Silk worm questions

[Tortdad]

so I'm looking to add some verity to Godzillas diet but he's so small still (3 months old) that he can't have all the big worms yet. I found a spot where I can order 250 silk worm eggs for like $10. I'm sure they grow really fast and will quickly become too large to feed to Godzilla so I want to know if I can slow down there growth?

Once they hatch and get to like 1/2" long is there a way I can slow down groth without killing them? Will sticking them in the fridge at that point work?

The website I saw said at 85 degrees they hatch and get to that length in like 2-3 weeks. Another 2-3 weeks and they'd be like 3" long which is far too big for my little guy.

Maybe I can find baby super worms

 

[JacksJill]

Just hatch them in small batches of 25-50 at a time. I keep my eggs in the butter compartment of my fridge until I'm ready to hatch them. It takes 10-12 days for them to hatch. Downside is the longer they stay in the fridge the lower the hatch rate you get.
I've never tried to refrigerate the caterpillars. They are kind of delicate and might not handle it as well as the hornworms do. Even hornworms will only take 24 hours of cold at a time.

 

[Tortdad]

Will 1/4" and 1/2" long silk worms be able to crawl around... like up a feeder cup to be seen?

 

[JacksJill]

I don't know many people cup feed theirs. I hand feed mine or put them in a hanging feeder on a suspended mulberry leaf.

 

[jamest0o0]

They don't grow that fast or get all that huge. Just make sure the width of the worm(not length) is smaller than between the chams eyes. You can feed them smaller amounts or every other day, but that can kill some of them too. They're pretty delicate as mentioned.

 

[nightanole]

A few pointers.

If you dont pay to have them shipped in an ice box, you cant store them in the fridge. Once the eggs get to room temp once, they start egging. If you put them in the fridge at that point they will all die.

once they hit the final instar, a few days after hatching, and turn white, you can feed them every other day, and they will last almost 2 months. They will not turn into 3" monsters this way, they will only grow to 2" before cocooning.

My current batch is 3.5 weeks old, and only 1.25" long.

As far as feeding them off, they stay put and will only crawl an inch or so, since they cant find food near by. I just put a half dozen out in the morning around the cage for a easter egg hunt.

 

[zordtaz]

The more you give food to them, the more it get bigger. Once they are hatch, they are eating machine. The only way to slow them down is put less food and skip one meal for every other day. Make sure their body is white so you can start skip the meal for them. Also, wash your hand before you handle it. It is important as their immune is low otherwise it will die off the whole colony.

Here is the good one I use as reference

http://www.wormspit.com/bombyxsilkworms.htm