silkworm egg questions

[trevorg]

So I just bred some silkworms and have some eggs that are all grey, and some eggs that are still cream colored but have a little black dot in them. I have read up a lot but some people have different opinions on what eggs are fertile or dead. Anyone know if these are about to hatch? I have them both in a warm and humid area.

 

[Miss Lily]

I have never got eggs to hatch without enforcing a diapause on them first. When the eggs are laid, they are yellow but gradually go through orange and brown to dark grey over a few days if fertile. Its at this stage that I put them into the fridge for at least 4 weeks to cool them. They take about a week to 10 days to hatch when I bring them out and warm them up.

When were these eggs laid? They may still hatch but I have no idea how long it could take.

 

[KatCham]

I had some just hatch a while ago without going in the fridge.

Took a few weeks I think.

I forgot they were there, then when I remembered, and thought oh they'll be knackered now so I'll throw them out, there were the little black blips! Tons of em!! LOL

Speaking of tons of silkworms.....ordered a tub of 40/50 Small/Med the other day.

They were really small when they arrived.

Fed them up over the past few days, and now they're bigger, I've moved them to a bigger tub. Counted them as I transferred them as I had to sort the healthy from the goopy! ICK!!

Guess how many are actually there?!?!?!?




174!!!!!!

Not sure whether to be happy that I've scored a load of extra feeders, or not coz I've just created a LOAD of work for myself, feeding them and the rest of the carry on that goes with them! LOL

Hope Simba remembers what they are when they're big enough to feed!! LOL

 

[Kate]

I had some just hatch a while ago without going in the fridge.

Took a few weeks I think.

I forgot they were there, then when I remembered, and thought oh they'll be knackered now so I'll throw them out, there were the little black blips! Tons of em!! LOL

Speaking of tons of silkworms.....ordered a tub of 40/50 Small/Med the other day.

They were really small when they arrived.

Fed them up over the past few days, and now they're bigger, I've moved them to a bigger tub. Counted them as I transferred them as I had to sort the healthy from the goopy! ICK!!

Guess how many are actually there?!?!?!?




174!!!!!!

Not sure whether to be happy that I've scored a load of extra feeders, or not coz I've just created a LOAD of work for myself, feeding them and the rest of the carry on that goes with them! LOL

Hope Simba remembers what they are when they're big enough to feed!! LOL

Hahaha. Why am I laughing? You know my story! I've had to take mine to work the last two days to feed them as I work 12 hr shifts.

 

[KatCham]

Hahahaha, I was laughing and thinking of you when I counted them out!!!

Oh, they're such a pain in the butt!!! LOL

They take over your life don't they?!?!

Going to take forever to feed these off!! I reckon I'll end up flogging some on ebay when they're bigger!!

Can't be bothered with moths (although they are SOOOO cute!) and hundreds of eggs!!!

I'm going to have enough babies to contend with, with BABY due in 2 weeks!!!

 

[Kate]

Good luck and keep us posted on the little one.

 

[trevorg]

Thanks for the advice! Ill put the grey ones in the fringe for a while. I don't know what is up with those other ones. Ill keep you guys posted. Thanks again for the replies.

 

[KatCham]

Good luck and keep us posted on the little one.

Thanks hun, will do

 

[KatCham]

Thanks for the advice! Ill put the grey ones in the fringe for a while. I don't know what is up with those other ones. Ill keep you guys posted. Thanks again for the replies.

Yes, the grey ones in the fridge deffo!!!

The white ones with black dots look like they're worms about to hatch???

 

[Kate]

Thanks for the advice! Ill put the grey ones in the fringe for a while. I don't know what is up with those other ones. Ill keep you guys posted. Thanks again for the replies.

Sorry Trevorg for breaking your thread but last sept I had approx 700 eggs. As I was due to go on holiday in nov I put them in the fridge. I took some out begining of dec. got impatient begining Jan and took them all out thinking they were duds. Three weeks ago I ordered some eggs. Several days later they started to hatch, so did the duds. Result - many silkworms that need feeding twice a day. Thank goodness they didn't all hatch. Moral of the story - dont be impatient. They can still hatch a couple of months after coming out of the fridge. Good luck

 

[trevorg]

Sorry Trevorg for breaking your thread but last sept I had approx 700 eggs. As I was due to go on holiday in nov I put them in the fridge. I took some out begining of dec. got impatient begining Jan and took them all out thinking they were duds. Three weeks ago I ordered some eggs. Several days later they started to hatch, so did the duds. Result - many silkworms that need feeding twice a day. Thank goodness they didn't all hatch. Moral of the story - dont be impatient. They can still hatch a couple of months after coming out of the fridge. Good luck

haha no worries Kate. Too many silkworms sounds like a nice problem to have though! I know your reptiles will be happy.

 

[KatCham]

A nice problem?!?! LOL

Great if u can feed them off faster than they breed! Lol

Suppose u can just fridge the eggs to stop them from turning into worms to control amount hatching, just when u unexpectedly end up with tons of mouths to feed, it can be a pain!!!! They take over your life!

I just hope my Simba remembers how much he likes them when the 170+ I've been landed with are big enough to feed off! Lol

Kate, I would have lost the will to live having 700 worms to sort!!! Hat off to ya Hun!

 

[busterboy]

When I bred my silkworms.....
I had gotten the eggs that were yellow, turned grey, then almost black within about 10 days the silkworm eggs were hatched... Never fridged them. I believe I kept them in room temperature at around 75-82 degrees