To let you know what you are looking at, the worms are in a plastic drawer with TP tubes for them to set up shop in. Look to the bottom left corner, there is a fully spun cocoon. Four others are in the first stages of their cocoons in the tubes, one is spinning between tubes (gotta be a rebel everywhere....) One guy is still chowing down, hasn't succumbed to peer pressure.
They are surprisingly cute for a bug. They don't try to escape, they aren't noisy. Their little faces are unexpectedly endearing and they actually feel very soft and silky. I know...I'm going to be kicked out of the mom club pretty soon....
In about 7-10 days they should emerge from their cocoons, have a little nooky, lay eggs and keel over. What a way to go, huh?? Then it starts all over when the eggs hatch. I will be letting them come out of their cocoons. Reeled silk comes from cocoons unwound with the pupae still inside, I don't have the heart for that. I don't expect I'll raise enough to start a silk business, but I'm hoping to get enough to card with wool and get a nice blend.
3 comments:
Well now if anyone asks I can tell them what I learned today. That is a little icky though Holly, just a little. Post more pictures though, it isn't too icky that I'm not wanting to see more. ;o)
Here's another factoid for you. The reason the moths keel over shortly after doin' the wild thing is that they can not eat. They are physically unable to eat because they hatch with no mouth or digestive system.
check out www.wormspit.com for more fascinating facts and pictures
Holly I think this is SO cool! It would be a great homeschooing experiment for the kiddo and I to do, but I don't think the little critters would make the long trip across the ocean to Germany via the US Army mail system very well. I'd love to do it once we move home though, so I will be watching your project closely!!
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