Silkworm keeper?
- Thread starter Andie
- Start date
Wowbango
Established Member
I keep them in a big tuperware type container. If you visit walmart or a craft store, in the arts and crafts section they sell "plastic canvas" which I cut up and place it inside the container. I cut it so that it sits floating inside the container, not touching the bottom. As the silkies grow, the poop will fall to the bottom and makes cleanup easier.
VeiledChams
Avid Member
Most of the information you are looking for can be found here:
http://www.mulberryfarms.com/Care-Raising-Tips-FAQ-12.html
http://www.mulberryfarms.com/Care-Raising-Tips-FAQ-12.html
You don't want it to be too big, sometimes they start wandering and getting them back to thier food can be as frustrating as transferring to a new bin. Best to dump them in a small an area as possible then squeeze a strand of chow out of a zip lock bag completely around them.as the chow is eaten or dries, make another circle about one inch away around that one (on outside not inside). After 10 to 14 days or so they are bigger and crawling to fresh food isn't as risky as it is when they're still tiny.
ChameLIonLover
Member
Andie
Avid Member
Veiled Cham, I followed this links advice and all 250 died. The guy I bought them from said to never use a heat source. :-(
Underbelly heat sources dry them and thier food out very quickly as well as dries eggs out very quickly. I take my eggs out of the fridge, line a 2x2x1 inch mini plastic Tupperware container with a peice of paper towel, and add the eggs, then breathe on them/the container until it's fogged up(3 times maybe 4) for moisture and them seal the lid and simply keep them in the container and usually keep them at 72 degree room temp and they hatch in 5 days. I take them out on the 4th and dump em into a bigger container without the paper towel. One thing I've never been able to do is keep them alive more than a few hours without food. I see other people waiting until every single egg has hatched, dumping out the eggshells and then adding food, ID love to know what I'm doing wrong in that regaurd. Ive only hatched black/reverse zebras so far and I'm pretty certain they're hybrids so maybe thats why they hatch thrive and grow so well at lower temps than whites. Don't give up though, I think most people fail the first time, I did, anD my 2nd order all eggs hatched and I've got dozens breeding, laying and another few hundred moths ready to eclose and breed any minute now.
MeruJack
Avid Member
I have 250 five week old silkworms in a plastic shoe box. The box is on a shelf in my reptile room which has a daily temp of 75 degrees and about 66-68 at night. Three days ago I started a second plastic shoe box for my next 250. Each morning I use a veggie grater to sprinkle a layer of finely grated food from one end of the box to the other. And that's it. You can make them grow faster by feeding them more often (as long as you don't let the moisture build up in the box due to too much wet food) or, if you find that you have too many silks to feed off, you can slow down their growth by feeding them every other day. It has been my experience that the silkworms will rarely crawl out of the box as long as there is enough food. I do have a lid for the box that has holes drilled in it but I only use it for the first few weeks. Once the silks get big enough the box will start to retain too much moisture (which collects on the side of the box) so I stop using the lid until my next batch of eggs. If the silks get too big/too crowded before I can feed them off, I will separate them into two shoe boxes. I do not use any heat, water or light other than the ambient heat, humidity and lighting in my reptile room. This is a great feeder for chameleons and can be quite easy to keep. Good luck!!
Andie
Avid Member
Thanks a lot, Jack. I've got mine in a small aquarium tank with the standard metal, mesh lid. I put egg crate on the bottom with plastic mesh over that.
From what I"ve read, you can feed silks all the time, right?
Right now, I'm dealing with too many crickets, plus too many flies. ugh! Once these silks start getting big, I'll need more chams! LOL! (Not necessarily a bad thing!)
MeruJack
Avid Member
From what I've read, you can feed silks all the time, right?
Yes, they can feed 24/7 as long as it doesn't make their enclosure too damp. Many people buy pods or cups of silks and they come with a lifetime supply of food already in the cup. Hatching the eggs and feeding them yourself is much less expensive and you can feed off the silks when they are the right size for your chameleon(s). I also grow my own Dubia Roaches. I buy crickets occasionally and superworms for my veiled and my bearded dragon. Few of my chams will eat super, meal, or even wax worms. Everyone loves silkworms though!
Yes, they can feed 24/7 as long as it doesn't make their enclosure too damp. Many people buy pods or cups of silks and they come with a lifetime supply of food already in the cup. Hatching the eggs and feeding them yourself is much less expensive and you can feed off the silks when they are the right size for your chameleon(s). I also grow my own Dubia Roaches. I buy crickets occasionally and superworms for my veiled and my bearded dragon. Few of my chams will eat super, meal, or even wax worms. Everyone loves silkworms though!
Andie
Avid Member
Sorry...what I meant was you can feed silks to chams every day? I know certain worms are for occasional consumption onlyFrom what I've read, you can feed silks all the time, right?
Yes, they can feed 24/7 as long as it doesn't make their enclosure too damp. Many people buy pods or cups of silks and they come with a lifetime supply of food already in the cup. Hatching the eggs and feeding them yourself is much less expensive and you can feed off the silks when they are the right size for your chameleon(s). I also grow my own Dubia Roaches. I buy crickets occasionally and superworms for my veiled and my bearded dragon. Few of my chams will eat super, meal, or even wax worms. Everyone loves silkworms though!
pigglett79
Avid Member
Here is how I keep mine. Works out well for me.
http://feederinsectbreeding.blogspot.com/p/silk-worm-care-and-breeding.html
http://feederinsectbreeding.blogspot.com/p/silk-worm-care-and-breeding.html
MeruJack
Avid Member
Yes and no. They are healthy enough to feed everyday but I have heard concerns of overhydration. I feed them silks but I also have a dubia roach colony which provides a steady supply of roaches so they are not eating silks for every feeding. My big boy veiled likes superworms but not roaches and the rest of my guys will silks but no other type of worm. Strange!
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
how do you get the silkworms to pupate? you just feed them and feed them, then they grow large.... then what? do they need soil to bury into, or do you put paper towel rolls in with them for them to cocoon onto? like, what's the method? I move to a new place here in a couple weeks and im loading up on bug variety then, silkies being one of them. I wanna feed some worms, and also turn some to moths. but not 100% sure how that is done....
Just feed them. They need a place to cocoon, I usually use toilet paper rolls and bend them so there is a tighter space that won't require as much silk/energy exersion. They eat a lot, I've got hundreds right now that should've cocoond already and keep eating and eating. I usually spray water on them in the last stage, if they need water they don't have it, and that can mean they'll keep eating to get the water they need and thus waste food trying to get it. If you dont wanna do it, I've got some I might be willing to sell if anyone's interested, I've got a few hundred regulars cocooning but I'd rather put my time and food into other varieties for summer season.
Yeah silkworms are one of the few foods they can eat as a staple. I'm thinking it may be good to give them roaches and crickets every now and again.
