A Detailed Guide to Artificial Cicada Farming: Farming Methods and Management Essentials
Cicada farming has become a hot trend again in recent years. People have discovered that the molted shells left behind by cicadas have high medicinal value, and the cicada itself is also a creature extremely rich in nutritional protein. On top of that, wild cicadas have been captured in large numbers, causing their numbers to plummet sharply, while market demand keeps rising. This is how the demand for artificial cicada farming came about. Join us as we take a look at how to farm cicadas.
1. Site Preparation
Before farming cicadas, you need to find a good site for raising them. It can be an orchard with some fruit trees, or you can choose places like elm groves or willow groves. The bark of the tree species should be relatively thin, and the branches and leaves should be fairly abundant, with the twigs being relatively slender so they are easy for cicadas to attach to. The soil must not be too dry; it should be relatively moist, which makes it easier for cicada seedlings to emerge from the soil. The most suitable places are fertile soils distributed along river valleys.
2. Collecting and Cultivating Egg Branches
For cicada seeds, you can go out into the wild yourself to collect some branches with cicada eggs attached and hatch and cultivate them on your own, or you can buy them yourself. When incubating, bundle the branches containing eggs together, then bury them in sand and soil to cover the branches. At this time, humidity must be well maintained, and water droplets should be sprayed frequently, a small amount at a time but many times, each time just enough to make the surface of the sand and soil appear moist. The cicada seeds will slowly hatch in the soil at this point. When you check and find some things that look like ants, they can be transplanted to the planting grove.
3. Farming Management
Place the cultivated branches together with the sand and soil at the root areas of the trees that were prepared in advance. The pit does not need to be too deep; about 30 cm into the soil is enough, and it should be close to the tree roots. This way, the cicada seedlings will not be damaged, and it will also be convenient for the young cicadas to suck the sap from the tree roots. Later management is mainly carried out on the trees: apply more fertilizer to ensure the tree species grow well so that the young cicadas have enough nutrients. The grove should be patrolled frequently, and ant nests or mice and the like should be removed promptly to prevent them from harming the cicadas. In daily life, you must also prevent large animals such as cattle from entering and trampling them. The burial locations of the young cicadas should be recorded to make management and harvesting easier.
4. Harvesting
After cicadas mature, they will gradually emerge from the soil and climb up along the tree trunk. To make harvesting easier, you can create a barrier band on the tree trunk 30-50 cm above the soil, with the band width controlled at about 10 cm and a smooth surface, so the cicadas cannot climb up. You can use thicker plastic sheeting, as long as you ensure the cicadas cannot climb up. Cicadas mostly like to emerge from the soil after rain. This is because rainwater hinders their activity in the soil, and once the cicadas are strong enough they will begin to emerge. If there is a long dry period, you can artificially simulate rain to prompt them to emerge. Harvesting cicada seeds cannot be completed in one go. When harvesting, do not stop after collecting just once. The harvest period can last nearly a month or so, or even longer.
Cicada farming is a relatively time-consuming endeavor. Generally, it takes 2-3 years before you start making a profit, and the farming site also requires a fairly large area. These are all issues you need to consider. If you have this idea, you can refer to the above content, but for more details you should still conduct on-site investigations clearly before starting.