How to Rear Silk Worms
Of the approximately 1 million known species of insects, only the silk moth has been domesticated by man. Silk moths have been selectively bred for almost 5,000 years, and it is from their eggs that the silk worm hatches. Many people rely on the silkworm for their livelihood. These include the farmers who grow mulberry leaves that silkworms feed on, the rural women who rear the worms and produce the cocoons and the fashion boutiques that sell silk fabrics and garments. With a little knowledge, most folk can rear their own silk worms.
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Things You'll Need
- silk worm eggs
- work surface
- two Petri dishes
- bleach and dish washer solution
- plastic dish
- fresh mulberry leaves
- refrigerator
- damp paper
- 1-gallon jar
- small water container
- paper towel
Instructions
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Ensure you have a reliable source of mulberry leaves. Order your silkworm eggs from a reputable supplier.
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Place the eggs into a clean Petri dish, on a work surface in a room designated for rearing silkworms.
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Observe the eggs and wait for hatching, which will be in approximately seven days.
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Soak a handful of mulberry leaves in a solution of bleach and dish washing liquid for three minutes. Prepare the solution by mixing a drop of dishwashing detergent and three tablespoons of bleach in a gallon of water.
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Rinse the leaves thoroughly under running water. Shake off any excess water.
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Place the leaves in a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator.
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Place a second clean Petri dish on a work surface in the rearing room.
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Observe the original Petri dish for evidence of new hatchlings.
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Wrap a small piece of wet paper around the stem of a mulberry leaf and place it in the second Petri dish. Replace daily with a fresh leaf.
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Use a fine paint brush to transfer any newly hatched larvae to the second dish.
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Place the newly hatched silkworm larvae onto the fresh leaf.
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Observe the larvae as they grow in the Petri dish.
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Place a 1-gallon jar on the work surface. Place a small water container into the gallon jar and add a small amount of water.
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Put a number of mulberry leaves into the water container within the jar.
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Transfer larvae that are growing too large for the dish onto the leaves in the jar.
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Observe the larvae growing and wait for them to begin shrinking on the sixth, seventh or eight day.
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Roll a small piece of paper towel and close one end by twisting it.
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Place one or two larvae into the roll and secure the opposite end by twisting it as well.
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Store the roll at a temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit, in a dark space.
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Wait three days for the larvae to spin a cocoon.
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Remove the cocoon from the paper roll and wait an additional two to three days for the pupa to develop.
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References
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