Silkworm Rearing Methods and Post-Cocoon Spinning Tips
The silkworm is an insect of the family Bombycidae in the order Lepidoptera, and is the main source of raw material for silk. Silkworm rearing has a long history in China, and because of its high profit value, many people still rear them to this day, so some veteran silkworm rearers have earned good profits from it. So how should silkworms be reared well? How should they be handled after cocoon spinning?
I. Silkworm Rearing Methods
1. Rearing Box Management
Silkworms are generally reared in boxes, which facilitates management and is good for their growth. Considering the fragility of silkworms, first of all, the rearing box must be thoroughly disinfected; it is best to disinfect it and then leave it in the sun for a few days to achieve natural disinfection. Secondly, do not choose materials with strong water absorption, as silkworms prefer a relatively dry environment. Also, the rearing box should not be placed in a place with too bright light, as this is not good for the growth of silkworms.
2. Feeding Management
The mulberry leaves fed to silkworms differ at each stage, and special attention must be paid to this. To ensure early development, the mulberry leaves in the early stage must be relatively fresh and tender. Silkworms do not need water when being fed; all their water comes from mulberry leaves, so the leaves fed each time should be as fresh as possible, and the surface moisture of the leaves must be wiped dry. Feeding times are generally from about 7 in the morning to about 10 at night, with 4-5 feedings in between. The mulberry leaves must be spread over the silkworms' bodies, which is good for feeding, with a thickness of generally about 3-4 layers of mulberry leaves.
3. Environmental Management
Silkworms are relatively sensitive to light and temperature. In the early stage, young silkworms should generally avoid exposure to light; under light they hatch more slowly. The temperature should be controlled at around 25-30°C, and after hatching it should be kept at around 30-33°C in the early stage. At this time, the control of light can be a little looser, but continuous bright light should still be avoided as much as possible. In the middle and later stages, controlling the temperature at around 25°C is about right. At this time, a bright environment can occasionally be maintained, but dim conditions should still predominate.
4. Points to Note
Silkworms are very fragile, and once diarrhea occurs it is a very serious problem for them; they should be isolated promptly to avoid affecting more of them. Next is the cleaning of excrement. To avoid harming the silkworms during cleaning, it is recommended not to clean too often; generally clean only when the excrement has accumulated too deep. Also, the leftover stems of mulberry leaves must be cleaned up promptly to avoid harming the silkworms. Finally, the rearing environment must be kept relatively ventilated, avoiding excessive stuffiness and heat.
II. How to Handle Silkworms After Cocoon Spinning
After the silkworm finishes spinning its cocoon, it will molt inside the cocoon and pupate, emerge from the cocoon after 8-10 days, mate and lay eggs, and then die naturally after about a week. Therefore, after the silkworms spin cocoons, you can spread a sheet of white paper on the bottom of a clean, odorless cardboard box, and also cover the surroundings with a layer of white paper. Place the cocoons in the box, and the emerged silkworm moths will mate, while the female moths lay eggs on the paper. In silk production, if the pupae are allowed to metamorphose into adults and naturally dissolve the cocoon and bore out, then because the cocoon is broken open with a hole, the silk threads will become shorter and cannot be used for spinning and weaving silk, so before they break out of the cocoon, the cocoons should be placed in boiling water to kill the silkworm pupae and make the cocoons easy to unravel.
The above is Tuliu.com's introduction to silkworm rearing methods and handling after cocoon spinning. Silkworm rearing is indeed a breeding project that places great emphasis on management, so you must put in extra care in daily life; once a problem occurs, it can easily cause a chain reaction. The mulberry silkworm is an oligophagous insect; besides preferring mulberry leaves, it can also eat lettuce leaves, cudrania leaves, paper mulberry leaves, elm leaves, mountain garlic, dandelion, and lettuce leaves, among others. Mulberry leaves are the most suitable natural food for silkworms.