silk worms/access to mulberry trees...

[DAD3886]

i was going to order some silk worms next week at an additonal treat for my buddy. I have access to 2 or 3 huge mulberry trees i was wondering is it just the leaves they eat and how to you prepare them? or do u

 

[jannb]

They only eat the leaves and tons of them. Wash the leaves and dry them very well then feed.

 

[Shenzi Sixaxis]

Just realize that you need to make sure the leaves are CLEAN. Very clean; no toxins or insect eggs or dirt because silkies have just about no immune system. And silkworms are going to eat a crapload.

 

[DAD3886]

ok yea that arent sprayed with pesticides, ill wash them just like i do with plant i stick in the enclosure, yea they are pretty big trees prob around 20ft

 

[Shenzi Sixaxis]

Just because they aren't sprayed doesn't mean the wind can't carry some from across the state and put it on the trees.

 

[Leroux2008]

Yep they eat mulberry leaves.. just make sure you soak them in warm/hot water and scrub them the best you can. Silkies Ive learned from experiencce -_- are VERY VERY sensitive.... they will die super fast if any bacteria is present

 

[Leroux2008]

I also soaked mine in hot water with some dawn dish detergent that way I would kil the germs.... but make sure you rinse SUPER WELL

 

[PraxRX7]

silkworms

i gave my first batch of silkworms carrot shavings and they munched them all down in no time!

 

[melric]

Supposedly the trees can pick up pesticides from your neighbors house too. Well I guess it would be true since their roots go everywhere.

 

[Leroux2008]

if ur worried abotu pesticide even after cleaning them and soaking try giving a leaf to maybe 5 of them and see what happens after 5 mintues and u will notice if they start to die then u have a pesticide problem.

 

[DAD3886]

ill do the soaking and washing but im sure esp after the washing theyll be safe..they are in the middle of 10acres...as far at pesticides go

 

[carol5208]

i gave my first batch of silkworms carrot shavings and they munched them all down in no time!

From what I have been told they cannot be sustained on carrots for a long period of time. It is ok if you run out of Mulberry and use the carrots to get you by.

 

[ladysilkworm]

all of you guys said it so well!!

yes do a test with 2 silks and within 5min they will be writhing in pain and die..

many years ago I fed them leaves from my own bushes and witnessed this happen. I then remember two days ago I sprayed my yard..

other than that, I have had no issues with neighboring trees .. not too common that the town sprays these areas. my town at least.

just that those near traffic have a lot of dust and occasional bug comes along with it....you do have to watch out for ants though, they attack silkworm, pupae and moth!

silkworms are indeed very sensitive as they have no immune system and the chow is their friend and foe. Leaves are the best bet.

Raise small ones enclosed, but larger ones should be well ventilated. Sometimes if too humid, they can have fungus on their skin and their skin, instead of shedding, can burst. It won't harm them, but it looks nasty, like an incomplete shed on a cham. You can dip the part of the silkworm in water and slowly peel it away.

If too dry, they can't molt well and get stuck in their skin and die...again, you dip it in water real quick. Too long a dip or too much burried leaves can suffocate them as they breath through the holes near their feet.

leaves can also potentially carry a virus, once you got that, you probably won't be able to raise silkworms for a long while because the virus is already in the house. You need to scrub up and down with formalin and dust the entire area with slaked lime. If they didn't affect your silkwroms now they will effect the next gen.

silkwrom raising/breeding is an art and a science. It is very laborious!

 

[DAD3886]

ok and by no means was i acting like that is easy... im worried about just keeping 25 silks alive... it was just more so the easy access to their food source.

 

[Texas Ranger]

I blouch(not sure how to spell) my leaves. This way they last a few months in the frezzer. But it is a intence process. But it cuts down on the picking.

 

[ladysilkworm]

I blouch(not sure how to spell) my leaves. This way they last a few months in the frezzer. But it is a intence process. But it cuts down on the picking.

you mean you blanch it?? I read somewhere about it. It is quite a bit of work!

 

[Whammo72]

I shoved a bunch into some freezer bags and froze it as an experiment. looked much like frozen spinach when thawed... very wet and gross... experiment failed.

 

[Ace]

lol, i have a neaigbor whose mullberry tree goes to my side of the yard

i have since used it and my silks whenevver i get any stay alive and thrive, the only thing is that they do eat alot!!! and cleaning them out is a must, gotta be very clean about them, i just wash my leaves and dry them a bit, make sure they are clean

you can test a few silks in a seperate container to see if anything happens, if they are still alive for a couple days, chances are the leaves are more than fine

also i feel leaves are better than chow imo, then again i never used chow, but i hear it is tedious to prepare the chow haha

stick with leaves and clean regularily trust me once you have a chameleon you will have bugs as temporary pets as well, gotta feed them, clean them, watch over them and see them grow haha

 

[Leroux2008]

The chow just sux...... it molds very fast and gets bacteria very fast.

 

[Shenzi Sixaxis]

^ Really? Are you sure you didn't make it too wet?