Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anybody know anything about raising silk worms? I have been told that they are the best for worms, much better than meal worms. I am looking into buying them and they aren't all that expensive (20 dollars for 200 worms.)

Silkworms contain an enzyme called serrapeptase, this has properties that make calcium absorption more efficient, can reduce inflammation, pain and best of all it can break down arterial plaque.

If you look on Mulberryfarms.com or Coastalsilkworms.com they both have care sheets. I use an incubator set at 80. I feed daily and never keep the lids all the way closed.

"Silkworms contain an enzyme called serrapeptase, this has properties that make calcium absorption more efficient, can reduce inflammation, pain and best of all it can break down arterial plaque."

WOW, sounds like i should be eating silkworms myself! lol
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a free range dragon is a happy dragon

Ok. but if i buy eggs, do you know if they will replenish themselves or would it just be easier to get the worms shipped here already ready to go no fuss no muss. I am interested in keeping a stock, like buying 200 eggs and letting them grow, feed the lizard but also let enough stick around to replenish themselves.

Yes, silkworms grow to about 2 1/2" then spin cocoons. Later a flightless moth emerges. The females will then lay eggs and die. Just be sure you buy a lot of food since they will only eat Mulberry leaves or the Silkworm Chow.

silkworms are easy to care for. The hardest part though, is ensuring they stay as clean as possible. Silkies are very vulnerable to bacteria and can easily die off it not cleaned regularly or exposed to any mold. Humidity can wipe them out too (humidity promotes mold and their droppings can mold very fast). Hence it is always good to wash your hands with a mild soak or anti-bacterial soap before handing the worms (make sure all traces of the soak are washed off though...and I don't think that Purell stuff would be good, the fumes may harm the silkworms). Or use sterile rubber gloves. WHen you are feeding the worms to your bearded dragon though, you can just pick them up and offer them to the dragon. It is more moving the worms from their web covered/left over food, poop covered container into a new one.

It is also a good ideal not to smoke in the same room the silkworms, as I heard smoke can kill them as well. (I didn't know this fact myself..which makes me glad I don't smoke in my apartment).

Other than making sure you keep them as clean as possible (they don't have to be sterile, but as clean as possible), all the care that is needed is feeding them silkworm chow (or fresh mulberry leaves (washed of course) daily. They do well at most room temperatures, from 70-80F. A bit cooler they take longer to grow, hotter and they probably die...not sure on how high of heat they can tolerate, but I don't think it's much higher than 85F).

Once the worms get about 3" long, they will coccoon. Remove the cocoons and place them in another bin separate from the rest of the worms. In about 10-14 days the coccoons break open and the moths come out (long years of domestication has rendered these moths incapable of flying). Males tend to be smaller than females but if not sure, put two moths together and if they are of mixed sexes, they will pair up in a few minutes. Once paired up you can move them into a small kritter keeper, brown paper bag (the sandwich sized paper bags). Once the male detaches, you can either put him in with another female, or feed him to your dragon.

THe moths do not have to be fed. They have no mouth parts. Their sole purpose in life at this stage is to breed and lay eggs, after that, they die. Once moths, they live about 2-4 days. Males tend to last longer than females.

Once you have eggs (lunch bags are handy in you can just cut open the bags and around the egg clusters. Lining Kritter keepers with wax paper works pretty well too, though the eggs to tend to fall off. But it is much easer to get the eggs off the wax paper than the sides of the kritter keeper though. Leave the eggs out at room temperature for about 4-5 days till they turn a dark purplish color. Once this color, refrigerate for 2-12 months. After 2 months you can take eggs out and let them hatch, the rest you can leave in the fridge for a year. After a year, they don't hatch as well.

Once the eggs are out of the fridge, it takes about 10 days for them to hatch, depending on your room temperature. Cooler temps take a bit longer, warmer temps less time is needed.

After the eggs hatch, use a cheeze grater to 'grate' chow over the silkworms. They should be fed no more than 24 hours after they hatch. Every day, grate more chow over the worms...they will climb over the new food as it is added.

Once the worms are big enough to safely handle without fear of squishing them (typically when they are about an inch long) move them to a clean environment, separate by size, or just to have smaller groups to feed. Or if you need to make more eggs, separate a group to grow to full size and start cycle again.
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PHLdyPayne

Wow thanks so much!!!
this has helped a lot!

-sam