Silkworm eggs

[Psychobunny]

So, I now have places a bunch of eggs in the hatching container and keeping the temps warm.
They are about 10 days old and black in color.

I don't want to put the food in until they start hatching since its the prepared gel stuff.
So when I see them starting I will add the food so they can climb up to eat.

How long does it take for them to hatch??
I know the answer is in the website, but could not find it!!

 

[dlegare]

The answer to how long it takes them to hatch is... Yes.

Confused?

Silk Worm eggs most commonly are hatched after a diapause (Semi dormant cool period) ranging several months to one year.

I have hatched them out without diapause but the hatching times are really variable from as short as one month to 4 so far.

Good luck.

 

[Psychobunny]

The answer to how long it takes them to hatch is... Yes.

Confused?

Silk Worm eggs most commonly are hatched after a diapause (Semi dormant cool period) ranging several months to one year.

I have hatched them out without diapause but the hatching times are really variable from as short as one month to 4 so far.

Good luck.

Does that mean I should put them all in the fridge and take them out after a while?

 

[pigglett79]

Does that mean I should put them all in the fridge and take them out after a while?

Hatching times do vary greatly. But when I use an incubator at about 84 degrees and add a little humidity I can get them to hatch in about 9 or 10 days. I have hatched them without a diapause but haven't really studied if a diapause decreases hatch time.

 

[Kate]

I have most of my eggs in the fridge and a manageable amount of eggs in the incubator. They haven't been cooled and have been there for about two weeks so far. Be patient or you may end up with more worms than can cope with.

 

[jojothefirst]

If left at room temp how long would they take then?

 

[Kate]

If left at room temp how long would they take then?

Diegare has the answer. I have had fresh ones hatch in just over a week. And cooled ones take 3 months. It's the uncertainty that made me impatient. I had fresh and cooled that I had given up on all hatch at once. Fortunately only 300 out of around 1000 hatched.

 

[Psychobunny]

Last time I did this, the eggs hatched on their own and no fridge.
I had them in a container on my kitchen table, and they just hatched!
I did absolutely nothing but ignore them!!

Cant remember how long it took.
Will try a little added humidity with heat and see if they hatch.
Give them a week or so, if nothing, the whole lot goes in the trash

 

[Kate]

No give them longer. I put a piece of damp tissue in the box for humidity.

 

[Psychobunny]

Okay, a bunch of them hatched and they are just sort of sitting in one place!

I thought they would climb up the container to where the food is, like I do for
hornworms, but these guys don't seem interested in going anywhere!

Am I supposed to put the food down there for them??

 

[Kate]

Have you got boxes with mesh in? If so put a thin line of food on the mesh and move the worms on to the food with a thin paint brush or cocktail stick. You will need to feed them at least twice a day as the food will dry out. The idea about the mesh is that the poop will drop through the holes. Just thought, the above is for the artificial food, do you have fresh leaves?

 

[Psychobunny]

Okay, since some of these hatched 3 days ago, I am afraid of dehydration.
So I put the food do there were they are so they don't die!!
They don't seem to be able to climb up the cup wall for the food above,
like I do with hornworms.

I know they have to be kept very clean and not be in their own poop.
I wont let in get dirty, but for now, getting them hydrated is job #1

 

[Kate]

I use cricket boxes. They recommend that they be fed x3 daily but I just didn't have the time to do that so I settled for x2 and that worked. They are stupid and need you to put them on the food. Some grate the food on top of them but I couldn't get the consistency right to do that so I just put a thin line of food along the mesh. If I was realy pushed for time I would put put another line of food further over on the mesh and clean them out the next day. Hope that helps

 

[Psychobunny]

I use cricket boxes. They recommend that they be fed x3 daily but I just didn't have the time to do that so I settled for x2 and that worked. They are stupid and need you to put them on the food. Some grate the food on top of them but I couldn't get the consistency right to do that so I just put a thin line of food along the mesh. If I was realy pushed for time I would put put another line of food further over on the mesh and clean them out the next day. Hope that helps

I got a few lb's of the premixed stuff, sliced it thin, and put it all around
the inside wall.
I read in nature, they hatch on the leaf where Mom stuck them

How convenient, food IS the floor!!

And yes, they do seem too stupid to find their own food, only 1/2'' away!

 

[Kate]

Only use as much as they will eat in 10-12 hrs as any more will dry out.