How easy are they to keep and raise? as long as you have the setup done and enough food they are simple to keep and raise
very simple. not sure why a lot of ppl have problem. Honestly, I put them in my kids toy bins.. I've got lots of diff color toy bins. I do give them ample space. I suggest against gallon tubs.. there is no reason for it to go deep. It needs to go as wide as you can afford it.
I've seen a few different ways to receive your worm eggs. i always shipped mine loose. ladysilkworm i think explained why in another thread
The best way is to have them lay in natural pattern. When glued, they get stuck and end up on the wrong edges.. when the embryo develops, it cant develop properly. A mother moth never overlaps her eggs and are always 'right side up'. Getting them glued as an advantage vs lose. They don't roll around basically. With lose, you just hatch them out at your own pace.
Is it hard to find the mulberry chow? no but it can get quite expensive unless you have fresh mulberry leaves around
It was hard due to MF and CS having a monopoly on them.. couldn't get it from anywhere else. But I am getting a new formula in!!
Do they smell? they have a smell to them but it's not really that offensive. crickets are worse
no, they smell quiet pleasant if you feed leaves. they kinda smell rancid if feeding chow. The silkworms don't smell. Crix are the worst.
How much room will I need? depends on how many you get but even so not too too much
The more horizontal space the better and healthier for them. vertical space is a non issue. I have seen many ppl go out of their way to make a rearing container.. it is really unncessary. YOu just need to be dedicated to clean the bottom.
Should I dedicate a small "college dorm" fridge for them? why? their food (if you get the chow) doesnt take up much space
No necessary if you are not a breeder. really, keeping silkworms is so easy. I did it when I was 10. had hundreds. I have no separate fridge yet, until the chow gets here. .
I read that the moth doesn't fly. Is that true? yep they can't fly and they are very pretty
Should I collect and use/sell any of their by product/waste? it should be cleaned from the container daily
Their frass can be fed to fish if they will eat them. Everything about them is clean and usable. But you should clean them as often as you can.
Whats the best way to start, with grown worms or eggs? i think it's just a matter of opinion on this..ive started with both
How long does a "colony" take to start? depends on how many you buy in the first place but it can take some time and they arent always a self sustainable colony like roaches can be
How long will it take to produce eggs from adults? basically a couple days after they emerge as moths and mate
from egg to egg it takes 2.5 months. 2 weeks to hatch, 1 month as larva, 2 weeks as cocoon, 1 week as moth and laying eggs, and 2 weeks for hatching.. just about.
How long will it take to produce eggs from a starting point of eggs? its been a while so i dont fully remember but it's probably close to a month
Will they reproduce year round or are they a seasonal insect? ive heard people say they are seasonal but i dont think it's true
They are seaonable. But it also depends on their voltinity strains. If you hatch eggs in Spring, their offsprings will hatch in June.. after that, they go into diapause. It's a long story... check my fan page on FB. [/color]
its been a while since ive bred/kept them so i may be off on some of the things but that's the basic idea
sorry I had been away.. working on my website and getting supplies.. I am back bigger and stronger!!!
