Silk Worms

[bohannbj]

I am considering buying silk worm eggs in large quantities and then selling what I don't use. I know the leading place charges a little over $0.17 a worm in quantities of 100 for medium sized silks. I think I can do it for around $0.10 a worm. I will include a little food in the cup and will sell extra food at cost. Shipping will be exactly my cost and I will incur the cost of the container. I'm curious as to how many people would be interested in buying some at this price.

 

[acpart]

I usually buy 1-2 batches of 100 silkworms only in the summer when my local mulberry tree has leaves and would consider it for the next few months.

Aliza

 

[bohannbj]

Well I took the plunge despite the lack of interest. I will say that my geckos have put on far more weight than usual once I switched from mealies to silkies. That being said, once I figure out the timing on growth, I plan to eliminate mealies all together. One benefit is that they don't stink or cause those allergy problems. I'll post a few batches after I get some test shipments done. Not sure were to post it though.

 

[Russ S]

Not sure were to post it though.

Classifieds under food/feeders/supplements.
http://geckoforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=75

 

[rickmoss95]

are silkworms high in fat? i have never used them...and are they not WAY more expensive than mealies? im just curious, i really dont know.

 

[animeavatar]

are silkworms high in fat? i have never used them...and are they not WAY more expensive than mealies? im just curious, i really dont know.

Silkworms are healthy and have softer bodies. In one of the sites below, it says they have the least fat. I don't know about in the US but in Canada they are more expensive than mealworms($0.75 each at my local reptile store). You can try breeding them.

Here are some sites with some info:

http://www.silkwormshop.com/silkworm_info.html
http://www.silkwormshop.com/benefits.html

 

[rickmoss95]

cool, thanks! i will have to look into that. i would like to somewhat vary my leopards diet a little bit, but want the diet to be as healthy as possible. you may be able to find them a little cheaper at an actual insect breeder, petstores are pretty rediculous as far as feeder prices. i have a good friend who ownes a petstore, but will only sell me pinks for .99 cents each!!! i can buy 100 pinks for less than 15.00. i can buy adult rats for .85 !!!

 

[Wild West Reptile]

Rick,
silkworms are the best, most nutritious feeder I have used. Even my pickiest eaters will slam these guys down. I just bought like 100 babies for 6.00 at a reptile show yesterday. It takes about a month for them to grow from the size of a grain of rice to about 2 1/2 inches and as fat as a pencil. They are GREAT for your female breeders. I recommend them highly. If I could keep a steady supply of them all year, I would eliminate almost every other feeder. Check out the nutritional value vs. crickets or mealies. No comparison.

I have access to a mulberry tree or two on my block so feeding the silks is no issue for me from spring through summer. If you want me to tell you how to raise a colony and have an endless supply give me an email and well talk. I need your number again bro.

 

[animeavatar]

My dad used to breed silkworms when he was a kid. he doesn't know how he did it so I guess he just did it. I was going to breed them but the silkworm chow is expensive at my local reptile store and there is another store that sells it but there are tiny bugs crawling around the cubes so it looks disgusting.

cool, thanks! i will have to look into that. i would like to somewhat vary my leopards diet a little bit, but want the diet to be as healthy as possible. you may be able to find them a little cheaper at an actual insect breeder, petstores are pretty rediculous as far as feeder prices. i have a good friend who ownes a petstore, but will only sell me pinks for .99 cents each!!! i can buy 100 pinks for less than 15.00. i can buy adult rats for .85 !!!

Maybe I can ask my cousin. I went to a reptile expo yesterday and there weren't any silkworms.:main_thumbsdown:

 

[bohannbj]

It's not too hard to raise them, you just need a good incubator and some time. Just be aware that if you mess up the feeding, they all die in a day.

 

[rickmoss95]

are these available at only certain parts of the year? what is the mulberry bush comments, is that the only thing the silkies eat? pm'd ya my number chris.

 

[animeavatar]

are these available at only certain parts of the year? what is the mulberry bush comments, is that the only thing the silkies eat? pm'd ya my number chris.

I think the mulberry trees are only available in certain times of the year because my dad said he only kept them in the summer. They can eat silkworm chow which is an artificial diet for them that has mulberry leaves in it. Like this but this is a canadian site and I don't know if they ship to the US.
http://www.recorpinc.com/silkworm-chow.html
Yes that is the only thing they eat.

 

[acpart]

Most places that sell silkworms also sell the chow made from mulberry leaves. I prefer to feed fresh leaves and since they are only on the trees in the summer, that's when I get them.

Aliza

 

[Kotori]

Sorry for bumping this old thread, but what if you froze the leaves? Someone told me that it works so I plucked some leaves off a nearby tree and I will see if it works soon.

 

[acpart]

I worry about defrosting the leaves, but I do keep them in the fridge and they last for months.

Aliza