How to keep Silkworms or Grow them on from eggs to Moths
When you receive our silkworms you will notice they are shipped in small pots in woodshavings. We suggest you transfer them (especially in bigger numbers) to a larger container, which has been sterilised and is dry and warm.
Our specially prepared food is supplied ready made to ensure its in the best condition necessary to continue your worms feeding.
If you wish to grow your worms on, you will require a lot of food, as they will require feeding at least twice a day, ideally 3-4 times (as soon as the food is eaten or dries out)
To prolong the life of your Silkworms:
Simply grate the food provided from our site over the worms using a cheese grater once every other day. Keep the worms cool (room temperature or lower) and they should last at around the same size (maybe slightly larger) for around a month.
To grow your worms on:
Using a cheese grater, grate a large lump of the food over the worms, and let them move ontop of it, and begin eating.
Repeat this process up to 5 times a day (for fastest growth) and keep the worms in warm (80°F)
Ensure that the worms are cleaned out at least once a day (especially when the are starting to get to 2" and larger) as they will create a lot of waste.
Make sure you wash your hands with soap and water before feeding and before handling the worms. These silkworms have no immune system, and any germs could wipe out the whole colony.
To get Cocoons from the Worms:
When the worms reach a length of 2.5 - 3" they stop eating, and begin to look for somewhere to spin. The best spinning solution is half a toilet roll. Many of these cut in half, and stacked up ontop of each other will allow plenty of coccoons to be spun in the same area for the moths to hatch and mate.
The Coccon spinning process normally takes around 1-2 days to fully complete, and, if the worms are healthy the coccoons should be fairly solid, and almost opaque.
To Grow the Worms to Moths:
Keep your spun coccoons together in a high sided box.
Within a month or so of being coccooned, the moths will begin to hatch (normally in the morning)
These moths do not fly, and do not require any feeding or water.
Males and females will flutter a bit, and will join at the tip of the tale for mating. After mating, the Female will lay small yellow eggs, which will turn purple if they are fertile.
If the male does not begin mating with another Silkmoth, he will die fairly soon. The lifespan of the moth stage is around a week maximum, and the moths are suitable for feeding to reptiles (Chameleons especially like these)
If you need any advice, please feel free to email us, where we will happily try to help you achieve success with Silkworms.
