Silkworms- Part 2

According to Dr. Feltwell in his book cited earlier, about twelve thousand silkworms would need twenty sacks of mulberry leaves a day. About 220 kg of leaves (485 lbs) would produce a kilogram of silk (2.2 lbs). Most of the cocoons are used to recuperate silk, so not many pupa turn into moths. An important step is to place the cocoons in boiling water for a period of time. This takes off the glue-like substance secreted by the silkworms which holds the cocoon together. In the hot water bath most of the pupa are killed. For moth production, only the best cocoons are chosen. It is possible in the cocoon stage to determine if the moth will be female or male, as the female cocoons are heavier. Thus, the appropriate numbers of male and female moths are allowed to develop View the rest of this article