A Detailed Guide to Silkworm Rearing: Key Points from Receiving the Ants to Cocoon Spinning

Silkworm rearing is the process of raising the domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori) from eggs to cocoon spinning, and is one of China's traditional agricultural production activities. Silkworms feed on mulberry leaves, and after several molts they spin silk and form cocoons; the cocoons can be reeled into silk, making them the basic raw material of the silk industry. Mastering the correct silkworm rearing methods is important for improving cocoon quality and the success rate of rearing.

Before rearing silkworms, the rearing room and tools must be prepared first. The rearing room should be well ventilated with soft light, and should be cleaned and disinfected in advance to prevent pathogens from lingering. Silkworms are relatively sensitive to temperature and humidity; during the young silkworm stage they should be kept warm, while during the large silkworm stage attention should be paid to ventilation and air exchange. Mulberry leaves must be fresh and clean, avoiding contact with water or pesticides, so that the silkworms do not fall ill after eating them.

When feeding the silkworms, the mulberry leaves can be cut to a suitable size and spread evenly on the rearing tray, with the amount of leaves fed gradually increasing as the silkworms grow older. Every day the silkworm droppings and leftover leaves must be cleaned out to keep the rearing bed dry and clean and reduce the breeding of pathogens. During the molting period the silkworms neither eat nor move; at this time do not disturb them at will, and wait until molting is complete before resuming normal feeding.

When the silkworms mature, their bodies become shiny and they excrete soft droppings; at this point a silkworm mount should be provided for them to spin silk and form cocoons, and the environment should be kept quiet during cocoon spinning. The common problems in silkworm rearing are mostly silkworm diseases, generally caused by inadequate disinfection, excessive humidity, or unclean mulberry leaves. The key to prevention lies in doing daily cleaning well, and diseased silkworms should be isolated and handled promptly when found.