incubator at about 80.
Miss Lily
Chameleon Enthusiast
Silkmoths are the cutest things ever (apart from baby chameleons)! They look to me like tiny furry teddies with wings! The females emerge full of eggs (females being the fatter bodied ones), and if they don't mate soon after then they will lay them anyway. I also place my mating pairs on kitchen roll too. Once the eggs have been laid they gradually turn darker until a few days after they are dark grey in clolour. These are fertile eggs - the infertile ones stay the same colour that they are when they are laid.
They look to me like tiny furry teddies with wings! The females emerge full of eggs (females being the fatter bodied ones), and if they don't mate soon after then they will lay them anyway. I also place my mating pairs on kitchen roll too. Once the eggs have been laid they gradually turn darker until a few days after they are dark grey in clolour. These are fertile eggs - the infertile ones stay the same colour that they are when they are laid.
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
i got 9 cocoons, but im doing zebras so its stripes and no stripes. I only have one left to hatch. My eggs are turning brown, i think that is a good thing till the turn grey.
Kate
Avid Member
Are your cocoons yellow? I had white silkies and striped ones. All cocoons were white except one which was yellow.
pigglett79
Avid Member
How exciting. Hopefully you get a female soon.
kudos senor! i find it best to place wax paper down for them to lay their eggs on. you're in for a treat of 300-500 eggs per female. you'll definitely know which is which soon enough haha as for life expectancy of the moth, I have seen some of mine live for as long as 4-5 days and then they became food. vicious cycle these things have.
