New silkworm setup :)

[Sancho]

Well today I headed off to Michaels cause I was having a problem with the holes in the screen not being big enough for the poo to fall through. See old thread here ( https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-silk-worm-home-24008/ ) Well I found some nice wide square screen and also found some very nice scrap book containers for $3!!! I couldn't beat that so I had to get them and use them for the silks since they are 12"x12" Bigger then the 6"x11 I was using.

How can you tell when a silk will make a cocoon? I found one stuck to the wall of the old bin already cocooned so I left it. Can you remove it at any certain time? What to feed them after they hatch into moths?

In this picture you can see the old silk bin on the left and the new one on the right.

And the new bin opened and closed.

 

[Malicious]

Let the cacoon harden for a few days then carefully remove it. Place it in a deli cup and keep it in a warm place.

 

[Sancho]

Let the cacoon harden for a few days then carefully remove it. Place it in a deli cup and keep it in a warm place.

Warm like 80? or warm like 100? I think above the dubia tank would be nice since it's pushing 100 all the time in there.

 

[Malicious]

like 80-85 are what mine are at.

 

[veiledchamguy]

Sancho what do you have spacing the martha stewart canvas from the bottom of bin

 

[Sancho]

Sancho what do you have spacing the martha stewart canvas from the bottom of bin

These little wood blocks 6 for $1 they are 1/2 x 1/2

 

[nick barta]

Sancho,

Once the silks reach 1-1/2 inches, cut some toilet paper rolls into 1 inch lengths, put them in the container, and they will use them to build the cocoons.

Nick

 

[Sancho]

Sancho,

Once the silks reach 1-1/2 inches, cut some toilet paper rolls into 1 inch lengths, put them in the container, and they will use them to build the cocoons.

Nick

Cool thanks for the info! All 200 are over 1 1/2 inches

 

[Sancho]

like 80-85 are what mine are at.

Ok cool that room is about 75-80

 

[dragongoddess]

Signs that they are ready to cocoon are: They suddenly stop eating and raise their heads swaying. Or if you look under their bodies at the rear and there is nothing grey under the skin, it should be white. This is after they have pooped their last, which is messier than normal poo. (But who wants to look under the butts of that many worms? After that you can move in toilet paper rolls as suggested by nick or move them to paper egg crate. I was advised to keep them warm and dark for cocooning, but they will also do it in light.

 

[Sancho]

thanks dragon

 

[MrCus]

hi all

maybe my english or my eyes are too bad, but I dont see silkworms at the pictures. I see zoophobas, the giant mealworm. Aren't silkworms the worms of a butterfly that makes silk-wool?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkworm

versus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zophobas_morio

 

[Sancho]

hi all

maybe my english or my eyes are too bad, but I dont see silkworms at the pictures. I see zoophobas, the giant mealworm. Aren't silkworms the worms of a butterfly that makes silk-wool?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkworm

versus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zophobas_morio

LOL they are silk worms but they are dirty from the chow / poo from the old bin.

 

[Malicious]

Those silkworms look like they been ridin dirtay....

 

[Sancho]

Those silkworms look like they been ridin dirtay....

Yeah no doubt.