CATDOLL : CATDOLL:How to raise cicadas at home?

1. How to raise cicadas at home?

We know that cicadas are what we call cicadas in summer, and they can make very loud calls in summer, sometimes all day long without getting annoyed. However, many people catch wild cicadas in summer, and some people specialize in breeding them because they can be eaten as food. So how should we raise cicadas?

When raising cicadas, we must know the environment in which they grow, because we know that cicadas grow on trees around us, so when we raise cicadas, we should also find an environment similar to a forest for them, so that they can grow quickly on it. However, if there are no such conditions, we suggest that we first create a fruit forest, so that there will be branches, and we can both harvest fruits and raise cicadas.

Then we know that cicadas have eggs, and they can reproduce their offspring through their own eggs, but they usually reproduce in summer, so we should buy the types of eggs we need in the summer. Because there are people who raise them specifically, we can buy them from people who specialize in breeding them, or we can look for them in the wild. Because when cicadas lay eggs, their habitat is different from other places. We can see at a glance that the egg-laying ground is relatively dry.

After we collect its eggs, we need to make a relatively clean nest for it, and then collect it and put it in a small sand basin, so that we can sprinkle it with a little water every day. Waiting for the birth of the little cicada, after it comes out, its young cicada slowly begins its own activities. At this time, we need to find a lot of leaves and let it climb on the leaves, just like the cicada, and then we put it in the environment prepared in advance and let it grow slowly.

What we need is a closed environment. In this closed environment, if we don't take precautions, the cicada may escape by itself. So we need to use some wire mesh above its branches, but we must make sure that these are breathable, because it still needs to breathe air. It's just that the holes we make are relatively small, so we don't have to worry about the cicada getting out. In this way, we can slowly breed it.

In winter, we'd better build a greenhouse for it, because the winter environment can no longer meet its survival needs. We need to put it in the saplings in the greenhouse, so that it can grow slowly, and it will shed its skin every year, and when it sheds its shell, it grows every time. It is not recommended to raise cicadas in winter, because it is more strenuous in winter, and it prefers a high temperature environment. Generally, it likes it in summer. If the weather turns a little cooler, it can't adapt. So we have to pay attention to the temperature regulation in the greenhouse, and also pay attention that although it needs light, it must also need some humid environment, otherwise why would it hide under the leaves.

When raising cicadas at home, you can put in fresh poplar branches, willow branches, etc.

When cicadas are thirsty and hungry, they always use their hard mouthparts to insert into the tree trunks and suck the juice all day long, absorbing a large amount of nutrients and water into their bodies to prolong their lifespan. Cicadas grow in the soil before they mature, and then slowly dig holes and climb on the tree trunks. If you find a hole with mud in it, there must be a young cicada. Cicadas shed their shells at night while lying on the tree trunks, and after shedding the shells, they have wings.

After catching a cicada in the summer, you should first put it in a sealed but breathable container to prevent it from escaping. Then you can prepare fresh branches for it to absorb juice so that it can survive normally, but the life span of an adult cicada is very short, generally around 60 to 70 days.

2. How to take care of a cicada you bought at home

It can be tied with a rope and placed on a tree or bonsai.

3. How to breed cicadas? What kind of technology is needed? How many times a year can they be bred?

Cicadas are commonly called cicadas. Cicadas are holometabolous insects. Their life cycle can be divided into three stages: egg, nymph and adult. It takes three years to complete the entire growth cycle. The nymph stage of cicadas is also called cicada monkey, cicada monkey or cicada turtle. It is rich in nutrients and is not only a traditional Chinese medicine, but also a good snack.

Life characteristics: After mating, female cicadas use needle-shaped ovipositors to pierce the bark on the tender branches of trees and lay eggs in the tender branches. After the branches are pierced, they wither and die due to lack of water supply. After death, they fall under the tree due to the effect of wind and rain, and are gradually buried in the soil. After the eggs hatch into nymphs, they attach to the roots of trees and suck sap for a living. After 2 to 3 years, the nymphs grow and mature. After the summer solstice every year, if it rains thoroughly, they quickly drill out of the ground. About 2 to 4 hours after emerging from the ground, the mature nymphs - cicada monkeys shed their skin and become adults - cicadas. Cicadas still rely on sucking tree sap for food. In the hot summer, they make very noisy calls on the trees.

Egg collection: In sunny weather, female cicadas mostly lay eggs on the branches of the current year of willow and apple trees with lush green leaves, and especially on white willow branches. The branches will wither on their own in 3 to 10 days after laying eggs. If you observe carefully, you will see granular eggs attached to the withered branches. There are about 50 to 100 cicada eggs in one egg branch. If you have the patience to raise cicadas from eggs, then pick the branches with eggs attached and use them as seedlings for hatching.

Planting site: You can plant the branches in the garden, preferably in willow forests, old apple orchards and riverbanks with white willow branches. But not in flower pots. You can plant 2 to 3 egg branches per square meter. The soil should be loose and moist loam without sand and hardening, ants and moles. You can also choose a place where there were many cicada monkeys last year as the site for planting egg branches.

Management: Pay attention to watering, do not turn the soil, and wait slowly...

Harvesting: 2 to 3 years after the egg branches are planted, the cicada monkeys begin to grow and mature gradually. At the summer solstice every year, they drill to a place about 10 cm from the ground surface, waiting for the right time to drill out of the ground. If there is a heavy rain, the fat and strong cicada monkeys will start to drill out of the ground at 4 to 5 o'clock in the morning, or after the rain, the cicada monkeys will drill out of the ground at any time. After drilling out of the ground, they will quickly find willow branches or tree trunks to crawl up and prepare to shed their shells in a suitable position. After 2 to 4 hours, they will shed their skin and become cicadas (cicadas). According to this characteristic of cicada monkeys, after the summer solstice every year, if there is no rain and drought, the breeding grounds can be artificially irrigated to induce cicada monkeys to emerge from the ground. Before the cicada monkeys emerge from the ground, or before the cicada monkeys mature, a circle of smooth plastic film can be tied around the tree trunk 30 cm above the ground. When the cicada monkeys climb to the plastic film, it will prevent the cicada monkeys from climbing up the tree and becoming cicadas, so that they can be harvested.

Key points: As a "pet", the greatest pleasure of raising a cicada is to watch it come out of the ground and shed its shell. Friends who have not seen it and children living in cities should definitely catch a few cicadas on summer nights and watch them shed their shells.

Adult breeding: It is difficult. It feeds on tree sap. If you want to keep it at home, you can pick fresh branches for it. Or watermelon rind? I think it might work. Another interesting thing is to watch it vibrate the eardrum of the chest to make a sound.