staged hatching of silkworms

[opihiman]

Well my first batch of silkworm hatched and dopey me allowed too much moisture to build up so about 80% of my first batch died.

I have been wondering, I got my first batch from coastal silkworms. The eggs were glued to the bottom the dish and it was recommended that I dont try to remove the eggs. So I hatched 1000.

My question is can you hatch a few and toss the petri dish into the fridge to hatch later?

Thanks

OPI

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Well my first batch of silkworm hatched and dopey me allowed too much moisture to build up so about 80% of my first batch died.

I have been wondering, I got my first batch from coastal silkworms. The eggs were glued to the bottom the dish and it was recommended that I dont try to remove the eggs. So I hatched 1000.

My question is can you hatch a few and toss the petri dish into the fridge to hatch later?

Thanks

OPI

i think you would be better off buying the eggs not glued down to the petri dish. And gluing them yourself. I don't think you would really be able to move the hatch lings from the petri easily enough to put the eggs back in the fridge. They are just too small and fragile.

 

[opihiman]

actually it wasn't too hard to move them. Just really tedious. I used a tooth pick to find the silk behind the little guys and I moved them around that way. I had a really good hatch rate and survivor rate too.

I read some where that if the egs aren't secured some how, the hatch rate goes down cause the eggs get damaged. Is that true?

What are the different packing methods and which have you used that you find to be the most successful?

As always thanks for the great info.

OPI

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

actually it wasn't too hard to move them. Just really tedious. I used a tooth pick to find the silk behind the little guys and I moved them around that way. I had a really good hatch rate and survivor rate too.

I read some where that if the egs aren't secured some how, the hatch rate goes down cause the eggs get damaged. Is that true?

What are the different packing methods and which have you used that you find to be the most successful?

As always thanks for the great info.

OPI

you have a good attention span.. I would have gone crazy.

If you buy the eggs loose and glue them yourself you can use only what you want and keep the rest in the fridge. Until you are ready to glue those down.

I was going to type up what I do but I basically got all my information from the mulberry site. Not sure if you have seen it.

Here is a link http://mulberryfarms.com/faq.htm

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]What do I need to do to hatch the eggs? Try to keep them between 78 and 88 degrees. They will hatch at a lower temperature but it will take longer (and the newly hatched worms will not grow and be healthy unless they are maintained at warm temperatures). WE RECOMMEND USING AN INCUBATOR IF POSSIBLE (See picture and info below.)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Are the eggs guaranteed to hatch? Yes, if you follow our instructions. The hatch rate is usually about 95% (or higher), but do not be alarmed if you end up with significantly fewer worms than eggs because some of the worms get covered up by a thin invisible layer of silk that silkworms are constantly placing down. Also it is normal for some to die at the earliest stage after hatching (especially if they are overcrowded). If you want to maximize the number of worms you get from a given number of eggs - you should order eggs in bulk and then order additional LARGE petri dishes and place no more than 500 eggs into each petri dish (200 eggs per petri dish is ideal for maximum number of worms). [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If you place about 200 eggs per LARGE petri dish - you will end up with a much higher percentage of worms to eggs (up to 90% or more), but you must maintain warm temperatures. The fewer eggs per petri dish the higher percentage of worms to eggs you will end up with. The eggs will come glued down in a large petri dish in lots of 200, 500 and 1000 eggs. Silkworms eggs purchased in "bulk" will not be glued down) [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Can the eggs be refrigerated to delay hatching? Silkworm eggs should not be refrigerated unless they are shipped using Overnight delivery with an ice pack and styrofoam box (extra) and then placed immediately into your refrigerator and maintained between 35 to 37 degrees Fahrenheit - and 70 to 80% humidity. Then they can be stored in your refrigerator for over 1 month and they will hatch about 8 to 10 days after removal (if maintained at around 80 degrees).[/FONT]

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[opihiman]

So do you think it is possible to start a hatch from one petri dish and then once a certain amount has hatched, put into the fridge to store the rest of the eggs is possible. without killing the rest of the eggs.?

OPI

 

[KCcham]

So do you think it is possible to start a hatch from one petri dish and then once a certain amount has hatched, put into the fridge to store the rest of the eggs is possible. without killing the rest of the eggs.?

OPI

Nope, I dont think you can do this. When you buy the eggs online, they always tell you that if you are not going to hatch all the eggs at once, they need to know BEFORE they ship them, because they will then ship them with ice packs to keep them cool. Once they warm up to a certain temp for a set period of time, I dont think there is any reversal!

 

[cindy28358]

opihiman Where did you get the silkworms in Hawaii? I live in Kapolei and I'm going nuts trying to find a good food source.

 

[ladysilkworm]

Nope, I dont think you can do this. When you buy the eggs online, they always tell you that if you are not going to hatch all the eggs at once, they need to know BEFORE they ship them, because they will then ship them with ice packs to keep them cool. Once they warm up to a certain temp for a set period of time, I dont think there is any reversal!

The eggs have been acid washed by the Chinese supplier before shipping to coastal. Coastal takes them out and slowly 'thaw' them.. (they were not frozen), but it is a process of gradual changes.. from low and high temp, to dark, to light.. etc. If this process is done right, there is a guaranteed hatch rate.. if not poorly, the hatchlings are few and are vibrant..


They also do not guarantee if the eggs on ice you purchase will hatch.. because you don't really have the proper instructions and can say that the process of shipping messed it up.

Hatching silkworm eggs is a science.

 

[jamncristian]

I have a question if you guys dont mind

what temps are too hot for a silkworm??
Because I live in florida and it is hot most of the time
so I figured it would be a possibility to grow and hatch my silkworms
outside insead of buying an incubator

I have never worked with silk worms so
forgive me if my question is a burden

 

[ladysilkworm]

I have a question if you guys dont mind

what temps are too hot for a silkworm??
Because I live in florida and it is hot most of the time
so I figured it would be a possibility to grow and hatch my silkworms
outside insead of buying an incubator

I have never worked with silk worms so
forgive me if my question is a burden

I mentioned earlier that mulberry trees will grow in FL. It's hot and humid for sure. I've driven from Key West up to NY and up to Montreal and I know I can find trees along the way. In FL, mulberry trees are not native, but they will grow.

Yes you can hatch them at room temp. No AC's.. don't let the temp fluctuate too much. No, I don't always use incubator either. They will hatch naturally if they are first generation.. with the eggs that they lay later would require more control and artificial incubation.