SilkWorms 101

[bg77]

They do not... The only reason for the glue is to keep them from rolling around. Whenever I have used the gule I add it around the sides that way when they hatch they are around the edge and you dont kill them my laying chow in the middle and on top of them. Or you can use a grader apply over the top of them. I like that way myself. I feel bad if I kill them any way other than by feeding them to the animals

OK, OK so I want to buy lets say 1000 eggs. I buy them unglued. When they get here I can put them in the fridge. When I want to hatch some just take out some of the unglued eggs from the fridge, and glue them on/in lid/container in the right temp to be hatched? That is it besides be very clean, and feed alot???

 

[lonomac]

Yes, but they will need to be shipped in ice packs to stay cold. You'll have to tell the shipper you intend to cool them. If not they will start they're hatching process in the mail so you cant stick them back in the fridge or theyll die. Basically once they're out of the cold, they need to stay that way. You should also glue about 500 per dish to minimize overcrowding which kills them.

You may want to hatch a lot anyway. Feed a lot off and let a lot cocoon to get a lot more eggs.

 

[dodolah]

OK, OK so I want to buy lets say 1000 eggs. I buy them unglued. When they get here I can put them in the fridge. When I want to hatch some just take out some of the unglued eggs from the fridge, and glue them on/in lid/container in the right temp to be hatched? That is it besides be very clean, and feed alot???

hatch as many as you can handle.
kego are very susceptible to disease.
use #2 brush if you want to move them.
Also, take into consideration your chow supplies, how many days it take be4 the silkies grow to the edible size for your cham.

 

[bg77]

Allright, Thank you all.........

 

[RhettusMaximus]

i hatch and raise silkies

To do it the easy way go to mulberry farms and order your eggs. They sell them for a pretty decent price but the silkworm chow can be a little pricey. Theyre already fertile eggs so you just have to wait a few days for them to hatch. Make sure you have the chow ready for when they hatch (they will all hatch within 24 hours of eachother) and put the chow down in thin strips in the petri dishes that you got the eggs in until they are large enough to move into a different container. Theyre pretty easy to raise. Another thing you can do is just go to coastal silkworms and buy bulk live silkies from there so you pretty much take out any risk of eggs not hatching. It's kind of like a shortcut this way but alot less fun

Those instructions above are excellent. I'd def. follow those!

 

[JimNPHX]

Heat source for eggs?

I kind of backed away from this project after I first posted here, but now that I have 6 chams it is time to raise all my feeders . . .

Anyway, I am wondering what everyone uses as a heat source for hatching the eggs? I do not have an incubator. Mulberry Farms shows another option with a tub, heat bulb etc. Are there any other successful options? I have a Zoo-Med under the tank heat pad. Can I use that in some way to provide constant heat?

Also,what kind of glue do you use?

Thx

Jim

 

[JimNPHX]

Bump . . . D bumb bump

Anyone???

 

[Chameleonboy]

i need help i had 500 they all deid i need something to make it so the popp falls on the bottom and the worms and chow stay at the top it is really hard and i have about 500 eggs waiting to start hatching very soon id say about another 4 or 5 days

 

[dodolah]

incubator is safe bet.
I asked couple of people they all agreed that some kind of heater that UNIFORMLY heat the room is better than a heat bulb.

I usually start hatching my silkies in spring and summer when the warm temperature seems to be more stable (I live in California.. that make things easier for me). During winter, I basically turn on a mini heater in a small room so the temperature is constant. And that's where i put my silkworm cage in.

Perhaps, somebody else have tried the heat pack or heat bulb that works?
I would be interested to know also.

 

[Chameleonboy]

ink works the best i used it aswell but it didint work out for me because i couldent keep my worms on the top and have ther poop fall down i need to learn to make something that will make their poop fall down and i will do fine help plese picks will help me the best

 

[dodolah]

i need help i had 500 they all deid i need something to make it so the popp falls on the bottom and the worms and chow stay at the top it is really hard and i have about 500 eggs waiting to start hatching very soon id say about another 4 or 5 days

during kego stage, it's quite hard to do that.
at least till they are 2 weeks old, I basically put them in the tub with no plastic canvas.
I only put enough food so they can gorge them in a day.
I feed them daily and only handle them with small brush.

How exactly all of them die?
Is it simultaneously?

You do have to clean it regularly.
I found that an epidemic death among silkie colonies are usually caused by unsanitary husbandry and/or incorrect living environment.
It could be the food that you are supplying. or you let mold grows in the tub.

After they reach 2 weeks old, you can use plastic canvas to do the method.

 

[dodolah]

ink works the best i used it aswell but it didint work out for me because i couldent keep my worms on the top and have ther poop fall down i need to learn to make something that will make their poop fall down and i will do fine help plese picks will help me the best

Try the heater in the room method. it worked for me.
Did you see some kind of dews forming in the enclosure?
If there are dews, that's where your problem lies.

 

[Chameleonboy]

no dews i orderderd them as small from mullberry and they just started dieing off slowly i dunno how i never had a chance to clean there tuppaware because they were to small i tried to pick them up with a brush and it was really hard esp when you have to pick up about 600 of them what could i use if they are about 2 weeks old or small from mullberry farms


i was feeding them silkworm chow

 

[dodolah]

no dews i orderderd them as small from mullberry and they just started dieing off slowly i dunno how i never had a chance to clean there tuppaware because they were to small i tried to pick them up with a brush and it was really hard esp when you have to pick up about 600 of them what could i use if they are about 2 weeks old or small from mullberry farms


i was feeding them silkworm chow

it is a PITA cleaning the enclosure.
But i found that it is increasingly difficult to do when you put too much food for them. That's when the frass and the food mingle and creates a rather unsanitary condition.

there is a method called netting for the silkies in first and 2nd instar phase.
Basically, you purchased a large cell netting cloth from fabric store.
wash it first to rid of any chemical trace. Dried it.

You put the cloth right on top of the worm and put a fresh food on the cloth.

The fresh food will attract the silkie to climb upward and start eating.
After about a half an hour or 45 minutes, usually most of the silkie will be on the net. you can just gently lift the net up and move it to a new enclosure.

Some silkies will not climb up.
Generally these are the sick silkies.
You can just dump them. and clean the enclosure real well.
Or if you want to give them the 2nd chance, you can do the netting method again.

When they are bigger, a new large netting cloth will be needed.

 

[Chameleonboy]

thats sounds good but how can i keep the netting up or am i just supposed to leave it and evry time i change the netting and throw away the old one

i was thinking somehow i shuld have the netting about half an inch off the floor so all their poop can fall down and it would be easy to clean but i dont know how to keep it up

or should i just do what i saiddo the netting and just put new net evry time?

thanks for your quick responce

 

[dodolah]

thats sounds good but how can i keep the netting up or am i just supposed to leave it and evry time i change the netting and throw away the old one

i was thinking somehow i shuld have the netting about half an inch off the floor so all their poop can fall down and it would be easy to clean but i dont know how to keep it up

or should i just do what i saiddo the netting and just put new net evry time?

thanks for your quick responce

no no.. the netting is just for you to move the silkies without having to individually pick them one by one.
for pooping thing you can use plastic canvas. cut it to the size of your enclosure and just use some kind of L shaped carboard or something that can raise the plastic canvas about an inch high enabling the frass to fall to the bottom.

 

[Chameleonboy]

i will def try that when i order the 1000 i will also need some aditional help thanks alot

 

[mczoo]

Moths

Sorry to revive such an old thread but how long do the moths live. so far i have only two male moths one 3 days ad one 1 day old. I would like to feed them off if no female appears

Sean

 

[dodolah]

Sorry to revive such an old thread but how long do the moths live. so far i have only two male moths one 3 days ad one 1 day old. I would like to feed them off if no female appears

Sean

They say the moth lives to 7 - 10 days.
But, honestly, i never seen one lives that long (mine usually start to grow weak by the 5th days. By then, i don't think your cham will like them since they literally looked lifeless with an occasional fluttering).
Go ahead and feed the 3 days old one.

 

[BocaJan]

Just a little interjection here about the larger mesh. If you go into a craft store and look at the carpet hooking items, you will find a great mesh that is about 1/4 to 3/8 mesh. Maybe you have a choice of size. This might be great for that 2nd mesh.