Silk worms

[jessicaLuck]

Im going to be ordering some more Phoenix worms here soon and I was thinking about adding in some silkworms but how do u maintain them? I would just order a few. Do I have to feed them? I like Phoenix worms cause I just keep them in a cooler with an ice pack.
Also I was using reptiworms but this order of 1500 I got was a bit smelly and had more dead/hatched ones than I would have liked. Very disappointed. I will be trying Phoenix worms directly. Also where do u order ur silk worms? Thanks!!

 

[kFitz]

I get my silkworm from mullberry farms. Most places you order them from ship them in a cup with food on the bottom (which becomes the top when you get them). They only eat mullberry leaves or a mullberry leaf cake. If you're only ordering a few (up to 50 or so), they should be fine with the amount of food that they come with. I just leave them in the cup, turned upside-down because they climb up to eat. Every day, I empty out the poop from the bottom. If you get more than that, just keep them in a tupperware container with holes punched in the top.

They are easily susceptible to mold/bacteria/fungus, so be sure to wash your hands well before handling them to keep them from dying. Also, they do make silk while you keep them which becomes a bit of a sticky web in the cup. I use washed/clean chopsticks to pull them out instead of my fingers - I find it a lot easier.

 

[DragCity]

Im going to be ordering some more Phoenix worms here soon and I was thinking about adding in some silkworms but how do u maintain them? I would just order a few. Do I have to feed them? I like Phoenix worms cause I just keep them in a cooler with an ice pack.
Also I was using reptiworms but this order of 1500 I got was a bit smelly and had more dead/hatched ones than I would have liked. Very disappointed. I will be trying Phoenix worms directly. Also where do u order ur silk worms? Thanks!!

You can order a silkworm cup of 25+ worms from Mulberry Farms for a little north of $10 bucks. They aren't the easiest to maintain mostly due to the fact that you cannot let their cup get too much moisture/humidity or you will have some die off. They also die if you touch them or handle them without washing your hands. They are very susceptible to bacteria. Cups from Mulberry Farms come with silkworm chow. You must make sure to clean out their dropping from the chow everyday or else mold will grow which is another potential demise of silkworm lifespan.

 

[BotanicalStig]

Try and find zebra silkworms, lindasgonabuggie sells them live and I think mulberry sells the eggs. All silkworms these days are genetically modified and natural silk worms actually no longer exist. The zebra silks have been bred to be more resistant to bacterial infection and are much easier to care for. You can also tell the sex just by looking at them, I believe the striped ones are female and the whiter ones are male. My beardie doesn't seem to like silks. They're kind of sticky and they get all tied together from the silk they're always spitting out... think spider webs. If you leave them in a dish with other feeders, you will come home to a ball of worms. Kind of annoying, but if your beardie eats them they're not hard to breed... GM silk moths can't fly, put them in a shallow container and viola.

 

[jessicaLuck]

Hmm ok thanks for ur advice it's much appreciated. maybe I wont like thoughs...lol any other worm suggestions? Just trying to mix up her meals.

 

[wisegirl]

I read on a web site that silk worms contain enzyme serapeptase, which acts as a safe pain reliever, antiflammatory, and also cleans teeth. A good website for different types of incests/worms that are staples and treats:
http://beardeddragoncaresheet.weebly.com/feeding-and-watering.html
I hope this helps!!!

 

[CNS]

We've got cups of 50 silks available if you are interested. Very easy to maintain. They are shipped with food and all you do is open, take a few out, close the lid.