CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to breed locusts?

Locust breeding method:

1. Construction of locust breeding shed and preparation of shed land

Before building the shed, first use methods such as capture, trapping, and burning to eliminate all ants and mole crickets on the ground. These animals are natural enemies of locusts and can prey on locusts and destroy locust eggs, so these animals must not be allowed to exist in the shed. The floor of the shed should be 10 to 15 cm higher than the surrounding ground. Sandy loam is the best soil, which is not easy to clump and is convenient for laying eggs and taking eggs. Plant single-leaf crops such as wheat on the ground where the shed is built to prepare food for young locusts. The construction area of ​​the shed should be determined according to the number of locusts to be raised. If you raise 10,000 locusts, you only need 15 square meters. You can use the vacant space inside and outside the yard. According to your own conditions, you can use iron, big sticks, and bamboo strips to build a shed support. Then, according to the size of the shed, use cold cloth to make a shed cover like a mosquito net, hang it on the shed, bury the bottom edge in the ground, and leave a door. Install a zipper on the door. This device is to prevent locusts from running out and to facilitate feeding and management in the shed. The height of the shed can be 1.5 to 2 meters. In order to keep warm or prevent rain, plastic sheets can be placed outside the shed. When the temperature is high and the locusts are large (over 3 years old) and are not afraid of rain, plastic sheets can be omitted. If natural conditions are used to breed migratory locusts, the construction of the shed must be completed before the end of April. It is best to choose a place with plenty of sunlight.

2. Hatching and management of locust eggs

When the temperature reaches 25-30℃ (early May), it can be hatched. First, prepare non-toxic soil and sawdust (at a ratio of 2:1, with a water content of 10%-15%), and spread them in a 2-3 cm container. After that, spread the locust eggs evenly on the soil, cover the eggs with about 1 cm thick soil, and then put a film on the container. Check every half a day, and after finding the young locusts, use a soft brush to move the young locusts to the food in the shed. After 12-15 days of incubation, all the young locusts are hatched. Young locusts like to eat fresh monocotyledonous plants such as wheat seedlings, corn seedlings, and weeds, but they eat very little. Young locusts from 1 to 3 years old should be protected from rain. The temperature should be controlled at 25-30℃, the light should be more than 12 hours, and the humidity should be kept at about 15%, because under such conditions, locusts are most active, like to eat, and are conducive to growth. Migratory locusts like to live in groups.

3. Feeding and management of insects from the third instar to adults

Young locusts shed their skin every 5 to 7 days after laying eggs, and each shed is one age. Strong ones shed quickly, weak ones shed slowly, and there are also differences in the order of emergence during the hatching process. Those over 3 years old fly very fast, and their appetite gradually increases. At this time, it is necessary to ensure that there is sufficient food in the shed. In addition, there will be a phenomenon of strong eating weak and big eating small, especially the locusts that are molting and cannot move. Their physique is very soft, and there is a risk of being eaten and bitten. Locusts over 3 years old can be fed with wheat bran. Clean the shed once every 1 to 2 days to keep the shed clean. After 5 molting, the locusts grow into adults, which is around June 15. Migratory locusts generally enter sexual maturity 10 to 15 days after emergence and begin to mate. At this time, the migratory locusts are very fat and strong. Except for some locusts that lay eggs, the other locusts can be sold in the market, preferably in early July.

4. Management before and after locust laying eggs

After mating, the abdomen of female locusts gradually becomes thicker and longer, and the yellow-brown color deepens, while that of male locusts is bright yellow. At this time, the ground of the shed should be neatly tamped to facilitate the female locusts to lay eggs. If there are few large migratory locusts in the shed, in order to concentrate the eggs and facilitate the egg collection in the future, part of the ground in the shed can be covered with plastic cloth, leaving only part of the ground in the sunny area as the egg-laying area. The relative humidity in the shed is maintained at about 15%. At this time, the locusts have a large appetite and should be carefully provided. Female locusts begin to lay eggs around July 10. The ovipositor of female locusts is short and curved, with two pairs of hard chisel-shaped ovipositors, which are used to drill holes in the soil to lay eggs. While laying eggs, a gelatinous liquid is secreted, which forms a water-resistant protective layer outside the eggs after solidification, surrounding the eggs into an egg mass, which protects the eggs from wintering.

The egg mass of locusts is brown, slightly cylindrical, slightly curved in the middle, and generally 40 to 70 mm long. Each locust egg has 35 to 90 eggs, and a few have more than 100 eggs. This is a summer locust. The eggs are laid in the soil in the shed and used to hatch the eggs of the second generation of "autumn locusts". They can be left untouched in the shed. When the temperature, humidity, light and other conditions meet the hatching conditions, the second generation of autumn locusts will naturally emerge from the ground, which will be between July 20 and 25. The eggs that are ready for sale or not used for the second generation should be taken out in time, and the soil with a humidity of 10% to 15% should be used. The eggs should be placed in a large canning bottle, the bottle mouth should be sealed, and stored in a refrigerator at 5°C. The feeding conditions before and after egg laying are basically the same as those for locusts over 3 years old. The difference is that the light should reach 16 hours a day, the feed should be sufficient and more concentrated feed should be added.

5. Wintering management of locust eggs

The overwintering of locust eggs is very simple. The eggs in the shed can be left to overwinter in situ. After winter, the locust egg-laying area can be covered with some weeds to keep warm.

6. Locusts’ food preferences and natural enemies

①. Locusts feed on a wide range of food, just like feeding sheep. They like to eat: reeds, thatch, wolfsbane, thread grass, coil grass, etc. Corn, wheat, sorghum, millet, etc. of the Gramineae family are plants that locusts do not like to eat.

② When collecting food for locusts, be careful not to use food with pesticides. If you are not sure about the food you collected, you can wash it in water before feeding it.

In addition, it is important to note and remind that novice breeders can purchase seeds from farms or breeders, and can introduce either grasshoppers or eggs.