Silkworm problems

jamest0o0

jamest0o0

Chameleon Enthusiast
i've been having problems keeping these guys alive lately. I read some threads here so i made sure to wash my hands before touching and put them in a bin with gutter guard, food ontop, so their poop falls through. I also leave the lid off for ventilation. There is no moisture build up that i see, but the room is probably around 50-60% humidity because it's been rainy and the temp swings from prob 60-70s (night/day). When they arrive in the cup it seems like a few always die bunched up in a ball of food and poop. Then when i moved them to the new containter i had a large amount of die off the next day. It sucks buying 60+ silkworms only to have 20-30 make it through to being eaten... any advice you guys can give for this?
 
I have all stages right now I have the worms I have the Moths alive laying eggs and mating right now and I have worms growing up
 
How large are the worms and the container? Depending on the size of your worms they may need more room then you are providing.
 
Sure i'll get a picture soon. Just have to finish some work. I have premade mulberry chow that i keep in the fridge.
 
IMG_1010.JPG
 
Got them online, how can i tell if they're sick? That'd make a lot of sense. In the past i had silks when i started out and maybe 2 out of 50 died...
 
It's hard to explain correctly, there are some hatches that are just not healthy. Which if these guys are ones of those (sounds and looks like it) it's something you get used to seeing. I have had them even in my hatches where they come from a perfectly great and healthy lines. Sometimes it's like the mom who laid them wasn't a great breeder or something. Honestly I have had such healthy worms where I accidentally had too much humidity in their tub and mold grew faster than I was used to, and from the look of their skin they had eaten some of the mold covered food (silkworms will often turn the color of the food they eat) but they were also acting kind of sick which they were lethargic. But I didn't lose any of those silkworms, just cleaned them, gave them fresh food and let them air out well and they all purged and did well. A lot of the hatches and silkworms I have been buying have been really healthy.

Why I say they look sick, is they are brown, very dehydrated looking (none of them look like they will molt so that's not the reason), I don't think it has anything to do with your care. I have seen some like this that I have taken care of they had the exact same symptoms. Those are some where I keep them seperated from my other worms.
 
That's a shame, but at least i know it's not me then. I might hve to just start looking at a different place to buy for silks. Where do you gets yours from if you don't mind me asking?

Thank you!!
 
Coastal Silkworms when I need to buy them. Their whites and their zebras both do well for me. I usually raise my own, but most start from their stock when I do raise and breed. When I can I get tiger hybrids, but those are few and far between and I usually cross breed them with a strong strain coastal silkworms, to make really healthy worms.
 
They can be and regularly are, but whites that are bred well and come from healthy parents and are hatched well, they can be even healthier.
 
If they have zebra get zebra you will spend like an extra 2.00 dollars but is totally worth it. They don't always have them though.
 
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