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Frequently Asked Questions
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Index:
How do I care for my silkworms?
How long will the silkworm food last?
How much silkworm food do I need?
My silkworms are just the right size. Can I stop feeding them?
Are silkworms better than other feeders?
My Silkworms aren't eating or moving. What's wrong?
Can I feed silkworms other types of plant leaves?
My silkworms are dying. What am I doing wrong?
Do your products come with a guarantee?
How do I breed my own silkworms/deal with silkworm eggs?
How much should I feed my pet?
Do you ship your products internationally?
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Caring for your silkworms is very easy.
Upon arrival, place the silkworms in a larger plastic container if
they are overcrowded.
Feed your worms with either mulberry leaves or pre-made silkworm food
(sold separately).
A cheese grater is the best method for distributing the food evenly,
but you can also break the food into smaller pieces. Grate
some food directly onto the worms and replace the lid to prevent the food
from drying out quickly. If condensation develops, vent the lid
Before feeding again, take the lid
off until the old food and droppings dry out. If your worms are the
desired feeding size upon arrival, you do not need to feed them.
They will stay alive for a week or more (depending on temp. and size)
without food. Repeat this feeding procedure until the worms reach the desired size. Obviously,
the more you feed them, the faster they will grow.
As the silkworms grow and become crowded, transfer them to a larger
plastic container.
The lid you are keeping the worms in needs to
have ventilation holes. If not, you need to vent the lid
so the silkworms won't suffocate and to allow condensation to dissipate.
You may need to separate them into more than one container, depending
on the number and size. Handle the worms with extreme care, as they bruise easily.
Most of the worms will be clinging to a layer of silk, old food and droppings. You do not need
to separate the worms from the material they are clinging to as long as it is dry.
For optimal growth and health, keep your worms at a temperature of 75°-88° F.
Keep the food in the refrigerator in an airtight
container, wash your hands before handling,
and the food will last for up to a month.
As a rule of thumb, you will need 2 lbs of silkworm food to raise
50 silkworms from egg to cocoon. However, please keep in mind that the actual amount needed
will vary depending on quantity wasted and raising conditions.
Yes. Once the silkworm is past the larva stage, you may stop feeding them, and the worms will live
without food for a week or longer (depending on temperature and size). It's a good idea to feed them every few days to extend
this "hold" period.
Yes. Click Here
to learn 11 reasons why silkworms are an excellent critter to feed your pet.
Click Here to learn about the nutritional value of silkworms
compared to other common feeders.
This is normal, and actually means that your worms are healthy and
growing. A Silkworm's only job is to eat and grow, but because their
soft skins do not stretch as they grow, the worms must shed their skins.
They will molt 3 to 4 times during growth. If your worms aren't eating
and are sitting still (especially with their heads raised in the air),
they're getting ready to molt. Your worms will spend one
or two inactive days just before molting.
No. Silkworms can ONLY survive on mulberry leaves
(genus Morus), sometimes Osage orange (Maclura pomifera)
or silkworm food,
which is made from mulberry leaves. Your worms may eat other types of
vegetation, such as lettuce leaves, but it will kill them.
Yes!
Please click here to read all about our
Product Guarantee
Excessive condensation forming in the container after feeding
is the leading cause of failure.
In order for your worms to stay healthy for many weeks, you'll need to keep the
silkworms as dry as possible. If condensation builds up during feeding, vent the
container lid to prevent excess humidity. In order to increase air exchange,
instead of a lid, you can also use several layers of paper towels
secured around the container with a rubber band.
Mold develops from high temperatures and high humidity.
If the worms are covered with droppings, silk and old food for too long,
mold may develop and kill the worms. If mold does develop, grate about 1/4 inch of
food
(sold separately) all over the worms with a cheese grater. As the worms crawl to the top of the
new food pile you can transfer them off the moldy food and place them into a new container.
Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before handling the worms
or their food. Silkworms are sensitive to bacteria if you don't properly handle them.
The droppings and uneaten food become a suitable germ-free mat for the worms to hold onto, as long
as the container environment remains dry.
Silkworms are susceptible to bruising and dying if now handled with care, especially as
they grow larger. When handling and transferring the worms, be very gentle.
Although we encourage you to get into the silkworm breeding process if it so interests you, we do not give lessons
on breeding silkworms. All of our creatures, including Our Silkworm Eggs and
Silkworms, however, do come with
detailed instructions on raising and growing the silkworms, but producing your own eggs is another matter
on which you will find lots of information by doing a little research.
Each species of animal and each individual animal have different feeding needs
and requirements that we cannot properly advise you on. It also depends on how much
your specific animal is used to eating as well as size and age. We cannot offer instructions
on feeding and care for your pet. We can, however, offer instructions and advise on caring
for any and all of the creatures we sell.
No, we ship neither our living nor our non-living products outside the U.S.
We do not ship to Hawaii or Puerto Rico.
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