How to raise silkworms so they don't die? The choice of rearing location matters
For silkworm babies, I believe many people feel affection for them; these soft and cute little creatures grow tenaciously every day, so how many days does it take for silkworm eggs to hatch? How to raise them so they don't die? What place is best to keep them in?
In fact, raising silkworms can be a hobby or a path to wealth; when the purpose of raising silkworms differs, the specific preparation and operation will naturally have different emphases. Below we will study and analyze silkworm rearing knowledge separately from the two major directions of “hobby silkworm rearing” and “entrepreneurial silkworm rearing.”
“Hobby Silkworm Rearing” Operation Guide
If it is for personal hobby, the most important thing is to understand the growth process of silkworm babies and take good care of their health.
1. Silkworm egg hatching
Different varieties of silkworms differ in hatching time. Overall, they can be divided into “overwintering eggs” and “non-overwintering eggs.” The former will not hatch under natural conditions until the warming season of the following spring, while the latter can basically hatch in about 10 days.
2. Rearing silkworms
(1) What do silkworm babies eat?
Generally, about half an hour after hatching, silkworm babies will want to eat. At this time the keeper is like their own mother and must prepare tender, juicy mulberry leaves, which can be cut into several strips with scissors. Place the silkworm babies on the mulberry leaves and let them forage freely.
When the silkworm babies have grown a bit, besides mulberry leaves you can also feed them some elm leaves and grape leaves, but they must be tender!
Selection of mulberry leaves:
Young silkworms must have tender leaves, while older silkworms need an appropriate amount of old leaves added to promote silk spinning.
The moisture on mulberry leaves needs to be wiped dry, and mulberry leaves that have turned black or moldy should not be fed to silkworm babies.
(2) Where do silkworm babies live?
You can prepare a box of moderate size. It needs a lid, and you only need to poke a few small holes in the lid so the silkworm babies can breathe; this helps young silkworms survive.
In addition, be sure to keep the temperature of the space where the silkworm babies are at a good level; 25°C-28°C is best.
(3) What growth stages do silkworm babies have?
Basically they include: hatching - growing - spinning silk - cocooning into a pupa - breaking the cocoon into a moth - male and female mating - male moth dies - female moth dies after laying eggs. (about 40-60 days)
Does it look a little sad? I remember that when I used to raise silkworms, every time I saw the silkworms I had raised with my own hands die in such a way, I would be sad for a long time. But this is also the inevitability of the continuation of life. Many animals die after reproduction; their whole life is just two things: survival and reproduction. So when caring for them, you must give these little lives enough love!
“Entrepreneurial Silkworm Rearing” Operation Guide
If you want to start a business and become rich by raising silkworms, then what you consider is not sentiment, but market factors. Because to make a profit, you will certainly need large-scale silkworm rearing to be viable. Then there will be more points to pay attention to during the rearing process.
1. Selection of varieties
For large-scale rearing, you will certainly choose varieties that spin more silk. Generally, it is better to choose “production breeds” that have undergone multiple generations of crossbreeding and selection, so the silkworms raised are fatter and spin more silk, and naturally you earn more.
Specifically, you can choose varieties such as “Nongsang” and “Dazhonghua.”
2. Feeding silkworms
Silk can be pure white or colored, and this is directly related to feeding. To raise white silkworms, you can feed some young silkworm feed after feeding mulberry leaves. To raise colored silkworms, when the silkworms reach the 3rd-5th instar, you can add colored silkworm feed.
The channels for mulberry leaves and feed need to be opened up. It is best if you can plant several mu of mulberry trees while raising silkworms. In the long run, this can effectively save costs, which is what people call “planting mulberry and raising silkworms.”
3. Disinfection of the site
For large-scale rearing, you will certainly need to build a silkworm room (a greenhouse or a cement compartment will do, about 30 sq m). This requires preventing silkworm diseases, otherwise the losses will be too great. “Xiaoteling” is currently a disinfection tool used relatively often by silkworm farmers.
In addition, in sales channels, if you can reach an order agreement with a reliable silk company, it will be more secure. In the long run, it is also easy to form a complete production and sales chain, thereby developing a good ecological and economic environment.