Bombyx mori eggs, the mulberry silk worm.

Bombyx mori : the mulberry silk worm. Eggs for sale

The domesticated silk worm, Bombyx mori, is a moth of the Bombycidae family. B. mori is an economically relevant insect, being the main source of silk for the textile industry. Other wild silk moth species are being used for silk production, although they constitute a very small part of the total market.

Because of its versatility as a model organism, Bombyx mori has been broadly used for scientific research. Many basic findings on moth biochemistry and physiology do actually came from silk worm studies. More applied research on this species has been focused on how to produce bio-materials out of the silk fibers that larvae produce.

Bombyx mori is an easy species to rear and breed. Most silk worms are univoltine and do diapause as eggs. Their natural host is the mulberry (Morus sp.), but they can be reared on artificial diets which are available on the market. More details on how to rear B. mori below.

Silk worm eggs for sale: 5 different strains

We offer a variety of 5 different strains of Bombix mori, each of them shows a different larval morphology and coloration. All of them do require the same conditions and cares to be successfully reared. They are sold as diapausing eggs in packs of 100 units each. This set of strains is only a small part of the 400 known mutations in the silk worm, which are reared for scientific or pure aesthetic purposes.

Available Bombyx mori (the mulberry silkworm) strains from the Time To Breed catalogue:

• “Bulge” – cocoons of different colors, very peculiar larvae (see pics).
• “CBR7” – cocoons of different colors, brown striped larvae.
• “Galera” – yellow cocoon, white larvae.
• “SM” – yellow cocoon, this is the classic silk worm strain.
• “T42” – cocoons of different colors, yellow larvae.

CHECK SILK WORM EGGS IN THE SHOP – CLICK HERE

Rearing Bombyx mori, the silk worm

Rearing and breeding B. mori is fairly easy. If it’s done with the proper care, is very difficult to loose them. This strains are univoltine, they overwinter as eggs. Eggs need to undergo a period of cold before being able to emerge, which should be 3 months minimum. Eggs should be stored in a ventilated place when at room temperature, sealed if chilled in the fridge.

We are currently selling eggs that haven’t been chilled yet, thus you can adopt 2 different strategies with them, according to the period in which you want to rear them:

1. You can keep the eggs outside until October, then put them in the fridge and wait for next spring, when mulberry leaves will be available again. Please use a sealed container when chilling them, open once every 1-2 months.
2. You can readily chill the eggs upon arrival, store them 3/4 months from the fridge. Upon rewarming they will hatch in about 20 days. Mind that by that season, mulberry leave will not be available so you will need to get an artificial diet to feed them.

Mind to always provide fresh but dry leaves to the caterpillars, instead they will be more prone to illness. If is raining outside, try to remove the extra water on the leafs as much as possible. Cleaning them daily is also good practice to preserve their health.