Silkworm egg colour change

[Shaunny]

Ok so we had a batch of silkworms a while ago and I ran out for food. They were about 2" long and the main of them turned into cacoons. We have about 30 of them. About 4 days ago they started to hatch and then started mating. We have probably 5 mating pairs and some have already laid.

My question to you guys is how long do they take before turning grey? I did some research on this and if they turn grey that obviously indicates they are fertile. Some have been laid for 2 days or so now but not turning

 

[pssh]

I believe it takes about a week or so. A silkworm breeder I talked to told me to keep the eggs out for a little while after this as a few might hatch out. If/when any do to then put the rest in the fridge like normal.

Also, if you didn't already know this, it's easier to keep all the eggs in clusters if you put a small cup or toilet paper tube around the females so they can only lay inside the allotted area.

 

[NHenn]

I'm with Kara, it could take 7-10 days depending on the temperatures. If it is colder where they are kept it could even take longer.