Silkworms
- Thread starter CJ's Exotics
- Start date
Alexander1
Avid Member
Her jumbo silkworms are huge! Great silkies she has to have some good advise
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Rachelle has an excellent blog on raising silkworms too.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/pigglett79/silk-worm-rearing-and-breeding/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/pigglett79/silk-worm-rearing-and-breeding/
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thank you all!
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Black soldier flies are okay for chameleons, right? I have some Phoenix worms, and I think that I might pupate them for some "fun flying food"
Katacara
Avid Member
Thank you @Alexander1 for the kind words!
@CJ's Exotics Hello
Thanks for seeking my advice! Sorry it took so long to reply, it is a long post. I am happy to help! Now let's see where to start....
Depending on how many you would like to raze at a time, and how big you want them has a lot to do with how I would personally raze them. Silkworms do 2 things before becoming moths... eating & pooping!! They will eat & poop 24/7 if they are given enough food. That is a great way of controlling how big they get. If you want huge worms than you will want to feed them A LOT!, if you would like smaller worms you can feed them every-other day.
Just an FYI, when I say you will feed them a lot, I was going through 1-2 pounds of powdered chow a day, and that was feeding all my worms sparingly! Granted I had thousands of worms to feed do to an unexpected hatching, but still it was crazy!, and expensive!
This was the amount of worms I had to feed!!
As you can see in the picture I use the "throw-away" large baking pans for them to grow in. Here is a picture of them without worms:
Woops... got my slippers in there LOL!
Anyway I use these pans for a few reasons. #1 they are cheap! I get them at my local Dollar Tree for a buck each. #2 they are easy to clean, and if you cant get one clean (or just don't want to bother), Hey you only paid a dollar for it so no real worries.
When the worms are small, and their poo will fit through the holes I use a piece of plastic craft "screening". I forgot how much I paid for them, but they where cheap at Walmart. Here is what it looks like:
I just changed this one out and have not scrubbed it down yet, but they do get nasty, just so you are prepared. Here is what it looks like in the pan:
Now onto the care of the silkworms.
My #1 tip (and this will be controversial) is DO NOT wash anything with more than water! This includes your hands before handling, if at all. Consider any that die an acceptable loss. The strong will survive, and that is what you want. Strong worms & genes! This is what I do, and I do not have many that die at all! I personally think that when people try to keep silkworms too clean, that is when they die. It is kind of like a child with a weak immune system because they where never exposed to normal germs the body would fight off and become stronger for it. That is the way I see it anyway.
Tip #2 Be ready to clean poo! Every few days when needed, until my silkworms go into there cocooning boxes (Pictures later) I swap them into "clean" (again cleaned with nothing but a scrub brush & plain tap water) pans. It is time consuming, disgusting, and a pain in the butt, but it has to be done! You shouldn't let the worms stay in the same pan as their poo for too long. If they get hungry enough they will eat their poo and probably die.
Note: How to tell when to move silkworms into cocooning bins: When silkworms first hatch, they will produce silk, then they will stop for a while, then they will begin producing silk again. This is when I move them.
Tip #3 Be ready with your cocooning boxes! Here is what I use:
Yep I am also breeding Zebras right now! If you cannot tell from the pictures, I use USPS large flat rate, or USPS large packing boxes for cocooning bins. They are free, and after they are done you can just dump them out and recycle them! I do cover the inside with either packing tape or duct tape to make clean-up a bit easier. You could use any type of bin you would like. As you can see I am also currently using egg crates for them to cocoon on. I do not have enough T.P & paper towel tubes, but you can use them also.
As you can see I have not yet cleaned the poo from the cocooning bins. This is because I want to disturb them as little as possible so they will cocoon properly. If the bins get really bad I will clean them by hand, but at this point I do not move them into other bins. Make sure that you do clean out any dead worms asap.
Ok so now you have cocoons... now what? Now you need a hatching box, and a breeding box. Here are my first 2 ready to go:
On the right is the box I have the cocoons in to hatch. Notice that I have cleaned off as much "extra" silk as I could. This will make it easier for them to hatch. It is up to you if you want to cut holes for them, I have done it both ways with success. Right now I do not have the time to cut holes on each side of so many cocoons so they will just need to figure it out.
On the left is my prepared breeding box. It is just a box lined with wax paper. The moths prefer to lay eggs on something like paper towels, but it is MUCH harder to take the eggs off paper towels than it is to take them off wax paper!
So once the moths hatch from their cocoons I carefully place them in the 1st breeding box. Then I leave them alone. The next morning I switch to a 2nd box. I carefully take the newly hatched moths and add them to a different wax paper lined box. Then I carefully transfer the "old" moths from the 1st box to the 2nd, discarding any dead. Then I leave them alone. I take out the wax paper with the eggs on it, and put in new wax paper so I can re-use the box the following day. I then carefully take the eggs off the wax paper and put them in a container, marking with a sticker what day they where laid.
When the eggs change color, it is time to put them in the fridge. I also mark with a sticker what day I add them into the fridge, so I can always tell the dates of the eggs.
I know I have covered a lot, but I am sure I missed something I'm just not sure what right now
So depending on how long you want to wait for worms, moths & eggs would depend on how I would suggest starting your colony. Eggs should be kept in the fridge for at least 1 month (it is better to wait 2-3 months though) before coming out to hatch.
So you could buy eggs and start from there, or you could buy large-jumbo worms that will be cocooning soon (both of which I have available right now)
If you have anymore questions feel free... I still have that "I forgot something important" feeling, but can't figure out what it is right now... It will probably come to be about 3am lol
@CJ's Exotics Hello
Thanks for seeking my advice! Sorry it took so long to reply, it is a long post. I am happy to help! Now let's see where to start....Depending on how many you would like to raze at a time, and how big you want them has a lot to do with how I would personally raze them. Silkworms do 2 things before becoming moths... eating & pooping!! They will eat & poop 24/7 if they are given enough food. That is a great way of controlling how big they get. If you want huge worms than you will want to feed them A LOT!, if you would like smaller worms you can feed them every-other day.
Just an FYI, when I say you will feed them a lot, I was going through 1-2 pounds of powdered chow a day, and that was feeding all my worms sparingly! Granted I had thousands of worms to feed do to an unexpected hatching, but still it was crazy!, and expensive!
This was the amount of worms I had to feed!!As you can see in the picture I use the "throw-away" large baking pans for them to grow in. Here is a picture of them without worms:
Woops... got my slippers in there LOL!
Anyway I use these pans for a few reasons. #1 they are cheap! I get them at my local Dollar Tree for a buck each. #2 they are easy to clean, and if you cant get one clean (or just don't want to bother), Hey you only paid a dollar for it so no real worries.
When the worms are small, and their poo will fit through the holes I use a piece of plastic craft "screening". I forgot how much I paid for them, but they where cheap at Walmart. Here is what it looks like:
I just changed this one out and have not scrubbed it down yet, but they do get nasty, just so you are prepared. Here is what it looks like in the pan:
Now onto the care of the silkworms.
My #1 tip (and this will be controversial
) is DO NOT wash anything with more than water! This includes your hands before handling, if at all. Consider any that die an acceptable loss. The strong will survive, and that is what you want. Strong worms & genes! This is what I do, and I do not have many that die at all! I personally think that when people try to keep silkworms too clean, that is when they die. It is kind of like a child with a weak immune system because they where never exposed to normal germs the body would fight off and become stronger for it. That is the way I see it anyway.Tip #2 Be ready to clean poo! Every few days when needed, until my silkworms go into there cocooning boxes (Pictures later) I swap them into "clean" (again cleaned with nothing but a scrub brush & plain tap water) pans. It is time consuming, disgusting, and a pain in the butt, but it has to be done! You shouldn't let the worms stay in the same pan as their poo for too long. If they get hungry enough they will eat their poo and probably die.
Note: How to tell when to move silkworms into cocooning bins: When silkworms first hatch, they will produce silk, then they will stop for a while, then they will begin producing silk again. This is when I move them.
Tip #3 Be ready with your cocooning boxes! Here is what I use:
Yep I am also breeding Zebras right now! If you cannot tell from the pictures, I use USPS large flat rate, or USPS large packing boxes for cocooning bins. They are free, and after they are done you can just dump them out and recycle them! I do cover the inside with either packing tape or duct tape to make clean-up a bit easier. You could use any type of bin you would like. As you can see I am also currently using egg crates for them to cocoon on. I do not have enough T.P & paper towel tubes, but you can use them also.
As you can see I have not yet cleaned the poo from the cocooning bins. This is because I want to disturb them as little as possible so they will cocoon properly. If the bins get really bad I will clean them by hand, but at this point I do not move them into other bins. Make sure that you do clean out any dead worms asap.
Ok so now you have cocoons... now what? Now you need a hatching box, and a breeding box. Here are my first 2 ready to go:
On the right is the box I have the cocoons in to hatch. Notice that I have cleaned off as much "extra" silk as I could. This will make it easier for them to hatch. It is up to you if you want to cut holes for them, I have done it both ways with success. Right now I do not have the time to cut holes on each side of so many cocoons so they will just need to figure it out.
On the left is my prepared breeding box. It is just a box lined with wax paper. The moths prefer to lay eggs on something like paper towels, but it is MUCH harder to take the eggs off paper towels than it is to take them off wax paper!
So once the moths hatch from their cocoons I carefully place them in the 1st breeding box. Then I leave them alone. The next morning I switch to a 2nd box. I carefully take the newly hatched moths and add them to a different wax paper lined box. Then I carefully transfer the "old" moths from the 1st box to the 2nd, discarding any dead. Then I leave them alone. I take out the wax paper with the eggs on it, and put in new wax paper so I can re-use the box the following day. I then carefully take the eggs off the wax paper and put them in a container, marking with a sticker what day they where laid.
When the eggs change color, it is time to put them in the fridge. I also mark with a sticker what day I add them into the fridge, so I can always tell the dates of the eggs.
I know I have covered a lot, but I am sure I missed something
I'm just not sure what right now So depending on how long you want to wait for worms, moths & eggs would depend on how I would suggest starting your colony. Eggs should be kept in the fridge for at least 1 month (it is better to wait 2-3 months though) before coming out to hatch.
So you could buy eggs and start from there, or you could buy large-jumbo worms that will be cocooning soon (both of which I have available right now
)If you have anymore questions feel free... I still have that "I forgot something important" feeling, but can't figure out what it is right now...
It will probably come to be about 3am lol
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thank you @Alexander1 for the kind words!
@CJ's Exotics Hello
Depending on how many you would like to raze at a time, and how big you want them has a lot to do with how I would personally raze them. Silkworms do 2 things before becoming moths... eating & pooping!! They will eat & poop 24/7 if they are given enough food. That is a great way of controlling how big they get. If you want huge worms than you will want to feed them A LOT!, if you would like smaller worms you can feed them every-other day.
Just an FYI, when I say you will feed them a lot, I was going through 1-2 pounds of powdered chow a day, and that was feeding all my worms sparingly! Granted I had thousands of worms to feed do to an unexpected hatching, but still it was crazy!, and expensive!
View attachment 194532
As you can see in the picture I use the "throw-away" large baking pans for them to grow in. Here is a picture of them without worms:
View attachment 194531
Woops... got my slippers in there LOL!
Anyway I use these pans for a few reasons. #1 they are cheap! I get them at my local Dollar Tree for a buck each. #2 they are easy to clean, and if you cant get one clean (or just don't want to bother), Hey you only paid a dollar for it so no real worries.
When the worms are small, and their poo will fit through the holes I use a piece of plastic craft "screening". I forgot how much I paid for them, but they where cheap at Walmart. Here is what it looks like:
View attachment 194534
I just changed this one out and have not scrubbed it down yet, but they do get nasty, just so you are prepared. Here is what it looks like in the pan:
View attachment 194535
Now onto the care of the silkworms.
My #1 tip (and this will be controversial
Tip #2 Be ready to clean poo! Every few days when needed, until my silkworms go into there cocooning boxes (Pictures later) I swap them into "clean" (again cleaned with nothing but a scrub brush & plain tap water) pans. It is time consuming, disgusting, and a pain in the butt, but it has to be done! You shouldn't let the worms stay in the same pan as their poo for too long. If they get hungry enough they will eat their poo and probably die.
Note: How to tell when to move silkworms into cocooning bins: When silkworms first hatch, they will produce silk, then they will stop for a while, then they will begin producing silk again. This is when I move them.
Tip #3 Be ready with your cocooning boxes! Here is what I use:
View attachment 194536 View attachment 194537 View attachment 194538 View attachment 194539 View attachment 194540
Yep I am also breeding Zebras right now! If you cannot tell from the pictures, I use USPS large flat rate, or USPS large packing boxes for cocooning bins. They are free, and after they are done you can just dump them out and recycle them! I do cover the inside with either packing tape or duct tape to make clean-up a bit easier. You could use any type of bin you would like. As you can see I am also currently using egg crates for them to cocoon on. I do not have enough T.P & paper towel tubes, but you can use them also.
As you can see I have not yet cleaned the poo from the cocooning bins. This is because I want to disturb them as little as possible so they will cocoon properly. If the bins get really bad I will clean them by hand, but at this point I do not move them into other bins. Make sure that you do clean out any dead worms asap.
Ok so now you have cocoons... now what? Now you need a hatching box, and a breeding box. Here are my first 2 ready to go:
View attachment 194541
On the right is the box I have the cocoons in to hatch. Notice that I have cleaned off as much "extra" silk as I could. This will make it easier for them to hatch. It is up to you if you want to cut holes for them, I have done it both ways with success. Right now I do not have the time to cut holes on each side of so many cocoons so they will just need to figure it out.
On the left is my prepared breeding box. It is just a box lined with wax paper. The moths prefer to lay eggs on something like paper towels, but it is MUCH harder to take the eggs off paper towels than it is to take them off wax paper!
So once the moths hatch from their cocoons I carefully place them in the 1st breeding box. Then I leave them alone. The next morning I switch to a 2nd box. I carefully take the newly hatched moths and add them to a different wax paper lined box. Then I carefully transfer the "old" moths from the 1st box to the 2nd, discarding any dead. Then I leave them alone. I take out the wax paper with the eggs on it, and put in new wax paper so I can re-use the box the following day. I then carefully take the eggs off the wax paper and put them in a container, marking with a sticker what day they where laid.
When the eggs change color, it is time to put them in the fridge. I also mark with a sticker what day I add them into the fridge, so I can always tell the dates of the eggs.
I know I have covered a lot, but I am sure I missed something
So depending on how long you want to wait for worms, moths & eggs would depend on how I would suggest starting your colony. Eggs should be kept in the fridge for at least 1 month (it is better to wait 2-3 months though) before coming out to hatch.
So you could buy eggs and start from there, or you could buy large-jumbo worms that will be cocooning soon (both of which I have available right now
If you have anymore questions feel free... I still have that "I forgot something important" feeling, but can't figure out what it is right now...
WOW!!!! Thank you for all of the info!!! You are so nice! That is all of the information that I need, thank you! I saw the "zebras" on a website. What are the zebras and pinks? Would it be okay if I waited for the moths to lay eggs, and then feed them to the chams before they die, or do they die fast or have minimal nutritional value? Sorry for the questions!
Katacara
Avid Member
@CJ's Exotics Don't be sorry for the questions, that's what I'm here for
My personal feeling about the different "kinds" of silkworms that are offered, is: People say that zebras are easier to keep because they don't die as easy... IDK if that is true, my personal experience is that in taking care of them just the same as I take care of the whites I have had about the same die-off rate as my whites. About the nutritional value of the different kinds/colors I think (but I do not have any proof, just logic about gutloading) is that it would be the same, because they eat the same thing; chow or fresh mulberry leaves. I do not have any personal experience with kinds other than white's, and zebra's. When I first started breeding I took a small poll to see what people wanted, and it seemed that people where happy with the whites.
I think the different colors/kinds are #1 a way for people to charge a more for eggs, and #2 to insight a faster/better strike from chams and other reptiles.
**I just want to add a note here that a exception to #1 is @Andee's cross breeds those are worth every penny! and there could very well be other exceptions out there that I do not know of, I in NO way claim to know all! and only speak from personal experience. If anyone has different information I would be happy to know about it!**
My personal feeling about the different "kinds" of silkworms that are offered, is: People say that zebras are easier to keep because they don't die as easy... IDK if that is true, my personal experience is that in taking care of them just the same as I take care of the whites I have had about the same die-off rate as my whites. About the nutritional value of the different kinds/colors I think (but I do not have any proof, just logic about gutloading) is that it would be the same, because they eat the same thing; chow or fresh mulberry leaves. I do not have any personal experience with kinds other than white's, and zebra's. When I first started breeding I took a small poll to see what people wanted, and it seemed that people where happy with the whites.
I think the different colors/kinds are #1 a way for people to charge a more for eggs, and #2 to insight a faster/better strike from chams and other reptiles.
**I just want to add a note here that a exception to #1 is @Andee's cross breeds those are worth every penny! and there could very well be other exceptions out there that I do not know of, I in NO way claim to know all! and only speak from personal experience. If anyone has different information I would be happy to know about it!**
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ok, looks like that is something to experiment with!@CJ's Exotics Don't be sorry for the questions, that's what I'm here for
My personal feeling about the different "kinds" of silkworms that are offered, is: People say that zebras are easier to keep because they don't die as easy... IDK if that is true, my personal experience is that in taking care of them just the same as I take care of the whites I have had about the same die-off rate as my whites. About the nutritional value of the different kinds/colors I think (but I do not have any proof, just logic about gutloading) is that it would be the same, because they eat the same thing; chow or fresh mulberry leaves. I do not have any personal experience with kinds other than white's, and zebra's. When I first started breeding I took a small poll to see what people wanted, and it seemed that people where happy with the whites.
I think the different colors/kinds are #1 a way for people to charge a more for eggs, and #2 to insight a faster/better strike from chams and other reptiles.
**I just want to add a note here that a exception to #1 is @Andee's cross breeds those are worth every penny! and there could very well be other exceptions out there that I do not know of, I in NO way claim to know all! and only speak from personal experience. If anyone has different information I would be happy to know about it!**
Thank you for your response!Longhorn1234
Established Member
For how long do you leave your eggs in the fridge? Have you tried different time frames (ex. One month, two months, three months) and did it make any difference in hatching rates?
Also, how long does it take for the eggs to hatch?
Thanks
Also, how long does it take for the eggs to hatch?
Thanks
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
I forgot to ask this, but do you ever have issues with rogue silkworms deciding that they don't want to spin their cocoons on the egg cartons in the cocooning boxes and escaping?
That's great info.
Here is the thread that I went by when I started. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/silkworms-care.153416/
Here is the thread that I went by when I started. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/silkworms-care.153416/
Katacara
Avid Member
Hello @Longhorn1234 Eggs should be in the fridge for at least 1 month, but 2 is more ideal, for faster hatching, and better rates. There are a lot of factors that go into how long it will take for the eggs to hatch. Temp & humidity are huge. It can take anywhere from 2 weeks to several months for eggs to hatch. I am still working on the learning curve of narrowing that down regularly.
@CJ's Exotics I have been finding random worms, all over the place, but I think this is because I had SO many! Because I didn't have much of an issue with my first batch.
@CJ's Exotics I have been finding random worms, all over the place, but I think this is because I had SO many! Because I didn't have much of an issue with my first batch.
Longhorn1234
Established Member
Do you know what's the max amount of time eggs can be in the fridge? Would it be 3 months or can they be kept for longer?
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
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