Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How hard is it? and How do you go about doing this? Also I don't have a mulberry bush but I'm thinking of getting one. How many trees would I need to buy??? Thanks for any info. I thought maybe if someone knew how maybe they would share

Gabby
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1.1 Bearded Dragons-Jessie and "Goldberg"
1.0 Geo 4yr orange munchkin
0.2 Dogs- Wendy 7yr Lab/Tori 4 yr Boxer
4.1 Kids plus Hubby

I raise my own, just started recently. It is kind of neat, my son (he is three) loves it, my house is kind of like a science project. You need to let your silks grow to cocoon, they will usually stop eating for about 3 days prior to cocooning. I put some egg cartons and empty toilet paper rolls in there, they seem to like to cocoon in those. It takes anywhere from 2-3 weeks for them to emerge from the cocoons. They don't fly, and their only objective is to find a mate. The female is born pregnant, so hopefully there is a male around for her to mate with, otherwise she will lay unfertile eggs. They usually mate, and it takes about a day, and afterword the female will immediately start laying eggs. The eggs will hatch within a week usually, sometimes they don't hatch at all (the fertile ones turn a purplish black after 3 days or so),but you have a better chance and a higher hatch rate if you put them through a "winter". I refrigerate them for several weeks, at the least 3, then put them in the incubator, set at between 75-88 degrees. I keep it around 83. The eggs will hatch within 7-12 days. So far, I have been lucky and had a high hatch rate. I don't feed mine mulberry leaves, as once they get used to them, they will not eat the chow, and of course I do not have a mulberry tree. I think the chow works just as good, and as I stated in another post, I don't think I have ever had a silk die on me. I have had unhatched eggs (not many), and maybe a couple of neonates that did not make it, but for the most part, it is really easy and fun, especially if you have kids, it is really a learning experience for them (you too!)

Oh, by the way, you can keep the cocoons in like a shoe box or sterlite container, no special upkeep for them. Or the worms as they get older, as long as your house is in the low to mid 70's, they should be fine. My house even gets into the mid to high 60's at night (I live in the northeast), and have not had a problem. Just the little ones really that you have to keep warm, and the unhatched eggs.

Out of curiousity can you move the eggs once the female lays them? Just curious how you get all the eggs rounded up to freeze them and incubate them. Also at what age do the worms actually start to cacoon up? I have been thinking about trying to get a colony started up so I was just kinda wondering how much is involved. Where do you buy your chow from and how long does what you buy last? Thank you for your time!

Daniel
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Daniel Blough
D&D Dragons
dmblough@comcast.net