Quick Silkworm Q

[Fretfreak13]

When I get my cham I would like to feed silkworms. From what I've read, besides having your own colony buying eggs in bulk and hatching them as needed. I've been researching all night and am reading about the different "instar" stages. My question is what instar stage is the best to feed to chams (male veiled), and how long from hatching does it take a silkie to get to that stage?

Please and thank you! =)

 

[pigglett79]

How old is he?

 

[Fretfreak13]

He will be 6 months when I get him. Its one of Camimom's Kink babies.

 

[pigglett79]

At that age they will likely eat 4th instar, or medium silks. The first three instars are pretty small worms.

 

[pigglett79]

It takes a couple weeks to get that size, depending on food availability and temperature.

 

[Fretfreak13]

So do you think it would be a good idea to have three sets of hatched silkies separated by a week? I would be feeding the three week olds to the cham? Or should I add in a few more?

Also, maybe you could help me with this too since you're an avid bugger =)

I'm planning on using crickets, turkistan roaches, and the silkies. I would like to house them in this. Each drawer will have the left and right sides cut out and replaced with aluminum screen for ventilation. The top drawer will be crickets, middle roaches, and bottom the silkies.

Each weeks hatching of silkies will be housed in their own little container similar to the one in your blog INSIDE the drawer.

 

[Psychobunny]

At that age they will likely eat 4th instar, or medium silks. The first three instars are pretty small worms.

Since silkies dont shed, how can you tell what instar they are?

 

[deadhd5]

Since silkies dont shed, how can you tell what instar they are?

Silkies do molt...

 

[pigglett79]

Since silkies dont shed, how can you tell what instar they are?

Yeah, they do molt.

So do you think it would be a good idea to have three sets of hatched silkies separated by a week? I would be feeding the three week olds to the cham? Or should I add in a few more?

Also, maybe you could help me with this too since you're an avid bugger =)

I'm planning on using crickets, turkistan roaches, and the silkies. I would like to house them in this. Each drawer will have the left and right sides cut out and replaced with aluminum screen for ventilation. The top drawer will be crickets, middle roaches, and bottom the silkies.

Each weeks hatching of silkies will be housed in their own little container similar to the one in your blog INSIDE the drawer.

That will probably work just fine, I try to hatch silkies about a week or two apart to have a constant supply. You can start feeding off smaller ones while you wait for some larger ones. Sounds like you have a good plan.

 

[Lathelia]

I'm not sure if this drawer would work. Silkworms don't have immune system, so they need a sterile environment.

 

[Fretfreak13]

How would the drawer not be sterile? Each set of silkies has their own little container that is just inside the drawer for organization. However, on the above drawers the crickets and roaches will be free to move around.

If this isn't sterile enough, can you think of a way to make it so?

Edit: The reason I'm so bent on keeping the bugs organized is because this is my mothers house and I know she's not going to be too keen on them being there. Keeping them very organized is the least I can do

 

[deadhd5]

How would the drawer not be sterile? Each set of silkies has their own little container that is just inside the drawer for organization. However, on the above drawers the crickets and roaches will be free to move around.

If this isn't sterile enough, can you think of a way to make it so?

Edit: The reason I'm so bent on keeping the bugs organized is because this is my mothers house and I know she's not going to be too keen on them being there. Keeping them very organized is the least I can do

I did not have success with silkworms until I separated them from the other insects and my high humidity chameleon room. I agree that it will be difficult to keep them alive in the same stack as other feeders..

 

[Fretfreak13]

Hm, I may still try it, but if my silkies die I'll know why. I don't have a bug/reptile room. This is just one pet chameleon who's cage is in my bedroom. I have a closet/attic that I was planning on storing the bins in with heat lamps. I wasn't originally going to give the silkies a lamp. But, we'll see where this goes I guess. I'm not meaning to not take your advice, its just that since this isn't my house I really can't have bugs in more than one place.

Thank you so much everyone for all the helpful info yet again! This place is great, I'm so glad to be a part of it.

 

[Fretfreak13]

Actually, one more question! I was talking about separating the silkies by the weeks I hatch them. Is that even necessary? They aren't cannibals, right? And I could tell which ones to feed by how big they were, no?

 

[deadhd5]

Actually, one more question! I was talking about separating the silkies by the weeks I hatch them. Is that even necessary? They aren't cannibals, right? And I could tell which ones to feed by how big they were, no?

The only thing I would worry about is the small silks getting trapped in all the silk that the large worms produce. Maybe two locations are in order, one for worms < 1 inch, and the other for worms > 1 inch

They are not cannibals

Edit: by the way pigglet is the go to person for silks! i only had success after following pigglet's advice (only feed one day worth of food, remove all excess after one day. make small batches of chow. clean everyday. move out of the high humidity cham room). Before that my worms quickly turned into nasty mush

 

[pigglett79]

If you keep the silks in the closet and that area is not humid you might be ok. I used to have a separate bug room, but had to find a way to merge my chameleon room and bugs. I now have the bugs in the closet and this seems to work fine. I put shelves in the closet and I keep the roaches on bottom with a heat mat, the crickets in critter keepers on the middle shelf, and the silks and horns in the Tupperware as shown on my blog on the top shelf.

I use a humid incubator for hatching eggs, but the worms don't do well with humidity. Be sure to keep them clean and change out food daily and you should be fine. If you start to see mold on the food you will know it is too humid.

Edit: and I do keep the different sizes separate. The bigger ones do produce silk and I also keep the babies in petri dishes until they are about a week or so old, then transfer to a tupperware.

 

[Fretfreak13]

Thanks, guys! When I actually get this stuff I'll resurrect this thread with some pictures if I can find it. =)

 

[deadhd5]

Good luck! Silkworms are my favorite feeder to keep, raise, and feed to my chams. All three of mine love them, and their urates are always pearly white while silks are in their diet. They are also the least nasty and most fascinating insect I raise for my chams

 

[sandrachameleon]

Silkworms are not nearly as delicate and in need of sterile conditions as some people seem to think. I've never had troubles. And if you see the way these same creaturs are factory raised (for the silk) in some countries....!

If you're going to be growing them up yourself, its great to have access to fresh mulberry leaves. If you dont have fresh leaves, or not enough of them, you can also include dandelion leaves, grape vine leaves or buy a commercial "chow"

 

[Fretfreak13]

I was planning on a strictly chow diet for these little fellas. =)