So, a quick question for those of you who have had silkworms before:
Approximately what quantity of leaves a day would you feed them, and for how long?
Cheers guys,
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Silkworm question
Since we have a mulberry tree, I would like to get a few silkworms for my girls to experience, but my tree is only three years old and I am worried about stripping all the leaves off it if they turn out to have a more voracious appetite than I anticipated LOL.
So, a quick question for those of you who have had silkworms before:
Approximately what quantity of leaves a day would you feed them, and for how long?
Cheers guys,
So, a quick question for those of you who have had silkworms before:
Approximately what quantity of leaves a day would you feed them, and for how long?
Cheers guys,
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10 comments:
Our Kindy/Pre-P classroom "grows" silkworms each year. I think they order online for a "kit"! Try looking here:
http://www.science.org.au/pi/contacts.htm
depends how many silk worms you have. from meory about 2 eac a day but they only last a few weeks before they pupate. You can also feed them beetroot leaves and lettuce from memory, beetroot gives the silk a pink hue!
And you need a white mulberry as those are the leaves silkworms eat. That was 'trick' the Chinese played on King James, sold him black mulberry trees; Good for wine and jam but not for silkworms.
We often have silkworms and we have always fed them the black fruits leaves with no worries.
The ones at school at the moment will be spinning cocoons in the next week.
At the start they only eat a few leaves a week, by the time they are mature grubs they can eat two or three each a day.
Only get a few eggs or else 'cull' a few as they grow. Once they are moths all they do is mate and lay eggs until they die. And you will get 100s! of eggs. The eggs can be keep in the fridge until next spring when the tree has leaves again.
You can often find give away eggs in the paper or else try pet shops though it might be too late in the season now to get eggs.
Hope this helps you - EmilyB
Silk worms would be a great idea for the girls...No idea sorry re how much they eat - but i have a friend up the road with a huge Mulbery tree. I'm sure he wouldnt mind you taking some when your tree wasn't coping with the harvesting.
Do you know where to get some from? I'd be interested in getting some also :-)
What a fun thing to do. Will you use the silk for anything?
Kate
Does anyone do anything useful with the silk?
We used to raise silkworms as kids, but never found a use for the silk. Of course, it may have just been that we'd lost interest by that stage of their lifecycle :-).
Hi guys,
Thanks for all your help :-)
@ Kara - Thank you!
Hey Kel, Thanks mate :-) I'd heard about the beetroot leaves, should be fun!
@ Croney - Really? Wow, I'd not heard that, those little tricksters ;-)
@ Emily - Excellent, thank you :-)
@ Tricia - Awesome! Will talk more about it when I see you next :-)
@ Kate - No, just some fun for the girls and a bit of nature education :-)
@ Darren - I've not heard of anyone using it either, I don't think there is enough from just a few worms to bother spinning/ weaving?
Cheers, Julie
Just found your delightful site..
I have just done 2 silkworm talks with classes today and had a ball. I am unable to source leaves now from the old fashioned trees butuse the leaves from smaller ornamental type hanging trees. These leaves are not as moist but the silkworms eat them happily.
I have a little spinning wheel made but just do it so the kids can see the threads.. not enough to do much with.
If you want eggs I can send you some soon as our moths are about to hatch and you can start yours off next season.. about September..
Lynette - Adelaide
Hello Lynette,
Oh would you? That would be awesome! One of the other commenters mentioned I could keep them in the fridge until next spring, is that right? Do you have an email address I can contact you on?
Thanks, Julie :-)
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