silkworm culture

[angelofdeathzz]

Great info! I just wanna know who's going to make me a silk shirt(44-46 long)

 

[fleurdejoo]

Ok so here they are. Really surprised at how fast they grow! I mean over night you can tell they're bigger.

I need to clean this container out I know.

The grater that comes with this is a joke. I mean the stuff is way too wet to grate. I did what you said except with a fork.

Will have to get the bigger box set up like yours tamale. Thanks so much for the thread! This was way fun and I really like these guys.

 

[D_Hemptress]

Ok so here they are. Really surprised at how fast they grow! I mean over night you can tell they're bigger.

I need to clean this container out I know.

The grater that comes with this is a joke. I mean the stuff is way too wet to grate. I did what you said except with a fork.

Will have to get the bigger box set up like yours tamale. Thanks so much for the thread! This was way fun and I really like these guys.

well done!

 

[Sticky]

I love how gentle they are. They are so innocent. Do yours t a lk to you? Mine did. When they run out of food they do a "feed me" dance. They stand up and wave their body in the air back and forth. They are talking to you!

 

[fleurdejoo]

Agreed, very sweet. I have noticed the feed me dance! Very cute.

 

[fleurdejoo]

So how can you tell if they are getting ready to spin a cocoon?

 

[D_Hemptress]

they will be huge, the one on my hand in the pictures spun its cocoon a day or two after

So how can you tell if they are getting ready to spin a cocoon?

 

[Scruffy Aphid Herder]

Cute enough to feed alive to your mantids ?

 

[D_Hemptress]

Cute enough to feed alive to your mantids ?

its the circle of life! (singing in my best lion king voice with one hand on my chest and the other in the air) lol

 

[fleurdejoo]

Yeah I try to keep the circle in mind.

Should I put an egg carton thingie in there kind of diagonally?

I saw a chick who raises these online and she had one like that.

 

[D_Hemptress]

the only reason i wouldnt use them until they are ready to lay is becasue the food will get it all soggy

 

[fleurdejoo]

Well one of them is starting to spin a cocoon and I didn't realize it and had started to move it.

I feel like they are all so tangled up in there, they're going to be caught on each other.

 

[Sticky]

So how can you tell if they are getting ready to spin a cocoon?

They do what is called a "gut dump". It looks like a serious case of diarrhea. I find it more dramatic in the wild ones. It looks scary but they are fine. Of course they stop eating then go "walk-about." Watch them carefully or you will find cocoons in the funniest places!

 

[fleurdejoo]

So it's normal for there to be filaments entangling some of them?

One of them crawled up the side of the box and started spinning stuff.

But this morning there are just one or two places on the sides that are cobwebby.

 

[D_Hemptress]

if they are starting to spin it wnt hurt to put some egg carton in there. otherwise they will use the corners of the box

 

[fleurdejoo]

First cocoon!

 

[fleurdejoo]

Question for D.Hemptress, are these guys too crowded?

 

[D_Hemptress]

looks like plenty of space to me.....

 

[Introvertebrate]

One of my favorite nerdy websites.