My silk worm home has failed..

[Sancho]

Well I tried to copy another members here silk worm bin but mine has failed. Why? Well their poo doesn't fall through the mesh screen I bought at michaels. so it's building up all around them and I have to take them all out and clean the screen then put them back in which is a PITA if their poo would just fall through it would be much more simpler

Any suggestion on which screen to buy? I went to home depot and couldn't find any screen like material besides window screen.

Here is a image of my setup..

 

[Malicious]

The netting up technique seams to work well for med/lrg silks, but does have its quarks. Are you using leaves or chow?

Post a picture of the bin if you can.

 

[SoCaliSon]

Maybe try a craft store like Micheal's. I think the term for what you are looking for is plastic canvas. I think it is used for Knitting.

 

[Sancho]

Maybe try a craft store like Micheal's. I think the term for what you are looking for is plastic canvas. I think it is used for Knitting.

That's what I got but the holes aren't big enough.

Jay - I'll post up some pictures later. Not going to be pretty seeing they are large and pooping like crazy and I'm feeding them chow since I can't find mulberry leafs.

 

[Chameleonboy]

Hey Tim,

I am trying to find different methods but it is impossible. I don't know how to do it without wasting so much chow. The netting doesn't work to well with chow. I got the same knitting plastic from Michal's and it is also to heavy. It gets alot harder when you are trying to raise 3000 at a time.

-Clemonde

 

[Sancho]

Hey Tim,

I am trying to find different methods but it is impossible. I don't know how to do it without wasting so much chow. The netting doesn't work to well with chow. I got the same knitting plastic from Michal's and it is also to heavy. It gets alot harder when you are trying to raise 3000 at a time.

-Clemonde

Yeah I know all about it It's getting way too messy each day

 

[SoCaliSon]

Sorry... I must have read over that above... I'm not sure then, That is what I use and I don't seem to have this problem.

Maybe try the PVC Coated Mesh that some people use on DIY Cages. The opening a good amount bigger. I have seen some at Home Depot with a pretty small opening. Sure you would have to buy a whole roll... But this stuff always comes in handy, having extra wouldn't hurt.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100384026

They normally sell it outside in the Garden Section.

 

[Sancho]

Sorry... I must have read over that above... I'm not sure then, That is what I use and I don't seem to have this problem.

Maybe try the PVC Coated Mesh that some people use on DIY Cages. The opening a good amount bigger. I have seen some at Home Depot with a pretty small opening. Sure you would have to buy a whole roll... But this stuff always comes in handy, having extra wouldn't hurt.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100384026

They normally sell it outside in the Garden Section.

Cool thanks that might work but I think the holes might be too big for the chow.

 

[Malicious]

Easy way to raise them, and what I do:


-sweater bin 24"x14"6"
-wax paper on the bottom
-narrow strips of chow on the bottom 1" wide x 1/8" thick
-add worms
-gently cover worms with a piece of wax paper (keeps chow moist/yet still allows excess moisture to escape)
-allow 1-2 days covered
-day 3, remove top wax paper, allow chow and droppings to dry completly
-with clean hands, remove worms from dried chow and droppings. This will be easy and clean, the dried droppings and dried chow will fall off the worms and make for a clean transfer to another prepaired sheet of wax paper/chow.
-repeat process till silks are desired size.


The reason that they are a pita to remove and keep clean, is due to the fact that many do not allow the chow to dry out between cleanings, which makes it a sticky silky mess. In other words you can have great results without using plastic grid or netting.

I will get you a picture tonight Tim.

-Jay

 

[SoCaliSon]

Try cutting your chow into wide shavings...like a leaf. Like little sheets of mulberry chow.

 

[Sancho]

Easy way to raise them, and what I do:


-sweater bin 24"x14"6"
-wax paper on the bottom
-narrow strips of chow on the bottom 1" wide x 1/8" thick
-add worms
-gently cover worms with a piece of wax paper (keeps chow moist/yet still allows excess moisture to escape)
-allow 1-2 days covered
-day 3, remove top wax paper, allow chow and droppings to dry completly
-with clean hands, remove worms from dried chow and droppings. This will be easy and clean, the dried droppings and dried chow will fall off the worms and make for a clean transfer to another prepaired sheet of wax paper/chow.
-repeat process till silks are desired size.


The reason that they are a pita to remove and keep clean, is due to the fact that many do not allow the chow to dry out between cleanings, which makes it a sticky silky mess. In other words you can have great results without using plastic grid or netting.

I will get you a picture tonight Tim.

-Jay

Their at the desired size but I have 200! of them

 

[Malicious]

Try cutting your chow into wide shavings...like a leaf. Like little sheets of mulberry chow.

That is simular to what I do, only I use long thin narrow strips. Using thick chunks just waste the chow, since it gets covered with droppings before it gets eatten. The silks will move on to another piece at the point.

Side note: I have been saving worm poop for the last few weeks, and have 3 32 oz deli tubs full!! WooT! Organic Plant Food!

 

[Miss Lily]

I think you should be able to find the plastic canvas with a lower count HPI (holes per inch). It's used for cross stitching. The lower the HPI number the bigger the holes, eg: 10 count = 10 holes per inch and 18 count = 18 holes per inch. Hope this helps!

 

[BocaJan]

My plastic canvas from Michaels works great! The holes are big enough for the poo to go through. I put my chow on a piece of paper so I can removes the dregs the next day and still have a clean canvas.

 

[Chameleonboy]

Easy way to raise them, and what I do:


-sweater bin 24"x14"6"
-wax paper on the bottom
-narrow strips of chow on the bottom 1" wide x 1/8" thick
-add worms
-gently cover worms with a piece of wax paper (keeps chow moist/yet still allows excess moisture to escape)
-allow 1-2 days covered
-day 3, remove top wax paper, allow chow and droppings to dry completly
-with clean hands, remove worms from dried chow and droppings. This will be easy and clean, the dried droppings and dried chow will fall off the worms and make for a clean transfer to another prepaired sheet of wax paper/chow.
-repeat process till silks are desired size.


The reason that they are a pita to remove and keep clean, is due to the fact that many do not allow the chow to dry out between cleanings, which makes it a sticky silky mess. In other words you can have great results without using plastic grid or netting.

I will get you a picture tonight Tim.

-Jay

Try doing that with 2000 smalls. lol


-Clemonde

 

[Brad]

I think you should be able to find the plastic canvas with a lower count HPI (holes per inch). It's used for cross stitching. The lower the HPI number the bigger the holes, eg: 10 count = 10 holes per inch and 18 count = 18 holes per inch. Hope this helps!

As Miss Lily stated there are different sizes of canvas you can get. I use 2 or 3 different sizes during a worm's lifespan.

Silkworms! By B. J. Caruthers (lele)

 

[Sancho]

As Miss Lily stated there are different sizes of canvas you can get. I use 2 or 3 different sizes during a worm's lifespan.

Silkworms! By B. J. Caruthers (lele)

Interesting cause when I went they only had one size. I will look again tonight.

This is how mine looks but add a 100+ silks and 40% the poo on top of the screen

 

[dragongoddess]

I love this idea if you can get it to work! I'm so tired of clean out silkworm poo! It didn't seem to be that much of a problem when they were small, but the big ones go all day long. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Malicious]

Try doing that with 2000 smalls. lol


-Clemonde

It's been done, and is being done right now!

 

[Sang]

they should make a larger gauge of sowing netting size.

were it would be large enough to fall through, but not the worms. the other idea would be to make towers of chow... and netting that ran along them. so if they ate there way up, poo falls to the ground