CATDOLL : CATDOLL: Locust farmers (locust breeding farm)

1. What is the approximate annual income from locust breeding?

The current price of locusts is 20 yuan/kg, so based on the output value of 5,600 yuan per mu of land, minus the breeding cost of 3,000 yuan, the total profit is 2,600 yuan.

Seedling cost: Under normal circumstances, one acre can breed about 20,000 grasshoppers. The price of each grasshopper egg is about 0.1 yuan, so one acre will cost about 2,000 yuan.

Greenhouse construction cost: When breeding grasshoppers, in order to prevent the grasshoppers from escaping and harming the surrounding crops, a greenhouse must be built. The cost of the greenhouse can be controlled at around 300 yuan.

Labor costs: Since the number of breeding is relatively large, more labor costs are required in the early stage of breeding, such as feeding, water and electricity management, etc., which cost about 500 yuan.

Miscellaneous expenses: approximately RMB 500.

Therefore, based on the above data, we can conclude that the cost of raising one acre of grasshoppers is about 3,000 yuan.

2. Is it illegal to artificially breed locusts?

It is not against the law, but it is not recommended. Locusts, commonly known as "grasshoppers", are natural enemies of crops and have always been labeled as "pests". In recent years, the nutritional value of this "pest" has been gradually discovered. It is either fried and eaten, or crushed into high-end fish and poultry feed, or frozen and exported overseas. Grasshopper farming has become an emerging industry. In many villages in Zhangqiu, Jinan, many farmers regard raising grasshoppers as a "way to get rich". They are busy for five or six months a year and can earn 200,000 to 300,000 yuan. However, after the national "wild ban" was issued in February this year, grasshopper farmers collectively "panicked". Whether they can still sell and eat grasshoppers in the future, there is still no clear statement. Now, a new batch of grasshoppers in the greenhouse is about to be released, and tens of millions of grasshoppers are facing the dilemma of "cannot be sold or released".

3. Is raising locusts profitable?

The breeding costs mainly include seedling costs, greenhouse construction costs, labor costs, and other costs. One acre can breed about 20,000 grasshoppers, with a total cost of 3,600 yuan. Among the 20,000 grasshoppers, about 9,000 are females, with a total egg production of about 450,000, and about 400,000 can survive. Calculated at 500 per pound, a total of 800 pounds, at the market price of 20 yuan per pound, minus the cost, the net profit of one acre of land is 12,400 yuan.

4. Locust breeding technology and the best time for breeding?

Locust breeding time in the north is from February to mid-October of the lunar calendar, and breeding can be carried out all year round in the south. Breeding technology: 1. Construction of locust breeding shed and preparation of shed land Before building the shed, first eliminate the ants and mole crickets on the ground by catching, trapping, burning with fire and other methods. The above 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 ground of the shed should be 10 to 15 cm higher than the surrounding ground to facilitate drainage in the rainy season. Sandy loam is the best soil, which is not easy to clump and is convenient for laying eggs and taking eggs. Single-leaf crops such as wheat are planted on the ground of the shed to prepare for young locusts to eat. The construction area of ​​the shed should be determined according to the number of locusts 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. 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, leave a door, and install a zipper on the door. This device is to prevent locusts from running out and 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 cloth can be covered outside the shed. When the temperature is high and the locusts are large (more than three years old), they are not afraid of rain, so plastic cloth 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 advisable to choose a sunny place. 2. Hatching and management of migratory locust eggs When the temperature reaches 25 to 30℃, they can hatch, and the natural temperature will reach in early May. First prepare non-toxic soil, sawdust 2:1, water content 10 to 15%, spread in a 2 to 3 cm container, 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 once every half a day. When young locusts are found, use a soft brush to push them onto the food in the shed. After 12 to 15 days of incubation, all young locusts are hatched. Young locusts like to eat fresh and tender wheat seedlings, corn seedlings, weeds and other monocots, but they eat very little. Young locusts from 1 to 3 years old should be protected from rain. The temperature should be controlled between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius, with more than 12 hours of light and humidity maintained at about 15%, because under such conditions, locusts are most active, like to eat, and are conducive to growth. Migratory locusts within the third instar like to live in groups. 3. Feeding and management of young locusts from the third instar to adults Young locusts shed their skin once every 5 to 7 days after laying eggs. Each shed is one instar. The strong ones shed quickly, while the weak ones shed slowly. There is also a difference in the order of emergence during the incubation process. Those above the third instar fly particularly fast and their food intake gradually increases. At this time, it is necessary to ensure that there is sufficient food in the shed. First of all, if the locusts are not full, it will affect their normal growth. In addition, there will be a phenomenon that the strong eat the weak and the big eat the small, especially the locusts that are molting cannot move, and their physique is very soft, so there is a risk of being eaten and bitten. Wheat bran can be added to locusts above the third instar. Clean the shed once every 1 to 2 days to keep the shed clean. After the locusts molt five times, they grow into adults, which is about 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. The time is preferably in early July. 4. Management before and after migratory locusts lay eggs After mating, the abdomen of female locusts gradually becomes thick and long, and the yellow-brown color deepens, while male locusts appear bright yellow. At this time, the ground of the shed should be neat and compacted to facilitate the laying of eggs by female locusts. 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 laying area. The humidity in the shed is kept at about 15%. At this time, locusts have a large appetite and should be fed with enough food. 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 during the winter. 5. Overwintering management of locust eggs Overwintering of locust eggs is very simple. The locust eggs in the shed can be left to overwinter in situ. After winter, some weeds are added to the locust egg-laying area to keep them warm.