A Detailed Guide to Artificial Breeding Techniques and Methods for Golden Cicadas

AbstractPreparation of the site: choose a place with moist soil such as a willow grove or an elm grove for breeding. Collection and cultivation of egg branches: you can collect some branches with cicada eggs attached, then carry out incubation and cultivation, and fill in sandy soil to cover the branches. Breeding management: during this period, maintain suitable humidity; after hatching, they can be transplanted to the planting grove; in the later stage, the trees can be fertilized multiple times, and ant nests should be cleared away in time to prevent large creatures from entering the grove and trampling on it, etc. Harvesting: generally, mature golden cicadas can be harvested multiple times.

I. Preparation of the Site

1. Before raising golden cicadas, you need to find a good site for breeding them. You can choose some fruit trees in an orchard, or a place such as a willow grove or an elm grove. The bark of the tree species should be relatively thin, and the branches and leaves should also be relatively abundant, and the branches should be relatively slender for easy attachment.

2. The soil of the breeding site should not be too dry; it should be relatively moist, which makes it convenient to manage the golden cicada seedlings when they emerge from the soil. A relatively suitable place is fertile soil distributed along a river valley.

II. Collection and Cultivation of Egg Branches

1. You can go to the wild to collect some branches with cicada eggs attached, and then carry out incubation and cultivation; you can also purchase them yourself. During incubation, the branches containing eggs should be tied together, and sandy soil should be filled in to cover the branches.

2. During this period, humidity should be maintained well, and water droplets can be sprayed in small amounts several times. Generally, it is enough for the surface of the sandy soil to appear moist. The golden cicada eggs in the soil will slowly begin to hatch.

3. When inspecting, if you find some things resembling ants, you can transplant them to the planting grove.

III. Breeding Management

1. Put the cultivated branches together with the sandy soil into the prepared root area of the tree. The pit should not be too deep; about 30cm into the soil is enough. It should be relatively close to the tree roots, so that the golden cicada seedlings will not be damaged, and it will also be convenient for the young cicadas to suck the sap from the tree roots.

2. In the later stage, the trees can be fertilized multiple times to ensure the growth of the tree species so that the young cicadas can absorb enough nutrients.

3. Patrol the grove frequently. If you see ant nests or things like mice, remove them in time to prevent harm to the golden cicadas. Usually, you should also prevent large creatures such as cattle from entering the grove and trampling on it. In addition, the burial locations of the young cicadas should be recorded to facilitate management and harvesting.

IV. Harvesting

1. After golden cicadas mature, they will slowly emerge from the soil and climb up along the tree trunk. To facilitate later harvesting, a barrier band can be made on the trunk 30-50cm above the soil, with the width of the band controlled at about 10cm. The surface should be smooth, so that the golden cicadas cannot climb up.

2. The time when golden cicadas emerge from the soil is generally after rain; rainwater will hinder the activity of golden cicadas in the soil.

3. Generally, golden cicadas begin to emerge from the soil only when they are strong enough. For long periods of drought, artificial watering can be used to simulate rain to prompt the golden cicadas to emerge from the soil.

4. Golden cicada stocks can be harvested many times, so when harvesting, do not stop harvesting after just 1 time. The harvesting period can last about 30 days, or longer.