The Rural Voice, 1990-03, Page 44WILD BIRD
FEEDING?
We stock...
• Niger seed
• Finch mixes
• Black oil seed sunflower
• Wild bird mixes
• Purple martin houses
• Hanging Feeders
• Nesting Boxes
BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE
Field Guides by
Audubon and Peterson
For all your bird needs contact
HILLS FEED
AND FARM SUPPLY
Hwy. 8, west of Clinton
519-482-7706
ONTARIO
r
CONGRESS
June 19-20-21
WILL ACCEPT TENDERS
FOR OPERATING
FOOD BOOTHS
(PORK PRODUCTS ONLY)
REPLY BY APRIL 15, 1990
Food Chairman:
Rose Huitema
R. R. 1,
Sebringville, Ontario
NOK 1X0
519-348-8147
40 THE RURAL VOICE
RURAL LIVING
SERICULTURE''
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Silkworms spin a lucrative sideline
by Brenda Baltensperger
■
D ee Burnlees has an unusual
agricultural hobby: she raises
silkworms — otherwise known as
practising "sericulture." And at her
home in Hepworth, near Sauble
Beach, she also spins the silk from
the cocoons and weaves it into cloth.
Two years ago, Burnlees attend-
ed the Ontario Hand Spinners Confer-
ence in Kingston, and there met Sue
Meech. Meech's father had been
raising silkworms in Devon, England
for several years, and had sent his
daughter a vial of eggs which had
hatched successfully.
Meech's enthusiasm prompted
Dee Burnlees to take home a container
of eggs and order a weeping mulberry
tree immediately — silkworms feed
almost exclusively on mulberry
leaves. Those eggs didn't hatch, but
Bumlees later picked up 75 hatched
silkworms from Sue Meech and hasn't
looked back since.
The silkworm is related to the tent
caterpillar, and because it is also easy
to handle and control it has been used
in extensive experiments at the agri-
cultural research station in Sault Ste.
Marie. The Bobyx mori moths have
become domesticated over a long
period of time to the point that they do
not fly or wander around and are quite
docile.
The moths are kept in a plastic 12
by 16 inch box, the bottom of which
is lined with wax paper. The males
exude a brown hormone and flutter
their wings to attract females. Once
they have paired off, Burnlees re-
moves each couple to a smaller, lined
sandwich box placed inside the larger
box. The procedure ensures that the
other males will not stain the female's
newly laid eggs.
The eggs are yellow, but after a
few days tum grey if they are fertile.
The paper with the eggs sticking to it
is then cut into pieces, each holding
about a dozen fertile eggs. Each piece
Dee Burnlees and a backyard mulberry:
silkworms feed almost exclusively on
mulberry leaves.
is wrapped in tissue and placed in a
covered jar or container in the butter
compartment of a refrigerator. The
eggs are stored there until a suitable
hatching time, depending upon food
supply. When a fresh supply of mul-
berry leaves is available, the hatching
can begin.
The egg paper is put in a small
container lined with waxed paper for
easy cleaning, and covered to maintain
humidity in a temperature of 27°C.
The eggs have to be inspected each
morning, because as soon as the
minute caterpillars hatch they need
food or they will die. Four times a
day, mulberry leaves are picked, dried,
and chopped up so there are enough
accessible chewing edges.
As the caterpillars grow, they
graduate to full-sized leaves and,
during their last week, a branchful of
leaves. The waxed paper is renewed
each day to keep the box clean and
free of disease.
The caterpillars go through four
moults. Each time, they stop eating
for two days and anchor themselves in
ilpright position, sleeping until their
splits and they can walk out of it.