CATDOLL : CATDOLL: Golden cicada breeding and utilization (Golden cicada breeding and utilization book)

1. How to breed, plant and manage cicadas?

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Selective breeding of trees

Dwarf fruit trees such as apricot trees, peach trees, apple trees or other dwarf shrubs are good trees for cicada breeding. Pay attention to timely pruning of high branches to facilitate breeding and management; interplant fruit tree seedlings between trees to increase the branches for cicada egg laying; plant cicada eggs under the trees, refer to the "Cicada Breeding Technology" for methods.

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Building a breeding greenhouse

Before the cicadas are about to emerge, build breeding greenhouses, with an area of ​​1 mu each. Use cement columns or bamboo sticks to build fences around the breeding area, with a row spacing of 5 meters. Use bamboo poles to build a frame in the middle, and then pull iron wire to fix it, and then cover it with nylon window screens. For breeding, choose high and dry land with convenient drainage and irrigation. Avoid building breeding greenhouses in low-lying land that is prone to water accumulation.

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Pest management and epidemic prevention

After the cicadas emerge from the ground, they have a strong tendency to move toward light. In the early stage, they should be allowed to enter the greenhouse after they have emerged from the molts. When catching them, they will fly around and bump into the light, causing the death of the seed insects. Therefore, all the cicadas that have emerged from the ground within the first week can be caught, and they can be allowed to naturally emerge and lay eggs after one week. The seed density is about 10,000 per mu, with males and females accounting for about 50% each. Each female cicada can lay 500 to 1,500 eggs. Each greenhouse can provide seeds for the reproduction of cicadas on about 20 mu of land.

About 20 days after the cicadas emerge from their pupae, they can mate and lay eggs. When laying eggs, the cicadas pierce the epidermis of the branches and lay their eggs in the wood. During the mating and egg-laying period, try not to walk around or make noise in the greenhouse to avoid adverse effects on the cicadas.

Since there are many natural enemies of nymphs (cicada turtles) after they emerge from the soil and adults after they emerge from the shells, such as toads, sparrows and mantises, protection work should be done in the greenhouse. In addition, the gauze nets should be checked frequently to prevent the cicadas from escaping.

Microorganisms such as Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Entomogenetic algae (cicadae) can cause parasitic damage to cicadas, so protection should be strengthened during breeding. During the period when mature nymphs emerge from the soil, eggs under trees and cicada ants occur, the main natural enemies of cicadas are ants and red flower bugs, so they must be strictly prevented. Strong ammonia can be used for soil treatment.

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Feed supply

Choose healthy tree species with well-developed root systems, lush growth, and more sap, such as poplar, elm, willow, tung, or various fruit trees in the orchard. In addition, intercrop some root and tuber plants, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams.

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Environmental conditions

The appropriate depth for the "breeding" of cicadas is 30 to 50 centimeters. They should be sunny and frost-proof. The soil should be soft, fertile, and pollution-free. It should not be too dry, nor should it have too much water or water accumulation. This ensures that the root system of the host plant grows and develops normally, and that the young plants are tender, developed, and juicy. In winter, the breeding area should be covered with wheat straw, rice straw, corn straw, etc. to maintain the ground temperature.

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Epidemic prevention preparation

There are many natural enemies of nymphs (cicada turtles) after they emerge from the soil and adults after they emerge from their shells, such as toads, snakes, mice, hedgehogs, wild cats, sparrows and mantises, which all like to eat nymphs (cicada turtles). Microorganisms such as Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Entomogenetic algae fungi (Cicada fungus) also cause harm. In addition, floods and pollution from pesticides and fertilizers are also harmful to nymphs (cicada turtles) or cicadas.

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Breeding technology

In addition to collecting cicada eggs naturally, we can build gauze greenhouses to provide space for cicada adults to lay eggs. We can use the fruit trees in abandoned orchards to replant fruit tree seedlings, build fences around them with cement columns or bamboo sticks, and then stretch iron wires in the middle, and cover them with nylon window screens. The emerged or collected adults can mate and lay eggs in them, and the number of adults can be retained as needed, without having to collect seed sources from the wild.

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The planting time of cicada

Planting time is generally from May to July or from September to October. Dig regular narrow trenches about 10 to 30 cm deep about 1 meter away from the base of the trunk, such as ring, square, triangle, parallel or radial shapes, for the purpose of later digging and harvesting. Cover the soil and compact it after "planting", and keep records of the time, quantity, "planting" trench shape and depth. It should be sunny and frost-proof, with soft, fertile and pollution-free soil; it should not be too dry, nor should it have too high water content or water accumulation, to ensure the normal growth and development of the host plant root system, and the young plants should be tender, developed and juicy. In winter, wheat straw, rice straw, corn straw, etc. should be covered in the planting area to maintain the ground temperature.

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Harvesting Golden Cicadas

After burying the egg branches for 2-3 years, the cicadas begin to grow and mature gradually. The harvesting period is generally during the summer solstice every year. If there is a heavy rain, the fat and strong nymphs will start to drill out of the ground at 4-5 am, or after the rain, the nymphs will dig a hole in the soft ground with a pair of saw-like front feet. After crawling out of the ground, they will do a short exercise on the ground, and then climb the tree trunk or trellis to prepare to shed their shells. After 2-4 hours, they will shed their skin and become cicadas (cicadas). According to this characteristic of the golden cicada, after the summer solstice every year, if there is no rain and drought, the breeding site can be artificially irrigated to induce the cicadas to emerge. Before the cicadas emerge, or before the cicadas mature, a circle of smooth plastic film can be tied around the tree trunk 30 cm above the ground to prevent the cicadas from continuing to crawl up the tree for easy harvesting. You can also use a flashlight to illuminate and catch them on the ground and tree trunks under the tree at night. Or catch the young adult cicadas on the tree in the early morning.

Precautions

The most important seasons are the egg stage on trees, the occurrence of cicada ants, and the emergence of mature nymphs. The natural enemies of the egg stage on trees and the occurrence of cicada ants are mainly ants and red flower bugs. The treatment measures are to use 100 times the solution of strong ammonia to wash the egg-bearing branches or DDVP, strong chlorine, etc. to treat the soil.

2. How to breed cicadas?

1. Breeding

The breeding targets are newly hatched nymphs and eggs that are close to hatching. The branches with eggs collected directly from the wild or from the seed source are concentrated indoors to promote hatching.

Hatching method: In a plastic box 70 cm long, 40 cm wide and 20 cm high, spread 5-10 cm thick fine dry sand on the bottom, place the egg branches in bundles vertically or horizontally on it, and spray mist with a small sprayer to keep the air around the egg branches high in humidity so that excess water droplets are absorbed by the fine sand at the bottom. The hatching of eggs should be checked continuously in the middle. When nymph activity is found, the branches and fine sand can be placed in the breeding place.

Dig regular narrow trenches about 30 to 50 centimeters deep, about 1 meter away from the base of the trunk, under the host plant tree in the breeding place, such as circular, square, triangular, parallel or radial shapes, for the purpose of later digging and harvesting. After "breeding", cover the soil and compact it, and keep records of the time, quantity, "breeding" trench shape and depth.

From the egg stage to the mature nymph (cicada turtle), the cicada needs to grow underground for three winters and summers (actually 2 years): the first year starts in June, the weight of the growth is only about 1 gram, the body and eyes are milky white; the weight grows to about 3 grams in the second year, the body pigment deepens, and the eyes are pink; the nymph (cicada turtle) matures in the third year, weighing 4.5-5 grams, with an average of 210 per kilogram, the body color is brown, and the eyes are dark gray. According to the weight, body color depth and eye color changes, the time and age of the nymph's growth and development can be accurately determined.

2. Harvesting and Processing

The best season for field harvesting is from mid-to-late June (around the summer solstice) to early August (around the beginning of autumn). The most concentrated season is in early July or after the rain. The nymphs (cicada turtles) dig holes in the soft ground with a pair of saw-toothed front feet. After crawling out of the ground, they move on the ground for a short period of time, then climb on tree trunks or trellises to prepare for molting. They emerge as adult cicadas at 4 to 6 in the morning of the next day. You can use a flashlight to catch them on the ground and trunks under trees at night, or catch the young adult cicadas on trees in the early morning.

3. How to breed cicadas?

1. Choose trees

Generally speaking, tree species with well-developed lateral roots, juicy branches, and large annual growth, and trees over three years old are more suitable for growing cicadas. Apricot trees, peach trees, pear trees, and apple trees are all more suitable for growing cicadas. For chicken farmers, such trees are also more suitable for raising native chickens under the forest. You can raise native chickens and grow cicadas under the forest, killing two birds with one stone.

2. Construction of gauze greenhouse

You can build a screen shed in the orchard, use cement pillars or bamboo sticks to build a fence around it, and then pull iron wire in the middle, and cover it with nylon window screen. You can catch some cicada monkeys and put them in, and wait for them to naturally emerge. Or you can directly catch adult cicadas. Generally, they mate in a ratio of 1:1 between male and female, and female cicadas can generally lay about 500 eggs.

The cicadas can mate and lay eggs about 20 days after they emerge from their pupae. During the mating and egg-laying period, try not to walk around or make noise in the greenhouse to avoid adverse effects on the cicadas.

3. Collecting Egg Strips

There are some special farms that cultivate cicada ants, and you can directly buy cicada larvae. Breeders with better skills can cultivate them themselves. There are cracks on the egg strips that look like they have been cut by a knife, and cicada eggs are laid in these tiny cracks. Eggs are usually laid on one-year-old tender strips. Most branches that are green at the bottom and dry at the end have cicada eggs. The general process is to do the work of laying golden cicada eggs in autumn and winter, and they can be hatched and planted from March to July every year.

4. Incubation

If you buy larvae directly, you don't need to hatch them. Egg strips are usually collected around the seventh month of the lunar calendar. After collection, remove the dry leaves from the branches and cut off the ends. 30-50 strips are bundled together. If the number of eggs collected is small, you can use a washing basin.

Spread a layer of sand on the bottom and place the bundled branches upright in the pot.

If there are a large number of larvae, you can make a hatching rack yourself. Use a few thick branches or metal mesh to support a platform, and place the tree branches on it. Under the platform, put a large piece of plastic film (some of the hatched white larvae will fall on it), and sprinkle some fine sand that has been screened and dried on the plastic film.

The suitable temperature for hatching is 28--35℃, and an incubator is required. For chicken farmers who have a brooding room, this is not a difficult task, and cicadas can be hatched in the brooding room. The technical requirements for cicada breeding are very strict. For example, during the incubation period of cicada eggs, the temperature and humidity of the incubation must be strictly controlled. Fluctuating temperatures can easily cause the death of cicada eggs; too dry will cause the hatching rate of cicada eggs to drop significantly, and too wet will cause the cicada eggs to suffocate and die.

In order to keep the branches moist, regular inspections and observations are required every day. Generally, water should be sprayed 4-6 times a day. The incubation time is about 15 days. After the larvae hatch, they will climb up and down the branches, and some will accidentally fall into the fine sand. When about 30% of the larvae have hatched, it is time to prepare for sowing.

4. Sowing

When the ground temperature is kept above 10℃ during the day, you can sow seeds. The planting time is generally from May to July or from September to October. Choose healthy tree species with well-developed root systems, lush growth, and more juice, such as poplar, elm, willow, tung or various fruit trees in the orchard. In addition, intercrop some rhizome plants, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams. Before sowing, use a tiller to plow the sandy soil in the woods to make it softer, and sprinkle an appropriate amount of water to make the soil loose and moist. You can cover a layer of hay or wheat straw under the tree where you plan to raise cicadas and sprinkle water to soak it so that the tree can grow a large number of capillary roots, providing a good environment for the growth of small cicadas.

4. What are the methods for breeding cicadas and what are the things to pay attention to?

Egg treatment

Good quality cicada eggs are a prerequisite for successful cicada breeding. Farmers can breed on their own if they are breeding on a small scale, or collect wild cicada eggs. However, it should be noted that wild cicada eggs have the disadvantages of inconsistent larvae, mixed varieties, and low yields. In addition, it is best not to use cicada eggs from fruit trees, because the eggs in fruit trees are seriously harmed by pesticides and have a low survival rate. Large-scale breeding must be purchased from regular professional breeding farms. Tie 50-100 branches with cicada eggs into a bundle, place them in a pot or on the ground, and then process them with special methods for later use.

2. Tree species selection

The key to improving the efficiency and yield of cicada breeding is to choose healthy tree species with developed root systems, lush growth and more sap for breeding. For example, poplar, elm, willow, tung or various fruit trees in the orchard are all tree species that cicadas like to eat. In addition, dwarf shrubs such as honeysuckle and green wax are also crops that cicadas like to eat. Cicadas cannot be bred under trees such as pine and bitter lily. Because the rhizomes of pine trees have a special pine scent, cicadas do not like to eat them; cicada larvae also do not like to eat the bitter sap of bitter lily trees. It is best to intercrop some vines such as potatoes and sweet potatoes. Some experts say that root crops need to be planted to meet the feeding requirements of cicadas, but this statement is not true. According to my field's observations over the years, cicadas do not survive by eating root and rhizome plants, but rhizome vines can provide a better shading condition for cicadas.

3. Incubation conditions

The most important condition for hatching cicada eggs is temperature. A suitable temperature is the key to shortening the growth cycle of cicadas and increasing the hatching rate of cicadas. The temperature should generally be controlled at 25-35℃, and the maximum temperature should not exceed 38℃. Too low temperature may cause the cicada to spawn for a longer time, and too high temperature may cause the cicada eggs to die. The general process is to do the treatment of cicada eggs and land in autumn and winter, and hatch and breed cicadas during the Spring Festival. The eggs can be hatched from March to July every year. Heating is mainly done by using a coal stove. Be sure to exhaust the gas in the hatching room to prevent the gas from damaging the cicada eggs. Maintaining appropriate humidity is particularly important to improve the hatching rate of cicadas. During the hatching, use a sprayer to spray water on the cicada eggs every day to keep them moisturized. The spray should be fine and even. Too dry or too wet will cause damage to the hatching of cicadas.

4. Breeding management

Under the condition of suitable temperature and humidity, it only takes about 35 days to hatch the little golden cicada. When about 20% of the golden cicadas have hatched, the golden cicada strips can be planted at the roots of the trees. When planting, dig a trench about 1 meter away from the roots of the trees, with a depth of 30-50 cm and a width of 20 cm. Then plant the golden cicada larvae and eggs in the trench, fill the soil and cover it. It should be sunny and frost-proof. The soil should be soft, fertile and pollution-free. The land should not be too dry, nor should it have too high a water content or water accumulation. At the same time, ensure that the root system of the host plant grows and develops normally, and the young and juicy young plants are covered. In winter, wheat straw, rice straw, corn stalks, etc. should be covered in the planting area to maintain the ground temperature. To ensure the smooth emergence of the insects, tape should be wrapped around the tree trunks before the golden cicadas emerge to prevent the golden cicadas from escaping. Cicadas mainly emerge between 8 and 10 p.m., and spraying a cicada inducer about 6 hours before emergence can concentrate the time at which the cicadas emerge, making it easier to manage and harvest. After harvesting, they can be simply cleaned and processed before being sold as finished products.

5. How to plant and manage cicadas?

1. Hatching: The cicada eggs collected from the wild or farms should be hatched in the city. The hatching temperature of cicada eggs is 30~35, so it is necessary to build a special hatching and insulation room (when the temperature is high in June, the insulation room is not needed). Cover the hatching box with a 5~10 cm thick layer of fine sand, and use a spraying equipment to continuously spray water mist around the branches to keep the surrounding air in a high humidity state.

2. Loosen the soil in the orchard. Use a rotary tiller to deep plow the land under the orchard or woods, then wet it with water. After the soil absorbs the water, the ground will become dry and cracked, making it easier for the cicada larvae to crawl into the underground through the cracks and live.

3. After the cicada eggs hatch, you can put branches and fine sand into the breeding place, allowing the cicada larvae to crawl into the ground through the cracks and grow.

4. Open drainage ditches. After the cicada larvae enter the ground, if it is in a relatively humid environment, they are likely to die, so it is necessary to open drainage ditches to drain rainwater in time. In addition, if the site is too dry, it should also be kept wet to prevent the death of the cicada.

5. Build an anti-escape net. You can use bamboo sticks and nylon screen cloth to build a simple sky net to prevent the cicadas from escaping after metamorphosis.

6. Insulation. In winter, a layer of straw should be covered on the land where cicadas are raised. This can not only keep the land warm but also keep it moist, which is conducive to the safe overwintering of cicadas.

6. What are the methods and profits of breeding cicadas?

1. The cost of breeding cicadas

The investment cost of raising one acre of cicadas includes the cost of planting trees, renting soil, and seedlings. Therefore, according to relevant statistics, excluding labor, it costs about 1,700 yuan. If it is high-density breeding, it can produce about 300 kilograms of cicadas. The profit per acre excluding costs can exceed 10,000 yuan, which is quite considerable.

1. Plant trees

First of all, cicadas need to suck the roots of trees to grow up, so they can only grow if there are trees. You can plant dozens of poplars or fruit trees per acre like normal trees, or you can plant hundreds of trees. The number of cicada pupae will be more than doubled, but the management needs to be more diligent than usual. On average, if you plant 100 trees per acre, each seedling costs 1-2 yuan, and fruit trees cost about 10 yuan.

2. Renting land

If you have your own land, that's even better. If not, you have to rent land according to local prices. Generally, the seedling fee per mu ranges from 500 to 1000 yuan. The amount of seedlings per mu depends on the conditions of your seedlings and forest land. The yield also depends on the seedlings and forest land.

3. Seedlings

The average seedling cost per mu is about 700.

2. Profits from Golden Cicada Breeding

Based on the calculation of planting 100 poplar trees per mu of land at a spacing of 2 meters by 3 meters, saplings are planted in the first year, and the cost is 2 yuan per tree. In the first year, the trees are allowed to grow without placing egg strips. From the second year, egg strips are placed, 20 strips per tree, and the market price of egg strips is 0.5 yuan per strip. The investment per mu of land is: 100 trees * 20 strips * 0.5 = 1,000 yuan.

Investment in the first year: 100 trees * 2 yuan/tree = 200 yuan Return: 0

Second year investment: 1000 yuan income: 0

Investment in the third year: 0 yuan Return: 0

Investment in the fourth year: 0 yuan Income: 100 catties * 40 yuan/catties = 4,000 yuan

Investment in the fifth year: 0 yuan Return: 100 catties * 40 yuan/catties = 4,000 yuan

After 5 years, the total profit is: 8,000 yuan, the total investment is: 1,200 yuan, and the gross income is: 8,000-1,200=6,800 yuan.

3. Prospects of Golden Cicada Breeding

Golden cicada has extremely high nutritional value and unique taste. The newly unearthed nymphs contain the highest protein, making it a rare high-protein, low-fat wild delicacy. In addition to its edible value, grasshopper cicada also has extremely high medicinal value. Grasshopper cicada has a unique flavor, rich nutrition, and good medicinal and food health care effects. According to expert research by the Chinese Nutrition Society, every 100 grams of dry powder of grasshopper cicada contains 4 grams of water, 7.19 grams of fat, 71.4 grams of protein, 10.9 grams of carbohydrates, 30 milligrams of trace elements potassium, 17 milligrams of calcium, and 8 milligrams of zinc. It seems that the nutritional value of cicada is indeed very high.

In addition to its edible value, golden cicadas also have medicinal functions. When the mature nymphs of cicadas change into adults, the outer shell they shed is called cicada molt, also known as "cicada molt" or "cicada skin". Its main components include chitin and protein, and it tastes sweet, salty, and cold. It enters the lung and liver meridians and is an important pungent and cool Chinese medicine for relieving exterior symptoms. Fresh and tender cicada nymphs and adults, especially nymphs, are not only nutritious and delicious, but also have particularly high medicinal value, making them top-grade medicinal foods.

Cicadas have a long history as a traditional Chinese medicine in my country and are well known. The insects used as medicine include adults, larvae and cicada molts. The first to be used as medicine were adults, while the cicada molts are now widely used. As an important traditional ingredient, cicada molts have the functions of antibacterial, cold-dispelling, sedative and diuretic.

Modern medicine believes that cicadas and cicada shells contain a lot of chitin, which has been put on the market as anti-aging and anti-cancer drugs and health products in recent years, and the price is very expensive. Chitin also has the functions of strengthening the liver, lowering blood pressure, relieving pain, stopping bleeding, removing bacteria, improving diabetes, and improving digestion ability. It can even be used as raw materials for artificial skin and artificial ligaments. There is a great prospect for its development and utilization in the future. There is a great potential for cicada breeding, and the breeding prospects are unlimited.