Coccoons

[sueb4653]

My silkworms have started to coccoon yaaaa

oops this should be in other sorry

 

[Saebjorn9]

my wax worms just cocooned themselves too! Very excited!

 

[frogparty]

I have both cocooning as well. A lot of my silkworms died while I was on vacation though, gross. I still have a dozen or so to breed though.

 

[sueb4653]

don't if I'll breed as I dont have an incubator for the small eggs

 

[agent A]

don't if I'll breed as I dont have an incubator for the small eggs

the eggs can be diapaused in the fridge

or send some my way so i can rear them, my fbts could use the extra nutrients B)

 

[sueb4653]

I can send to you but you will have to tell me what to do to get them to breed

 

[agent A]

I can send to you but you will have to tell me what to do to get them to breed

Oh that's simple leave all the adult moths in the same cage and the females attract the males and they'll mate real easily

 

[sueb4653]

yea and what about the eggs are they easy to see what do they lay on etc etc

 

[agent A]

yea and what about the eggs are they easy to see what do they lay on etc etc

eggs r small and yellow

they lay them on pretty much everything lol

 

[sueb4653]

ok once the cats hatch into moths I will move them to a bigger container with lots of leaves and such should be able to collect easily then

 

[agent A]

ok once the cats hatch into moths I will move them to a bigger container with lots of leaves and such should be able to collect easily then

put mated females in paper bags

they r saturniids, they lay eggs almost everywhere...

 

[sueb4653]

so is there a particular time that they mate how do you know that they have mated without sitting and watching 24/7

sorry I dont know much about them

 

[patrickfraser]

What I did with my moths was once they paired up, I put the pair in a small "portion cup" with a piece of paper towel covering the top before snapping on the lid. This I place upside down and let them mate for as long as they like. When I see that the male has disconnected, he gets removed. Now you're left with an egg laying machine that has a small area to lay her eggs. Once the eggs are laid (They only have one load) I will feed off the female and leave the eggs on the paper towel in the portion cup. When the eggs turn from yellow to grey/purple they get placed in the refrigerator in the container for diapause for about a month, but can stay for up to six if I am not mistaken. There is paper towel coming out past the lid and I will give a spritz of water and this will be drawn into the cup to keep them moist and from drying out. I write the egg laying date and "in fridge" date on the cups and use the "first in, first out" method. Just take out the portion cup and you have a batch to hatch in their own little "incubator". The best place to store these in the refrigerator is on the door. I keep mine in the egg compartment. :lol: You don't want to possibly freeze the if your refrigerator gets too cold.

 

[frogparty]

great advice! Thank you!

 

[sueb4653]

great information thank you

 

[patrickfraser]

great advice! Thank you!

great information thank you

My pleasure.

 

[sueb4653]

How long do they coccoon for?

 

[patrickfraser]

They will stay in for about 2-3 weeks and emerge ready to go. The males go crazy around a female about to emerge. They smell her before she even gets out.

It is important not to disturb them while spinning. I think it is like 48 hours, but I wait longer, before you could move them.

 

[sueb4653]

you can move the coccoons?