New moths

Ramrod

Chameleon Enthusiast
Ok, silk moths hatching from thier cacoons. What to do now? Do i need to seperate newly hatched from others or just leave them?
First go around with these so asking how to proceed. Thanks ahead for the guidence.
 
im not too sure on silk moths but i used to work at a butterfly house and how we got ours ready is once theyre hatched, give them 4-5 hours to dry their wings then move them to a separate container which then you can use to release them into their own space where they can breed and lay eggs.

remember to have their host plant in there as moths will only lay on a host plant for optimal chance at survival for their young (thats what i heard but not too sure) and remember to keep an eye out for dead moths because they only live a short while.

edit: back when i was in the butterfly house, without the host plant, butterflies wouldnt lay eggs.
 
Ok, silk moths hatching from thier cacoons. What to do now? Do i need to seperate newly hatched from others or just leave them?
First go around with these so asking how to proceed. Thanks ahead for the guidence.

Are you trying to mate them?

They only live for a few hours, or days. I forget. They are like Soldier flys, they don't eat, they don't drink, they just mate, lay, and die.
 
Are you trying to mate them?

They only live for a few hours, or days. I forget. They are like Soldier flys, they don't eat, they don't drink, they just mate, lay, and die.
adult silk moths like most moths do not have and cannot form working mouth parts, they live for a span of days but have enough energy to only mate before they die... no time for dating am i right?!:)
 
im not too sure on silk moths but i used to work at a butterfly house and how we got ours ready is once theyre hatched, give them 4-5 hours to dry their wings then move them to a separate container which then you can use to release them into their own space where they can breed and lay eggs.

remember to have their host plant in there as moths will only lay on a host plant for optimal chance at survival for their young (thats what i heard but not too sure) and remember to keep an eye out for dead moths because they only live a short while.

edit: back when i was in the butterfly house, without the host plant, butterflies wouldnt lay eggs.

Your not fitting a mulberry tree in the house lol.

Silks don't need that anyway, they will lay on a piece of paper. They will emerge on the same paper.

You out the cocoons on paper, in a dish and that's it, they will take care of the rest. Silks have been domesciated, they cannot fly, they don't need their tree.

They are bred and harvested in Mass, for a very long time. For silk. They use to be able to fly, I heard. That ended due to domescation, these guys have been bred for their concoons for 1000s of years.

Here is a video, about the process for silks.

There is a part 1 but Op is already at part 2 :p.
 
Your not fitting a mulberry tree in the house lol.

Silks don't need that anyway, they will lay on a piece of paper. They will emerge on the same paper.

You out the cocoons on paper, in a dish and that's it, they will take care of the rest. Silks have been domesciated, they cannot fly, they don't need their tree.

They are bred and harvested in Mass, for a very long time. For silk.

Here is a video, about the process for silks.

There is a part 1 but Op is already at part 2 :p.

i meant to bring in leaves of the tree lol maybe i need to be more specific please do not bring the tree inside!!! LOL

i only say that because butterflies and moths know what their host plants are, although ive seen moths that drop eggs anywhere.
 
i meant to bring in leaves of the tree lol maybe i need to be more specific please do not bring the tree inside!!! LOL

i only say that because butterflies and moths know what their host plants are, although ive seen moths that drop eggs anywhere.

Ya I know :p.


Its not needed for silks though, Silkworm do not even exist in the wild anymore I dont think, Silkworms have been bred and captives, and domesticated since 2696 BC. We are talking, almost 5000 years of these things, being bred as captives. They have lost the ability to fly due to this, and lost the requirement for mulberry leaves to lay(they still eat mulberry, as we all know), they mate and die, very very quickly. If they make it that far :(, most are not allowed to emerge, once the cocoon is done, the worm boiled alive (the entire cocoon) and the silk is processed (spun off). The cocoon is what our Silk fabrics are made from.


People have over 1000s of years, destroyed these insects will to fight, or any type of instinct at all. These poor creatures, dont fit the normal rules, due to thousands of years, of retraining evolution to fit our needs, to make a product.

we have even found ways to dye the worm, so the silk comes out pre dyed. The feed dyes to the worms, so that they will produce a colored silk.

clipbosgfhhard-1.jpg
 
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Are you trying to mate them?

They only live for a few hours, or days. I forget. They are like Soldier flys, they don't eat, they don't drink, they just mate, lay, and die.
Yes, they are hatching and this morning I noticed mating. I know they don't live long and just concerned about treatment of eggs.
These came from some on my last order of feeders. Thanks for the info
 
Yes, they are hatching and this morning I noticed mating. I know they don't live long and just concerned about treatment of eggs.
These came from some on my last order of feeders. Thanks for the info

I would do as the video if it were me, pull the cocoons, and let them lay on paper. Im not sure if it was that vid or another, they let the eggs attached to the paper and cut out the circles of paper. Then it would be just like eggs from the company, you can fridge them, to hatch later or hatch now in an incubator.
 
Ya I know :p.


Its not needed for silks though, Silkworm do not even exist in the wild anymore I dont think, Silkworms have been bred and captives, and domesticated since 2696 BC. We are talking, almost 5000 years of these things, being bred as captives. They have lost the ability to fly due to this, and lost the requirement for mulberry leaves to lay(they still eat mulberry, as we all know), they mate and die, very very quickly. If they make it that far :(, most are not allowed to emerge, once the cocoon is done, the worm boiled alive (the entire cocoon) and the silk is processed (spun off). The cocoon is what our Silk fabrics are made from.


People have over 1000s of years, destroyed these insects will to fight, or any type of instinct at all. These poor creatures, dont fit the normal rules, due to thousands of years, of retraining evolution to fit our needs, to make a product.

we have even found ways to dye the worm, so the silk comes out pre dyed. The feed dyes to the worms, so that they will produce a colored silk.

clipbosgfhhard-1.jpg
Terrible what we do to some things for our benefit huh?
 
Terrible what we do to some things for our benefit huh?

It is, and what upsets me even more. I was reading an article about it awhile back, some fashion company pulled all animal products (except from leather, from feeder cow industry only, and wool from ethical farms). They pulled silk, and Animal Activists COMPLAINED! They said the worms are not animals, they dont feel pain, we need silk and pulling that is demeaning to the animal cause.

These people have issues, to scream about Animals that are being eaten anyway, and using the skins in clothes and to turn around and say oh but the worms are okay... I can understand, the want to remove animals from clothing and products, however do not try to discriminate which life is important and which isn't, because then your just as bad as the people make the products that your complaining about.
 
The key is to keep the female contained to a small area or she will randomly lay eggs. I use a paper towel roll to keep her from going all over the place. Also, let them sit out until they turn a gray color and then put them in the fridge. I leave mine in for a couple months, just write the date on a plastic bag. Here is my current set up.
 

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The key is to keep the female contained to a small area or she will randomly lay eggs. I use a paper towel roll to keep her from going all over the place. Also, let them sit out until they turn a gray color and then put them in the fridge. I leave mine in for a couple months, just write the date on a plastic bag. Here is my current set up.
Ahh, good info. My first go at this and need all the tips I can get. Didn't really plan on raising any but since it just happened I figured I'd give it a go. Any particular temp for the fridge? What would be the soonest they can be put out to hatch.
Thanks
 
I keep mine in the bottom drawer, I believe this puts them into a diapause to simulate winter conditions and once you bring them out to warmer temps they should hatch in a week or two (Sometimes longer) Not sure the minimum time frame to keep them in the fridge but if you want to hatch them sooner you may be able to just leave them out at room temp.
My last batch took about a week to hatch once I took them out of the fridge. I don’t recommend hatching the whole cluster lol. I have about 100+ worms that will never be eaten (ugh). I only have one chameleon lol. Stock up on chow while you wait.
 
I move the moths i to a seperate container because if they lay eggs on the cocoons its a real pita. Also, I highly recommend lining the bins with wax paper instead of paper towels! It is much cleaner.

Moths will live a few days. Usually they start looking rough by day 3, but males that havent mated seem to do well beyond that.
 
I was hoping you would chime in lol!
I move the moths i to a seperate container because if they lay eggs on the cocoons its a real pita. Also, I highly recommend lining the bins with wax paper instead of paper towels! It is much cleaner.

Moths will live a few days. Usually they start looking rough by day 3, but males that havent mated seem to do well beyond that.
 
I move the moths i to a seperate container because if they lay eggs on the cocoons its a real pita. Also, I highly recommend lining the bins with wax paper instead of paper towels! It is much cleaner.

Moths will live a few days. Usually they start looking rough by day 3, but males that havent mated seem to do well beyond that.
I have them on parchment paper now. Thanks for the tip. When they are on thier last day, would it be good food for the cham?
 
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