Rolls of plastic canvas with three to five holes per inch can often be found in local hardware or fabric stores. Alternatively, websites that sell beekeeping resources often having plastic canvas or a good equivalent that are used for a similar reason. Some good advice about finding appropriate plastic canvas can be found online at http://www.biobees.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=64444&sid=d20abe9f2f026aa812b3a259ba5cd965. This is a discussion, although aimed at beekeeping rather than raising silkworms, that contains a number of links and tips about where to find different sized plastic canvas.
Raising silkworms is an interesting process that can have very rewarding results. The silkworms, like most insects, will go through four stages of development. These are; egg, larva, pupa and adult. Before beginning the process of raising silkworms you will need to make sure that there are plenty of Mulberry leaves to hand. These are the only type of leaves that silkworms will eat and without them it is unlikely that any of your silkworms will survive. While silkworms can be raised anywhere, for the fastest results you must ensure that you have a proper container.
A proper container should have a lid or a cover so that the leaves inside remain moist. It should be almost air tight with just a few small air holes to allow the worms to breathe. When the moth eggs hatch, tiny black caterpillars will emerge. As the caterpillars eat more and more mulberry leaves they will continue to grow bigger and bigger, shedding their skin after each molt. A caterpillar will have four molts in total before it begins the process of spinning a cocoon. The caterpillar will spin silk threads around itself until it is completely covered. Inside the caterpillar will turn into pupa, which then reassembles to form a moth. Once the moth has hatched from the cocoon it is the silk thread that built it up that can be unraveled and used to weave into silk cloth.
Raising silkworms is an interesting process that can have very rewarding results. The silkworms, like most insects, will go through four stages of development. These are; egg, larva, pupa and adult. Before beginning the process of raising silkworms you will need to make sure that there are plenty of Mulberry leaves to hand. These are the only type of leaves that silkworms will eat and without them it is unlikely that any of your silkworms will survive. While silkworms can be raised anywhere, for the fastest results you must ensure that you have a proper container.
A proper container should have a lid or a cover so that the leaves inside remain moist. It should be almost air tight with just a few small air holes to allow the worms to breathe. When the moth eggs hatch, tiny black caterpillars will emerge. As the caterpillars eat more and more mulberry leaves they will continue to grow bigger and bigger, shedding their skin after each molt. A caterpillar will have four molts in total before it begins the process of spinning a cocoon. The caterpillar will spin silk threads around itself until it is completely covered. Inside the caterpillar will turn into pupa, which then reassembles to form a moth. Once the moth has hatched from the cocoon it is the silk thread that built it up that can be unraveled and used to weave into silk cloth.
