To be or not to be a roach breeder

[snitz427]

I’m thinking about ordering more silkworms today they take so long to grow I feel like I need a second egg batch starting now

Do you have any pupating? I think it will be 6 weeks before mine pupate, and then another 2-3 weeks before I get eggs.... another month or two on top of that! Once I have (refridgerated) eggs I definitely need to work out a schedule to have a better variety of sizes/ages.

 

[JoXie411]

Do you have any pupating? I think it will be 6 weeks before mine pupate, and then another 2-3 weeks before I get eggs.... another month or two on top of that! Once I have (refridgerated) eggs I definitely need to work out a schedule to have a better variety of sizes/ages.

No not yet. They are at about 3 weeks right now. They are extremely tiny still with a few big ones. Yes I need to work out a schedule as well. Maybe now that I took them out of the dish and in the containers they will grow faster. I think about 100 died due to lack of air flow in the Petri dish

 

[nightanole]

What sort of cleaner crew do you use? Do you just throw them right in there with the dubias? I am breeding a small colony right now and there is so much cleanup. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong also any tips would be appreciated

A few sizes of darkling beetles.

So currently mini meal worms, meal worms, and some supers. I scored some "skull cleaner" darklings, but i left them in with the supers, and the super ate them...

 

[snitz427]

A few sizes of darkling beetles.

So currently mini meal worms, meal worms, and some supers. I scored some "skull cleaner" darklings, but i left them in with the supers, and the super ate them...

Do you use substrate in the dubia container for the worms? I added darklings to my cricket bins and they help, I think, but I probably need many more! I'll put a few in the dubia container but not sure about the worms themselves.

 

[snitz427]

No not yet. They are at about 3 weeks right now. They are extremely tiny still with a few big ones. Yes I need to work out a schedule as well. Maybe now that I took them out of the dish and in the containers they will grow faster. I think about 100 died due to lack of air flow in the Petri dish

Yea I hate the petri dishes. When I get my own eggs they'll go in a sandwich container to hatch, on a small piece of paper towel that I can throw away afterwards. My mold started with the eggs, but also quickly moved to the food in the petri dishes. Didn't lose any, but I started moving worms out with netting almost immediately. Took the last few out this morning.

Your worms will grow pretty quickly at one point... like overnight they will be a small feeder size and then within a week or so too large to feed. Don't grow quite as fast or large as hornworms, but close in those final 2 weeks!

Once you get some eggs you can just pull out a few each week to keep a constant supply, and only need to let more pupate every so often. Will be much easier but getting a colony started is always the hardest (and longest) part.

 

[JoXie411]

Yea I hate the petri dishes. When I get my own eggs they'll go in a sandwich container to hatch, on a small piece of paper towel that I can throw away afterwards. My mold started with the eggs, but also quickly moved to the food in the petri dishes. Didn't lose any, but I started moving worms out with netting almost immediately. Took the last few out this morning.

Your worms will grow pretty quickly at one point... like overnight they will be a small feeder size and then within a week or so too large to feed. Don't grow quite as fast or large as hornworms, but close in those final 2 weeks!

Once you get some eggs you can just pull out a few each week to keep a constant supply, and only need to let more pupate every so often. Will be much easier but getting a colony started is always the hardest (and longest) part.

For some reason my Petri dish would gather a lot of moisture inside. My baby silk died because of it the first time so I was super careful the second time but it happens again but only a little bit. Idk why it keeps happening.

I think I just want two types of silks going at a time. I need to get a mini fridge for my big room to keep silk eggs in and the chow. I still don’t know if I like getting it premade or making it mysel chow

 

[snitz427]

I bought bulk chow from Coastal Silkworms, you can pay extra to have it individually packaged (to stay fresher longer). It was an investment, for sure, but these little buggers can eat!

I get moisture and condensation even in the larger container. I think part of it is the food and part is the heat they generate in large numbers. I try to keep the lid off for a while when I'm cleaning or changing food. I'd really like to try the open container method but I'm not convinced they won't wander when they run out of food or one decides to pupate long before all the others are ready.

 

[JoXie411]

I bought bulk chow from Coastal Silkworms, you can pay extra to have it individually packaged (to stay fresher longer). It was an investment, for sure, but these little buggers can eat!

I get moisture and condensation even in the larger container. I think part of it is the food and part is the heat they generate in large numbers. I try to keep the lid off for a while when I'm cleaning or changing food. I'd really like to try the open container method but I'm not convinced they won't wander when they run out of food or one decides to pupate long before all the others are ready.

I actually keep all my worms in the cage Imelda came with. It’s a nano reptabreeze 16x16x20 so if they do escape they are still caged. Since they cast silk the can climb anything. Kinda annoying

 

[snitz427]

I actually keep all my worms in the cage Imelda came with. It’s a nano reptabreeze 16x16x20 so if they do escape they are still caged. Since they cast silk the can climb anything. Kinda annoying

I don't find they climb very often or all too well. They fall off branches all the time when I try to free range feed them. Not like hornworms.... however, once they are ready to pupate they can damn near walk on water to get where they want. The newborns seem to climb a little, too. But in between the 1st instar and pupation, mine don't move much at all.

 

[nightanole]

Do you use substrate in the dubia container for the worms? I added darklings to my cricket bins and they help, I think, but I probably need many more! I'll put a few in the dubia container but not sure about the worms themselves.

No i have a about a half inch layer of frass in my bins for the baby roaches and cleaner crew. it seems to help mumify the greens as well so they dont get putrid.

 

[JoXie411]

I don't find they climb very often or all too well. They fall off branches all the time when I try to free range feed them. Not like hornworms.... however, once they are ready to pupate they can damn near walk on water to get where they want. The newborns seem to climb a little, too. But in between the 1st instar and pupation, mine don't move much at all.

Mine are always climbing? Maybe to may in one container and not enough food. Was planning on buying more containers but I definitely need to buy chow. I have one 1/2 bag right now. Not enough to feed them all

 

[snitz427]

especially when they get bigger. how many do you have? I have 70 large guys right now and I'd bet they will go through a pound of dry chow a week at this stage.

 

[JoXie411]

especially when they get bigger. how many do you have? I have 70 large guys right now and I'd bet they will go through a pound of dry chow a week at this stage.

I want to say I have about 900. I just started to feed them off to he chameleons.

Was going to let about maybe 20 pupate and hope they will mate this time and not die in cocoon. I saved about 10 the fist time I ordered silks but all the females layed the eggs inside the cast

 

[snitz427]

900! Girl you better get some food, they're going to start eating a lot more in a week or two. I have 1000 babies right now and I'm dreading feeding them as they grow. My batch of 250 ate a lot to this point, I can only imagine the damage 1000 will do. I made a 1/2lb of dry chow last night and probably put 1/5th of it in the container. I bet it will all be gone tonight.

it will be worth it to get the big egg harvest but I can't seem to feed them enough!

 

[snitz427]

I want to say I have about 900. I just started to feed them off to he chameleons.

Was going to let about maybe 20 pupate and hope they will mate this time and not die in cocoon. I saved about 10 the fist time I ordered silks but all the females layed the eggs inside the cast

I'd do more than 20 if you can. I was going to try 3 dozen this time, but I think we are going to have more like 5 or 6 dozen. I, too, let a dozen pupate and didn't get any viable eggs... so at that rate, if I get at least one mating pair per dozen cocoons, I should get 2,000 or so eggs to get me through a few months before repeating the process.

 

[JoXie411]

I'd do more than 20 if you can. I was going to try 3 dozen this time, but I think we are going to have more like 5 or 6 dozen. I, too, let a dozen pupate and didn't get any viable eggs... so at that rate, if I get at least one mating pair per dozen cocoons, I should get 2,000 or so eggs to get me through a few months before repeating the process.

Why is it so different to get them to mate? You think the silkworm industry messed up the evolution of them? I don’t mind even putting off 100 to try and mate. If it’s going to be that hard

 

[JoXie411]

900! Girl you better get some food, they're going to start eating a lot more in a week or two. I have 1000 babies right now and I'm dreading feeding them as they grow. My batch of 250 ate a lot to this point, I can only imagine the damage 1000 will do. I made a 1/2lb of dry chow last night and probably put 1/5th of it in the container. I bet it will all be gone tonight.

it will be worth it to get the big egg harvest but I can't seem to feed them enough!

Yea I need to order the food tonight. Coastal is so much cheaper to get everything I need for my silks. I really want zebras but food is more important right now.

 

[snitz427]

I'm not sure why it's so difficult. Maybe it's nature's way of managing the population (with crappy hatch rates)? Maybe it's domestication. Whatever it is, my success rate thus far has been 0!

I ordered my guys from Coastal Silkworms but the excess charge for zebras and blacks was ... high. I was hoping to get some from a forum member, instead, but was afraid I'd miss my chance. If I get some zebra eggs I'll send you some... but that's probably 2 months away.

 

[JoXie411]

I'm not sure why it's so difficult. Maybe it's nature's way of managing the population (with crappy hatch rates)? Maybe it's domestication. Whatever it is, my success rate thus far has been 0!

I ordered my guys from Coastal Silkworms but the excess charge for zebras and blacks was ... high. I was hoping to get some from a forum member, instead, but was afraid I'd miss my chance. If I get some zebra eggs I'll send you some... but that's probably 2 months away.

You got your own breeding farm over there now lol

 

[JoXie411]

I think I just found someone on Craigslist giving away zebras for free!!!