everbearing mulberry
- Thread starter captdan
- Start date
bobcochran
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have had silk worms eat any mulberry leaves I can find- both fruit bearing and ornamental types.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yes mulberry is their host plant, but I have had problems in the past and just over the past few days with feeding the leaves after they have been raised on the chow. I do not know why, but I get the worms small from the supplier and they do great on the chow and when I introduce the mulberry leaves, they die off very quickly. I am going to ask Coastal Silkworms where I get mine why this is. This is like the 3rd time this has happened to me, and I have two different places where I obtained the leaves from and it happened both times. The chow is just way more expensive than getting the leaves for free, but I when I run out I have resorted to the leaves and have had terrible luck.
junglefries
Avid Member
I read about this exact situation on one of the websites (almost positive it was the suppliers site where i read). It was eithers mulberry or coastal. it was a warning that a company posted, could habe even been on the silkworm chow packaging.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
ok thanks. I think if they are raised on the leaves from hatching out it is ok but there is something about switching from the chow to the leaves that is not good. I know firsthand, it does not work for me!!
CarlC
Established Member
I've never had luck switching to leaves once they have eaten chow. I don't get a complete die off but probably 3/4.
To the OP yes you can use all types of mulberry. The white is always mentioned because it is so easily found. It grows everywhere and big tree's are easy to find.
Carl
To the OP yes you can use all types of mulberry. The white is always mentioned because it is so easily found. It grows everywhere and big tree's are easy to find.
Carl
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ok good to know. Mine were not completely dead in a day, but pretty much over a span of about a week. Everyday, their were mass numbers dead and I did not loose one single worm when they were on the chow.
from what I am aware off, is that you have to feed silkworms only white mulberry leaves (morus alba). I have success feeding just hatched worms white mulberry leaves, then I start giving mulberry chow, sooner better, cause they get used to leaves and they want more leaves, which i dont have much.
little leaf
Avid Member
see, now I have had just the opposite - I tried to go from leaves, to chow- they would not eat the chow- and when my eggs hatch, I seem to lose more on the chow than the leaves - I have had my best luck starting them on the berry - and then to leaves - I have eggs ready to hatch, and this will be my first time going with chow only ~
The leaves are best, but most can not support the appetites of these worms with them, they eat an insane amount as we all know. The issue is likely something to do with pesticides in the leaves causing the die off at time of each feeding. We do not recommend changing from one to another its problematic at the end of the cycle particularly.
