CATDOLL : CATDOLL: Silkworm breeding has great prospects, why no one is raising it? (Silkworm breeding base)

1. Silkworm breeding has great prospects, so why doesn’t anyone do it?

The first reason is the high risk of silkworm breeding and market, which is mainly reflected in the market risk of breeding and fresh cocoons. To a certain extent, "silkworms" and "silkworm babies" are the best way to describe the delicateness of silkworms.

One is air poisoning. Silkworm breeding requires high air quality. If there is a strong odor in the air, the windows must be closed in time. A few years ago, there was a tobacco-curing township in my hometown. They also wanted to provide farmers with another channel to increase their income and guide the masses to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms. However, since tobacco produces an odor during the curing period, it causes the death of silkworms. In the end, the gains did not outweigh the losses, and the masses were no longer interested in this industry, resulting in the destruction of mulberry trees.

The second is pesticide poisoning. In rural areas, pesticides are an indispensable means of production. If you are not careful, you spray the pesticide on mulberry leaves and pick them up to feed the silkworms, poisoning and death will occur. Or if you enter the silkworm room to feed the silkworms without changing clothes or washing your body after spraying pesticides, it will also cause pesticide poisoning and death.

The third is the outbreak of silkworm diseases. During the breeding process, the most common diseases are pus disease and stiffness disease. If the disinfection is not done well, they will break out when the silkworms are about to form cocoons, causing great losses, or even all the previous efforts were wasted, with no income at all.

The fourth is to store and sell. Since silk products are luxury goods, they are mainly exported and greatly affected by the market. Although there is a silk company in my hometown, it still cannot withstand the impact of the market. When the market is good, the benefits of sericulture are still good, but in most years, the market is still far from the expectations of the people. If you hoard and don't sell, silk cocoons are different from other traditional crops, such as rice and corn, which can be temporarily kept at home. Because it requires a strict process to kill the silkworm pupae and protect their internal quality. Therefore, when the price is low, you can only buy it with pain.

The second reason is that planting mulberry trees and raising silkworms requires a lot of effort. The sericulture industry is a labor-intensive industry, which requires both effort in raising the animals and effort in field management.

First, in the collection of mulberry leaves. Silkworms go through the stages of growth and development. During the young stage, they need a small amount of mulberry leaves. But when they grow up, their appetite increases dramatically. Regardless of whether it is cloudy or rainy, they have to go to the mulberry fields to pick mulberry leaves manually. However, they cannot pick too much and can only purchase them on a daily basis. This is because overnight fermented mulberry leaves are not good for the development of silkworms.

Second, in terms of feeding and management. During the feeding of silkworms, they need to be constantly disinfected and expanded. In order to ensure the health of the silkworms, the secretions of the silkworms, mulberry leaf residues, disinfectant residues, etc. must be cleaned up every day to provide the silkworms with a good development environment. No delay is allowed. Once the silkworms are delayed, they will not grow up due to density problems and will get sick.

The third is field management. The quality of mulberry leaves determines the quality of silk cocoons. In addition to daily spraying and fertilizing, mulberry trees also need to be disinfected with lime sulfur and branches cut every year. This is quite hard work and many young people cannot accept it.

The third reason is that there are now more employment opportunities. In the past, land income was the main source of family income in rural areas. Due to the lack of information and technology, our parents, who "faced the loess and back to the sky", spent the whole year tending crops in the countryside. In addition, cities at that time did not expand as fast as they do today, so the employment opportunities were much narrower. When I was a child, the most common things I saw were silkworm cocoons and silkworm feces. In our area, silkworms can be raised four times a year (spring silkworms, summer silkworms, autumn silkworms and late autumn silkworms). Everyone knows that children are not afraid of the squirming silkworms since they were young. Now, diversified social needs require a large number of people, and it is easier to find employment. More rural youth are no longer willing to work in this industry, causing a gap, and the reduction in practitioners is also reasonable.

2. What is the annual profit of raising silkworms?

In our rural area, to raise two large silkworm beds, we need to plant 5 mu of mulberry trees. If we plant 100 mu of mulberry trees, we can raise 30 large silkworm beds, and each large silkworm bed can produce 100 jin of silk cocoons. 10 large silkworm beds can produce 1,000 jin of silkworm cocoons. If we calculate based on the current market price of silkworm cocoons at 25 yuan per jin, we can bring in an income of 25,000 yuan. This is just the income from raising one batch. In fact, we can raise 6 batches a year. According to 6 batches, the annual income is 100,000 yuan.

3. What is the best way to breed silkworms?

1. Silkworm breeding box management

Silkworms are usually raised in boxes, which is convenient for management and growth. Considering the fragility of silkworms, first of all, the silkworm boxes must be disinfected in place, and it is best to expose them to the sun for a few days after disinfection to achieve the effect of natural disinfection. Secondly, do not choose materials with strong water absorption, as silkworms prefer a relatively dry environment. Secondly, the location of the silkworm box should not be too bright, as this is not conducive to the growth of silkworms.

Silkworm 2

2. Feeding and management

The mulberry leaves fed to silkworms in different time periods are also different, so special attention should be paid. In order to ensure the initial development, the mulberry leaves in the early stage must be relatively fresh and tender. Silkworms do not need water when feeding, and their water source all comes from mulberry leaves, so try to feed them fresh mulberry leaves each time, and drain the water from the leaves. The feeding time is generally from 7 am to about 10 pm, and there are 4 to 5 feedings in between. The mulberry leaves must cover the silkworms, which is conducive to eating. The thickness is generally about 3-4 layers of mulberry leaves.

Silkworm 3

3. Environmental management

Silkworms are sensitive to light and temperature. In the early stage, young silkworms should generally avoid exposure to light. In the presence of light, the hatching is slow and the temperature is controlled at around 25-30℃. In the early stage after hatching, the temperature should be kept at around 30-33℃. At this time, the control of light can be slightly loose, but continuous bright light should still be avoided as much as possible. In the middle and late stages, the temperature should be controlled at around 25℃. At this time, a bright environment can be maintained occasionally, but it should still be mainly dim.

Silkworm 4

4. Notes

First of all, silkworms are very fragile. Once they have diarrhea, it is a serious problem for them. They must be isolated in time to avoid further impact. Secondly, the feces are cleaned. In order to avoid harm to the silkworms during cleaning, it is recommended not to clean too many times. Generally, they should be cleaned when the silkworm feces accumulate too deep. Secondly, the remaining stems of mulberry leaves must be cleaned in time to avoid harming the silkworms. Finally, the environment for raising silkworms must be kept relatively ventilated to avoid being too stuffy.

Silkworm 5

4. How many days does it take to raise silkworms at home?

40-50 days

It usually takes 40-50 days for silkworm eggs to turn into silkworm moths. The growth and development of silkworms is related to the temperature, humidity and food in the growth environment. Generally, the estrus period is 10-11 days, and the larval period is about 25 days. Specifically, the first instar is 4-5 days, the second instar is 3-4 days, the third instar is 4 days, the fourth instar is 6 days, the fifth instar is 7-9 days, the pupa stage is 14-18 days, and the silkworm moth stage is 3-4 days.

5. How to breed silkworms on a large scale?

Preparation before raising

Silkworm farmers should make the following four preparations before raising silkworms.

1. Report the number of silkworms

New mulberry-planting households can report the number of silkworms when the mulberry trees are about 0.7 meters high. Old households can report the number of silkworms when the first batch of silkworms in spring and autumn is about 0.5 meters high. Other batches report the number of batches when the silkworms are received. One silkworm needs 450 to 500 kilograms of mulberry leaves, and it takes about 25 days from reporting the number of silkworms to receiving the silkworms.

2. Silkworm room

The silkworm room should have a flat and clean floor, with convection windows in front and back, preferably ground-level windows. The doors and windows should be equipped with screens to prevent flies, and the ground-level windows should be equipped with wire mesh to prevent mice. Both greenhouses and cement rooms are acceptable (cement rooms are best in cold weather, and greenhouses are best in hot weather). Raising one silkworm requires about 30 square meters of silkworm rearing area and a 10 square meter dedicated mulberry leaf room.

3. Silkworm tools and medicines

For 1 silkworm bed, you need to prepare the following silkworm tools and medicines: 15 to 20 silkworm winnowing machines with a width of 0.8 meters. Four leaf-picking baskets and about 20 square meters of medicine film. 2 to 3 pairs of slippers, placed in the silkworm room and mulberry leaf room respectively. Several red bricks, mainly for feeding silkworms when raising silkworms on the ground. Generally, 2 rows of bricks are placed in each room to facilitate walking back and forth.

2 special barrels for disinfecting silkworm rooms, 1 sprayer. Do not use barrels and sprayers that have been used to disinfect silkworm rooms. 260 square winnowing sieves. About 60 kg of lime, sprinkle a small amount of water on the silkworms 3 days before the silkworms are taken out.

3. Disinfection

Disinfection is the premise for preventing and controlling silkworm diseases and ensuring high-yield and high-quality silkworm breeding, so it must be done seriously. The first batch of disinfection should be completed within 1 week before the silkworms are received. First, thoroughly clean the silkworm room, mulberry leaf room and surrounding environment, and expose the silkworm tools to the sun, and then disinfect the silkworm room and silkworm tools. The best medicine at present is Xiaoteling.

The preparation method of Xiaoteling is: first crush the main agent, stir it into a paste with a small amount of water, then pour in 25 kg of water, then add the auxiliary agent and stir it slightly. After clarifying for 15 minutes, it can be used. Use a special sprayer to disinfect the silkworm room and all silkworm tools. The disinfection should be comprehensive and thorough. The indoor walls and floors should be sprayed evenly and thoroughly. After spraying, close the doors and windows to keep them moist for 1 hour.

After the disinfectant is completely dry, repeat the above method for disinfection once more. It is better to soak the film, shoes, silkworm tools, etc. in the disinfectant solution for disinfection. After disinfecting the silkworm room twice, open the doors and windows. Note that unsterilized items cannot be placed in the disinfected silkworm room.

Sericulture technology

1. Spray mulberry leaves to feed silkworms

Add 5 ml of fermentation liquid to 1 kg of water, spray 10 kg of mulberry leaves and add food, once a day. Silkworms love to eat, their feces are not smelly, they grow fast, their cocoons are thick and of good quality, and can increase production by about 10%.

2. Spray the silkworm body to cool down and relieve heat

In summer, the temperature is high and silkworms are prone to illness. If the room temperature is too high, silkworms are prone to heatstroke and death. In hot weather, add 5 ml of fermentation liquid to one pound of water and spray it on the silkworm body, once in the afternoon and once every day.

3. Spray mulberry leaves to keep fresh

In summer, the temperature is high, and the collected mulberry leaves will turn yellow and deteriorate if they are piled for a long time. In autumn, the climate is dry, and the collected mulberry leaves will dry and harden if they are kept for a long time. You can add 5 ml of fermentation liquid to one pound of water, use it to spray the mulberry leaves, and then put the mulberry leaves into a woven bag or pile them on the ground, cover them with plastic cloth, and they will still be as green as before after 24 hours.

4. Spray mulberry leaves to promote growth

Add 1-2 ml of fermentation liquid to one pound of water, spray it on the mulberry leaves in the mulberry field, spray 2-3 times a month, and add 0.2% phosphoric acid.

6. What is the best time to breed silkworms?

It is best to start growing the mulberry trees after May 1st, because the leaves are already very large at that time and picking them will not affect the growth of the trees. However, you should still grow less at first and gradually grow more.

1. Living habits: Silkworms are metamorphosis insects, the most common of which is the mulberry silkworm, also known as the domestic silkworm, one of the economic insects that feeds on mulberry leaves and spins silk and makes cocoons. The mulberry silkworm originated in China, and its development temperature is 7-40℃, and the suitable temperature for breeding is 20-30℃. Silkworms feed on mulberry leaves, and their bodies turn white after eating mulberry leaves continuously. After a period of time, they begin to shed their skins. The molting lasts for about a day, and they do not eat or move like sleeping. This is called "hibernation". After molting once, it is a second-instar larva. It grows one year older every time it molts. The larvae molt four times in total, becoming fifth-instar larvae, and then eat mulberry leaves for 8 days to become mature silkworms, and begin to spin silk and make cocoons.

2. Distinguish between male and female:

Some characteristics of silkworm eggs, larvae (silkworm babies), pupae, and moths can be used to identify the sex of silkworms. However, the most widely used method is to identify the sex of old silkworms, pupae, and moths.

The most reliable feature for identifying the sex of silkworms is the eighth and ninth abdominal segments: there are four transparent spots on the ventral surface of the eighth and ninth segments of female silkworms; there is a transparent spot in the center of the ventral surface of the ninth segment of male silkworms.

The characteristics of male and female pupae are also used to identify the structure of the eighth and ninth abdominal segments. In the middle of the ventral surface of the eighth and ninth abdominal segments of the female pupa, there is a straight line that separates the eighth and ninth abdominal segments; while in the middle of the ventral surface of the ninth abdominal segment of the male pupa, there is a pair of small protrusions and an x-shaped symbol.

As for distinguishing male and female moths, in addition to identifying features such as antennae and abdomen size, the most reliable way to identify male and female moths is by their external genitalia. For example, the female moth has a black bone plate near its mating hole, and the male moth has a pair of claspers.

7. How to raise silkworms?

Silkworm breeding method:

1. Hatching method: When raising silkworms, you should choose silkworm eggs with smooth particles and black and bright color, wrap the silkworm eggs with toilet paper, and place them in a warm environment. The ambient temperature should be adjusted to around 25°C to promote the rapid hatching of the silkworms. After waiting for more than a day, you can transfer the hatched silkworms to the box.

2. Feeding management: Mulberry leaves are the main feed for silkworms. When raising silkworms, they must be fed once every morning. It is necessary to purchase mulberry leaves from the forest. Try not to randomly pick mulberry leaves on the roadside for feeding, because roadside mulberry leaves are often sprayed with fertilizers. In addition, toilet paper must be used to wipe the moisture in the mulberry leaves to prevent diarrhea in the silkworms.

3. Suitable temperature: Silkworms are suitable for living in a warm environment. When raising silkworms, if the ambient temperature is lower than 10℃, the silkworms will suffer from cold damage and die in large numbers. It is best to adjust the temperature in the silkworm room to between 20-30℃, and open the windows when the temperature is warm to provide air circulation for the silkworms.

4. Clean the room: Silkworms eat and secrete a lot. When raising silkworms, the silkworm room must be cleaned every night to remove the leftover mulberry leaves and excrement to prevent the growth of a large number of pathogens in the air. In addition, the silkworm room must be sprayed with quicklime water once a month to clean it and reduce the probability of silkworms getting sick.

5. Control the density: If the silkworm seats are uneven, the silkworms will develop unevenly. Therefore, before each feeding, the seats should be expanded and evenly distributed, and it is best to ensure that the small silkworms do not touch each other and the big silkworms do not overlap.

6. Use leaves properly: In order to promote the uniform development of young silkworms, it is necessary to feed silkworms with leaves according to the leaf standards for silkworms before different ages, and avoid using mulberry leaves of different ages. In addition, the thickness of mulberry leaves should be uniform.

7. Replace the position of silkworm foil in time: The silkworms in different areas of the same silkworm room are affected differently by temperature. For example, the area on the silkworm rack close to the open flame has a higher temperature, and the silkworms grow faster. On the contrary, the temperature is slightly lower, and the silkworms grow slowly. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to replacing the position of the silkworm foil frequently. It should be replaced once a day during the young silkworm period.

8. Feeding at the right time: If you feed too early, some silkworms will not have an appetite, and some will even sleep, which will cause the same batch to eat mulberry leaves at different times and develop unevenly. Therefore, you need to feed them at the right time. Before they go to sleep, if the silkworms develop unevenly, you should delay feeding them by 3-4 hours after sleep compared to normal feeding. This will ensure that the silkworms that develop slowly and the silkworms that develop quickly can eat leaves at the same time.

9. Add nets to promote green silkworms: Generally, after two feedings after dormancy removal, if the dormancy is still uneven, it is necessary to add nets to promote green silkworms. The green-headed silkworms that have been raised should be placed near the heat source, and the green-headed silkworms of large silkworms can be placed on the top layer of the silkworm rack. A very small number of poorly developed and weak silkworms should be replaced decisively.

10. Use grid clustering at the right time: Grid clustering is one of the key measures to improve the quality of sericulture. Pick up bright silkworms and put them into clusters appropriately, and do not pick up immature silkworms or over-mature silkworms and put them into clusters.