How to breed cicada nymphs? A detailed explanation of breeding methods and techniques

AbstractCollecting cicada nymph eggs: choose sunny weather, find the branches on which female cicada nymphs have laid eggs, pick them off and use them as seedlings to hatch small cicada larvae. Choosing a site: choose a poplar and willow grove, or an old apple orchard and a riverbank area overgrown with willow twigs, or you may also choose a place where many cicada nymphs emerged the previous year as the site for burying the egg branches. Burying the egg branches: dig a trench about 3 cm deep, then bury the egg branches, cover with 3 cm of soil, and press down gently. Breeding management: after the egg branches are buried in the ground, drain water promptly during rain to prevent waterlogging.

1. Collecting cicada nymph eggs

1. In sunny weather, female cicada nymphs generally gather on the current-year branches of poplars and willows with lush green foliage, or on apple trees, to lay eggs; they especially like to lay eggs on white willow twigs. About 3-10 days after egg laying, the branches begin to wither on their own, and with careful observation you can see granular egg particles.

2. Then, attached to the withered branches, pick off the withered branches by hand, and they can be used as seedlings to hatch small cicada larvae. A single egg branch has about 50-100 cicada nymph eggs, and generally 2-3 egg branches can be buried per sq m.

2. Choosing a site

The site for burying egg branches needs to be chosen in a poplar and willow grove, or an old apple orchard and a riverbank area overgrown with willow twigs. The soil must not be compacted, not sandy, and free of ants and ground squirrels. A loose, moist loam area is suitable. You may also choose a place where many cicada nymphs emerged the previous year as the site for burying the egg branches.

3. Burying the egg branches

1. You may choose to dig up white willow twig seedlings by a river or in moist ground, and after digging them up, plant them in a loose loam plot. The suitable plant spacing is 35 cm, and the row spacing is 90 cm. About 2003 white willow twig seedlings can be planted per mu. Between two rows of white willow twig seedlings, dig a trench 3 cm deep, then bury the egg branches and cover with 3 cm of soil.

2. You may also choose a poplar and willow grove, or an old apple orchard. Keep 2 m away from the main trunk, then dig a trench 3 cm deep, bury the egg branches, cover with soil level and press down gently.

4. Breeding management

After the egg branches are buried in the ground, drain water promptly during rain to prevent waterlogging. In dry weather, water the white willow twigs, or the poplars, willows and apple trees. While watering, you may also apply an appropriate amount of farmyard manure, which helps promote the lush growth of the egg branches, provides enough nutrition for the cicada nymph larvae, makes them grow vigorously, and increases yield. During the breeding period, prevent trampling by people and livestock, as well as damage from natural enemies such as ants.

5. Harvesting and processing

1. After the egg branches have been buried for 2-3 years, the cicada nymphs gradually grow and mature. The harvest season is generally at the Summer Solstice each year. During this period, if it rains, the plump and strong cicada nymphs begin to emerge from the ground at 4-5 o'clock in the early morning, or emerge from the ground after the rain clears, and then look for willow twigs or tree trunks to climb up.

2. After waiting 2-4 hours, the cicada nymphs begin to molt and become cicadas (zhi liao). Based on this characteristic of cicada nymphs, generally after the Summer Solstice each year, during rainless and dry weather, you can promptly water the breeding site thoroughly to lure the cicada nymphs out of the soil. Before the cicada nymphs emerge from the soil, or before the cicada nymphs mature, you can tie a ring of smooth plastic film around the tree trunk 30 cm above the ground, so that the cicada nymphs cannot continue climbing up the trunk, making it convenient to harvest them promptly.