Silk worms ?!??

[DirtyDubbz]

Wondering where a good place to get some silk worms are some of our sponsors offer them but are currently out of stock ? Also aren't silk worms a good staple diet I mix it up between crickets / Dubia roaches / m worms (treat). right now I'd like to add another feeder to the mix any opinions options what's your favorite feeder I have a 5 month old (mombo) and a 3 month old (mr.mittens) lol

 

[CarlC]

You could just buy eggs and hatch them yourself. Eggs are a lot easier to come by.

Carl

 

[teejayteej]

This is another place that I get mine from and they have all sizes in stock. www.silkwormshop.com
I have had good luck with them so far.

 

[ir0k]

I feel ya man, trying to find silk worms out here in California is like finding a gold nugget. Everywhere I go is out of them ><

 

[kdc5019]

Buying the Eggs and hatching them yourself is the most economic way of doing it.

However ive recently been getting my silks from

http://www.floridafreshsilkworms.com/

Peyton only sells large quantities though, minimum order of 500 but those 500 cost the same as getting 100 from some other places. He has great customer service and is always prompt with any questions.

 

[DirtyDubbz]

I feel ya man, trying to find silk worms out here in California is like finding a gold nugget. Everywhere I go is out of them ><

Lol where's the gold! And I checked that website below and looks good to me I'm going to try it out today

 

[Psychobunny]

I get mine from silkwormshop.
The other places are always out of stock, and I dont like buying them in those
"cups" which only get 25 silkies.

The silkworm shop always has stock, and I can buy them in bulk, like 50 in a deli cup.
I also like their prepaired chow better then the other places.

 

[DirtyDubbz]

Thanks psycho seems pretty legit and you gut load them with their premade chow ? Not your own blend have you used them as a staple diet or just as treats or in conjunction with and what are your recommendations for husbandry of them

 

[Psychobunny]

More recently, found a place called silkiestogo.com and I bought 100 small silkies for $10.00.
The smallest are about 1/4'', but they grow really fast.

I may just stick with this place if they continue to have stock.

Yes, they are a staple, like cricks and roaches.
I have never tried to gut load them, just have given them Romain when I ran out of mulberry chow.

 

[fathertime79]

Has anyone tried breeding silkworms and if so, how easy is it?

 

[Psychobunny]

Has anyone tried breeding silkworms and if so, how easy is it?

I havent had much luck, but I'm not ready to give up.
It is a major PITA (my opinion of course)

Piglett has a silkworm raising blog, may want to check it out.

 

[kdc5019]

Breeding silks isn't hard it's just meticulous and time consuming.
I've done it before and it's "free" food.

For a few dollars and free shipping you can get over 500 egg counts at different location. So it's not the hassle for me. Just buy the eggs and hatch then out. It's much more cost effective than the PODS

 

[Psychobunny]

Who has free shipping?

 

[Kate]

I love breeding them. They are time consuming though. You might want to feed them off as they grow as they grow fast. If they get too big, keep feeding them and let them cocoon and you can start the cycle again.

 

[Psychobunny]

Since I have a good size batch, I will try breeding them again.

Last time, I got plenty of eggs, but none of them hatched!!??

Out of 4 attempts, only one success

They are just too expensive to keep on buying online.

 

[kdc5019]

Since I have a good size batch, I will try breeding them again.

Last time, I got plenty of eggs, but none of them hatched!!??

Out of 4 attempts, only one success

They are just too expensive to keep on buying online.

Ive had this same issue until i started to systematically figure out what to do.

IF you breed the moths and get your own eggs, its not the same as if you purchase the eggs from a commercial site.

The eggs your moths lay should change from yellowish color to a grayish color. The shift in color indicates that the eggs are fertile, and is a sign that the embryo inside is viable and developing normally. If the eggs remain yellow (or if some out of the batch remain yellow while the others turn dark) then they are infertile and will not hatch.

In my experience Silk eggs need to go through a diapause. They will develop up to the diapause stage and then they will remain there until they go through a period of cold followed by a gradual warming.

So once your eggs turn that drak gray color, place them in the fridge (my fridge is around 45) for at least a month (ive had success all the way up to 3 months, any more than 3 and the hatch rate isnt as good) After you take them out of the fridge let them sit at room temp for a few days, and then heat them up to around 80 and in a week to 10 days they should hatch!!

This method works for me. Im sure there is an easier way our there, but this works everytime for me.

 

[Psychobunny]

Ive had this same issue until i started to systematically figure out what to do.

IF you breed the moths and get your own eggs, its not the same as if you purchase the eggs from a commercial site.

The eggs your moths lay should change from yellowish color to a grayish color. The shift in color indicates that the eggs are fertile, and is a sign that the embryo inside is viable and developing normally. If the eggs remain yellow (or if some out of the batch remain yellow while the others turn dark) then they are infertile and will not hatch.

In my experience Silk eggs need to go through a diapause. They will develop up to the diapause stage and then they will remain there until they go through a period of cold followed by a gradual warming.

So once your eggs turn that drak gray color, place them in the fridge (my fridge is around 45) for at least a month (ive had success all the way up to 3 months, any more than 3 and the hatch rate isnt as good) After you take them out of the fridge let them sit at room temp for a few days, and then heat them up to around 80 and in a week to 10 days they should hatch!!

This method works for me. Im sure there is an easier way our there, but this works everytime for me.

I have never done the diapause thing.
Is that why they didn't hatch?

I have a incubator, should I put them in there after diapause?

Also, how do you feed the hatchlings?
Seems like they have to be directly ON TOP of the food, since they will not go to find it.

The one and only time I got mine to hatch from my own moth breeding, they laid the eggs on paper towel, which I cut out.
Then, I got some mulberry leaves from Lady Silkworm, layed out some leaves, and placed the pieces of paper towel with the eggs on it upside down on the leaves. I did not diapause them. They did hatch, but I kept having to change the leaves with fresh ones as they would dry out so fast.
So, it seems they will hatch w/o the diapause, but it takes longer!?

 

[CarlC]

I was using the Zebra type. Those eggs did not need a diapause break. A week after my female laid them they were hatching. Not what I wanted so I switched types. I now am using the regular white ones and these need the diapause break.

For just hatching worms I wait a day to offer food. I sprinkle very small crumbles around the babies. The babies will crawl to the food.

Carl

 

[kdc5019]

I have never done the diapause thing.
Is that why they didn't hatch?

I have a incubator, should I put them in there after diapause?

Also, how do you feed the hatchlings?
Seems like they have to be directly ON TOP of the food, since they will not go to find it.

The one and only time I got mine to hatch from my own moth breeding, they laid the eggs on paper towel, which I cut out.
Then, I got some mulberry leaves from Lady Silkworm, layed out some leaves, and placed the pieces of paper towel with the eggs on it upside down on the leaves. I did not diapause them. They did hatch, but I kept having to change the leaves with fresh ones as they would dry out so fast.
So, it seems they will hatch w/o the diapause, but it takes longer!?

Most people say to use a cheese grater to feed the baby silks. I've never had luck with that. I actually put the food in a ziplock bag and then cut a small hole in the corner and squeeze it out into little strings that they eat then. Like icing on a cupcake. I've never use actual leaves before just the premade chow.

You can put them in an incubator if you wish. I just put them on top of my cage close to a basking light until it says something between 76-80.

They should hatch without a diapause but it will take longer and the hatch rate won't be as high. In my experience.

 

[Saldarya]

Most people say to use a cheese grater to feed the baby silks. I've never had luck with that. I actually put the food in a ziplock bag and then cut a small hole in the corner and squeeze it out into little strings that they eat then. Like icing on a cupcake. I've never use actual leaves before just the premade chow.

You can put them in an incubator if you wish. I just put them on top of my cage close to a basking light until it says something between 76-80.

They should hatch without a diapause but it will take longer and the hatch rate won't be as high. In my experience.

That's a freaking great idea about the ziplock bag!!! The grater is fine once the grow up some, but the fresh hatched ones, not so great.