Would this be ok for silkies?

[Lucy1988]

Hey, I have managed to find silkworms in stock for the first time in the uk and am looking to raising them to a bigger size and hopefully breeding them.

I have got tuppleware boxes and mesh. I was thinking of turning the boxes upside down, and cutting the bottom of the boxes for easy mess removal. I was also thinking of sticking a few supports in for the mesh rather then sticking the mesh in for easy cleaning. Would aquarium sealent be safe for this?

Ive read they like temps between 75/85. The top of my viv gets to almost 100 on the hotside. Thinking of putting them on the viv wheres its about 90 to allow for heat loss? I also have one of the thermo bags for night?

For disenfectant I have rubbing alcohol (70% iso). Is this ok?

Anything I am missing?

Thanks guys! Xx

 

[Taterbug]

I used tupperwares and plastic shoebox totes when I was raising silks. When they were little I let them on the lid and used the bottom as the top. Once they were big enough for the mesh I'd use the tub right side up, when they got much bigger I'd put them in a bigger tub. I've revered them on my snake cage (basically room temp) and inside my dragon cage 80ish), is think keeping them on the areas where it's about 90 would probably be fine.

I tried supporting the mesh but it wasn't worth much effort - an over sized price wedged in worked fine. Aquarium sealant would be fine - mine would get under the mesh so I'd recommend it be removable.

 

[Lucy1988]

Ok, thanks for the quick reply! Xx

 

[Lucy1988]

One more question! Should I disenfect piping bag for chow worth rubbing alcohol or will it poison them?

 

[Taterbug]

One more question! Should I disenfect piping bag for chow worth rubbing alcohol or will it poison them?

I can't vouch for how it will work for you but I wasn't super scrupulous with disinfection. I washed my hands and tubs with hot soapy water. I might microwave piping bag (before or once full) if anything if you are worried, I never did though and didn't have problems. I would not use chemicals or alcohol.

 

[Lucy1988]

Think I am bit obsessed with them tbh
They're all set up now anyway. Thanks for the help.

 

[Taterbug]

Think I am bit obsessed with them tbh
They're all set up now anyway. Thanks for the help.

Hehe I really liked rearing them, probably will again in the spring. It's too cold to ship now best luck with them!

 

[kingofnobbys]

I use little empty cricket tubs (the clear plastic rectangular = take away tubs like you get takeaway chinese in) , the ones with little holes drilled in the lids) to raise the worms until they are about 10mm long.
I simply give the tub a good clean with water and scot towel, then I spray it with F10 and let stand overnight to airdry .... no more viruses or bacteria or fungi spores remaining after that.

I'd recommend avoiding using any cleaning agent that can leave a residue or worse an emulsifier or anything that can create a non-neutral surface film when humidity in the enclosure increases that could effect the tiny silkworms when they emerge.

Viruses, bacteria and fungal spores along with excessive keeper humidity will make your baby silkworms die very quickly. The larger silkworms are more robust , but don't over crowd them, I learnt the hard way that if overcrowded they can suffocate mid shed if another worm crawls over them and disturbs their shed.

Then in go the eggs, and I put some gladwrap under the lid to keep the little household bugs (tiny ants or baby roaches) out. I keep them at room temp.
When I see baby worms hatching, in goes either a very thing rolled out sheet of silkworm chow or a soft new (green) mulberry leaf.
I remove the poo daily.

When the worms reach 12 - 15mm long they are upgraded to an open Décor tub (about 5L) that I make sure is clean and I also use F10 sprayed on to sterilise , and it's placed in an ventilated (holes pushed thro with a pen) cardboard A4 rheem box with the lid on and kept at room temp (for me 20 - 26oC)
I remove poos daily (helps to have 2 x 5L tubs !) and I feed them fresh leafs 2x per day or chow if I have no leafs available.

My cocoons go into a 2L Décor tub lined with scot towel , whose lid is ventilated with lots of air holes (I go mad with an electric soldering iron to make holes (fast and easy and SAFELY !!! don't touch the hot end !!!).

I keep my eggs in little glass sample bottles (the moths lay on bits of paper or scot towel) , I wait for the eggs to change colour , then in the bottle lid screwed on , into the fridge ( I keep to door drink storage shelving about 5 - 7 oC (any colder kills the eggs I have been told) , should be viable for up to 2 - 3 years (I've been told - yet to test that).

Each female moth can lay up to 450 eggs !!! so it doesn't take many moths to have thousands of eggs and the potential for a bumper crop of silkworms !!! Worth the effort to let a dozen or so worm go to pupation. (Silkworms can be expensive to buy , IF you can find them , up to $1 each here from petshops !!!).

You can off course keep the eggs in little clip lock bags at room temp and let them hatch as soon as possible (I've not done this - yet).

 

[Taterbug]

I found my eggs lasted about 8-10 months before I had hatching failures, but I just put them in a ziplock with no other considerations. I've read that can let them dry out too much.

Also, depending on the breed you have some silk eggs will only go straight to hatch mode in the spring, later in the season the eggs automatically enter a dormancy (diapause) and need a cooling cycle to be stimulated to hatch.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I found my eggs lasted about 8-10 months before I had hatching failures, but I just put them in a ziplock with no other considerations. I've read that can let them dry out too much.

Also, depending on the breed you have some silk eggs will only go straight to hatch mode in the spring, later in the season the eggs automatically enter a dormancy (diapause) and need a cooling cycle to be stimulated to hatch.

This is why I use little sterile sample bottles (that hold maybe 15- 20ml) that are made from glass and have a lid that screws on to make an airtight seal, ie if they are not kept in an airtight container (can be a ziplock bag) the dry air in the refrigerator will dehydrate and kill the eggs.
Thing to remember is that if you have the eggs stored in the fridge (chilled) and for some reason you loose power long enough for the temperature in the fridge warm up or take them out , you need to let them hatch as I've been told by the lady who owns PeacefulSilkworms (in Cairns) that they will be killed by rechilling them once allowed to come out of dormancy.

 

[Lucy1988]

Thanks for the help guys! mine seem to be doing great, they grow so fast.
Is it better to remove all old food if it involves handling silkies daily or leaving it in for a few days?
I'm afraid I've got attached to them and felt very guilty feeding a few of to Love bug :'(

 

[kingofnobbys]

Thanks for the help guys! mine seem to be doing great, they grow so fast.
Is it better to remove all old food if it involves handling silkies daily or leaving it in for a few days?
I'm afraid I've got attached to them and felt very guilty feeding a few of to Love bug :'(

I do.

Especially important to remove the poo as it increases the humidity in the tub and if you get any fungi growing in any poo left for a couple or few days , you'll start loosing a lot of worms (esp if they are little).

You can handle the larger worms (gently by hand) to lift then out, is better if they are hanging off a leaf or twig.

BABY WORMS are best hangled with a clean toothpick or a soft artists bush.


if you are using chow - yes , remove the old food daily. It can go mouldy especially if it's in contact with their poo.

Old partly eaten leafs, can stay so long as they are still "fresh" enough for the worms to eat it.


Aside
I've started feeding off some of the male moths and any expired female moths to my lizards now, and have maybe 70 cocoons to hatch. Gonna have thousands of eggs (some I'll hatch this season, most I'll chill and hatch towards winter) .

Got another 200 worms on order from my silkworm lady in Sydney , 200 for $20 + express post is a great price , she also raids the mulberry trees in a park in Penrith (?) and sells me big freezer bags full of fresh leafs for $5 each + express post (so I don't need to use chow).

 

[Taterbug]

I let the food dry out, then remove it. Adding fresh food to the far side of the tub so they move off the old stuff also makes it easier and less need to handle the caterpillars. For the bigger ones feeding what gets eaten up in a day makes it easier but that's harder to do with little ones. The piping bag method makes it easier to direct the food if your using chow.

 

[Lucy1988]

200 for 20£! That's a bargain!
I have to use chow think the leaves are quite expensive here.
Ok thanks again, I may be back! Xx

 

[kingofnobbys]

200 for 20£! That's a bargain!
I have to use chow think the leaves are quite expensive here.
Ok thanks again, I may be back! Xx

Yep , should see my next batch of silkworms here this afternoon , got 36 moths busy mating and laying eggs + a stack of cocoons to hatch yet.

Commercially marketed (sold by big online pet supply shops and insect breeders sold through petshops (you have to place a special order) silkworms sell for $1 each here !! , and you can't buy mulberry leafs from them only chow in powder form or "ready to use" form.

I make up my chow when I can't get mulberry leafs in 40g (of the powder) lots , and form it into in "sausage" shapes wrapped in gladwrap.
I cut off a section as needed , roll it flat between 2 layers of gladwrap to about 2 - 3mm thick.