The peak summer breeding season for scorpions has arrived

The scorpion (Mesobuthus martensii) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. Currently in the medicinal herb market in Guangxi, the price of salt-processed scorpions is 350-380 yuan/kg, and the price of clean-water scorpions is 400-450 yuan/kg, with prices remaining consistently high. Summer is the period of vigorous growth and development for scorpions, and it is also their breeding season. High temperatures with high air humidity, or high-temperature dry weather, all have a great impact on scorpions, making it especially important to strengthen summer breeding management of scorpions. The main management measures are as follows.

1. Scientific feeding of feed. Summer is the period of most vigorous growth for scorpions. When the temperature has just risen to 20°C, scorpions have already begun to move about and forage, and at this time food and water should be provided, but the amount of food provided should be appropriately controlled and should not be too much; generally feed once every 4-5 days, feeding more when the temperature is high and appropriately reducing the amount when the temperature is low. When the temperature rises above 25°C, the food intake of scorpions also increases, and since they are in their period of most vigorous growth, with high consumption and a great need for nutrients and water in their bodies, the frequency of feeding should be increased to once every 2-3 days, and the feed should be diversified. In addition to feeding yellow mealworms, ground beetles, and yangchong (Palembus dermestoides), you can also feed @#@254@#@, moths, @#@261@#@, etc. High temperatures cause scorpions to consume large amounts of water in their bodies, so at this time they should also be fed fresh melon rind, muskmelon rind, tender corn, and other sweet feed with high water content.

2. Prevent pesticide poisoning. Scorpions are extremely sensitive to pesticides. For farms (households) that use black light traps to catch insects in summer as the main source or supplementary source of scorpion feed, attention should be paid to the timing of pesticide application for pest and disease control in the farmland and orchards around the farm (room). On the night of pesticide application, the lights should be turned off to stop attracting insects, and this should continue for 3-4 nights.

3. Regulate the temperature and humidity inside the breeding room. When the relative air humidity during the rainy season is around 90%, the growth and development of scorpions will be affected. Therefore, corresponding measures should be taken to reduce the humidity inside the breeding room (pond), keeping the indoor relative air humidity below 80%. Methods: after 9 o'clock on sunny days, open doors and windows for ventilation to reduce humidity, or use charcoal to absorb moisture; where conditions permit, a dehumidifier can be used to absorb moisture and reduce humidity. Also frequently change the nest soil, remove overly wet nest soil, and replace it with uncontaminated new soil with a water content of 7%-10%. At the same time, the leftover feed in the food bowl should be removed from the room every day to keep the room and nest soil dry and refreshing. If summer is also hit by drought and the relative air humidity in the room or pond is below 60%, water can be sprayed to supplement humidity, once every 7 days; the amount of water sprayed should not be too much and should be even, keeping the relative air humidity in the room (pond) at 75%-80%.

4. Organize mating of male and female scorpions well. Entering September to October is the mating season of scorpions in the year. In order to change the overly scattered birthing period of scorpions during free mating and to make them give birth to young scorpions in a concentrated way in the suitable season of July to August the following year, mating should be organized in a planned way in management. It is best to do this from mid-September to October: first feed the female scorpions (breeding scorpions) once, replace the nest soil of the male scorpions with new soil, then put the female scorpions in to live together with the male scorpions at a male-to-female ratio of 1:4, and let them mate freely. However, the female scorpions selected for mating must be developmentally mature, otherwise mating will be difficult. After living together for 2-3 days, once all female scorpions have mated, they should be separated.

5. Management of female scorpions during pregnancy and the carrying-young period. After mating, the normal pregnancy period of a female scorpion is about 10 months, and by July to August of the following year they give birth to young scorpions one after another. The nutrients required by female scorpions during pregnancy are more and better than those of ordinary scorpions. Therefore, pregnant female scorpions should be fed frequently and abundantly with juicy insects, such as yellow mealworm larvae, ground beetle larvae, yangchong larvae, and snout moth larvae, so that they eat well and are full, ensuring normal embryonic development. At the same time, take care not to capture them without reason, not to turn over the nest frequently, and not to frighten them with noise; before giving birth, it is best to place them separately in a birthing room.

After the young scorpions are born, they gather on the mother's back and do not scatter; this is called the mother scorpion carrying her young. During the period when the mother scorpion is carrying her young, avoid frightening her, do not turn over the nest, do not capture her, and decline visits from outsiders. Mother scorpions carrying young have a large food intake, but because movement is inconvenient, they rarely leave the nest to hunt. At this time, attention should be paid to providing food and placing it near them so that they can eat easily.

6. Separate breeding of young scorpions. When feed is insufficient, mother scorpions have the habit of eating young scorpions, so when the young scorpions leave the mother scorpion and can move and forage on their own, they should be separated in time. Method: for small-scale breeding using basins, vats, or boxes, use bamboo tweezers to pick out the mother scorpions and put them into the breeding container; by doing this for several consecutive nights, the mother scorpions and young scorpions can be separated. For larger-scale breeding using rooms and ponds, separation ponds or nests should be set up inside the rooms and ponds so that the young scorpions can automatically separate after leaving the mother scorpion. Newborn young scorpions need a room temperature above 32°C to grow normally, so at this time temperature regulation should be done well to prevent low temperatures from occurring.