RAISING CATERPILLARS / COCOONS / MOTHS
MANY PEOPLE ARE RAISING CATERPILLARS OF ALL KINDS. I'VE JUST COMPLETED MY SECOND YEAR (2001)
REARING GIANT SILKMOTHS. BUT MAYBE I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE BECAUSE I VERY MUCH ENJOY IT;
I ALWAYS ENJOY HEARING ABOUT OTHERS' EXPERIENCES TOO.
I FELL IN LOVE WITH MY FIRST POLYPHEMUS MOTH AND THE ABSOLUTE MAGIC OF IT COMING FORTH FROM ITS
CASE. MY FATHER-IN-LAW GAVE ME MY FIRST COCOON AFTER FINDING IT UNDER HIS OAK TREE. I DOUBTED IT
CONTAINED ANY LIFE WHATSOEVER! BUT TEN DAYS LATER I HAD THE MOST DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE WHEN I
SAW THAT BEAUTIFUL VELVET MOTH. I WILL NEVER FORGET HER. AND NOW I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY CHARMING
NEW HOBBY.
THE ONE THING I DID NOT EXPECT WAS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THE CATERPILLARS, I THOUGHT
THEY WERE JUST A WAY TO GET MORE COCOONS. BUT I LEARNED THAT THE CATERPILLARS ARE FUN AND
INTERESTING TOO. PROBABLY THERE ARE EASIER WAYS THAN HOW I DO SOME THINGS, BUT IT ALL WORKS FOR
ME. I SMILE WHEN I THINK OF HOW I'VE ALREADY RAISED OVER 400 CATERPILLARS TO COCOONS.
I RAISE MY CATERPILLARS BY THE "BOUQUET METHOD". MY CAGES ARE MADE OF
LIGHTWEIGHT CEDAR FRAMES AND FIBERGLASS SCREENING, WITH A LARGE DOOR THAT HINGES ON EACH CAGE.
THEY ARE 35"H X 22"W X 14" DEEP. I HANG THEM FROM THE CEILING OF THE PORCH WHERE I CAN WATCH AND
APPRECIATE THE DAILY PROGRESS OF THE CATERPILLARS THEY HOUSE. I KEEP THE CATERPILLARS WELL
PROTECTED BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PREDATORS WANTING TO GET THEM.
I FEED MY CATERPILLARS OAK AND SHAGBARK HICKORY; BIRCH IS EXCELLENT, TOO. I PREFER THE OAK AS IT
HOLDS UP VERY WELL UNTIL I REPLACE IT WITH FRESH CUTTINGS. (I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO BIRCH).
THE POLYPHEMUS DO VERY WELL ON OAK OR BIRCH, THE LUNAS DO WELL ON OAK , BIRCH OR HICKORY.
|  |
NATURALLY, I MUST BE SURE THE FOLIAGE HAS NO SPIDERS OR OTHER INSECTS AND NO TRACE OF PESTICIDES
OR OTHER CHEMICALS. CHECKING THE FOLIAGE BEFORE OFFERING IT TO THE CATERPILLARS IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT AND TIME CONSUMING TASK. I SHAKE THE BRANCHES FIRST, AND THEN A CLOSE VISUAL INSPECTION
TOP TO BOTTOM IS NECESSARY.
TO PRESENT THE FOLIAGE I USE CANNING JARS, AND COVER THE TOPS WITH SQUARES I CUT FROM A HEAVY
WEIGHT FREEZER BAG, SECURED WITH A JAR RING. I USE A NUT PICK TO MAKE AN OPENING AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE TO INSERT THE FOLIAGE STEM. FOR BABY CATERPILLARS, THE HOLE MUST BE VERY TIGHT AROUND THE STEM TO PREVENT THEM FROM CRAWLING DOWN THE STEM AND DROWNING. THIS HAPPENS TO ALL CATERPILLARS IF THE OPENING IS LARGE ENOUGH FOR THEM TO PASS THROUGH.
LIGHTWEIGHT PLASTIC WRAP IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH; IT TEARS VERY EASILY AND WILL NOT HOLD UP THE WEIGHT OF HEAVIER STEMS (USED FOR LARGER CATERPILLARS). I CHANGE THE PLASTIC EVERY TIME I CHANGE THE FOOD SO THE HOLE AND THE STEM ARE A SNUG FIT. SOMETIMES I USE A PIECE OF PAPER TOWEL TO FILL THE OPENING IF IT'S A BIT LARGE.
CATERPILLARS ARE DEPENDENT ON FRESH LEAVES, SO I CHANGE THE FOLIAGE EVERY 3RD DAY. EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS FINE, I KNOW IT'S DRYING OUT. I OFFER ENOUGH FOLIAGE IN RELATION TO THE NUMBER AND SIZE OF THE CATERPILLARS IN MY CARE. FOR LARGER CATERPILLARS I CUT THE STEMS ABOUT 24 INCHES LONG. I FILL THE QT. JARS WITH AS MUCH AS THEY CAN HOLD. FOR BABIES, JUST A FEW SHORT STEMS IS ENOUGH .
CHANGING THE FOOD IS ALSO A TIME CONSUMING TASK. I DON'T USUALLY HAVE ROOM IN MY CAGES TO KEEP THE OLD FOLIAGE IN THERE UNTIL THE CATERPILLARS TRANSFER THEMSELVES OVER. I TRY TO GET THEM ONTO THE FRESH FOOD BY VERY VERY CAREFULLY CUTTING THE LEAVES OFF WITH THE CATERPILLARS AND LAYING THEM ONTO THE FRESH FOOD. I REMOVE THESE OLD LEAVES LATER.
I ALWAYS REMEMBER THE CATERPILLARS' PERFECT DISGUISE WHEN CLIPPING LEAVES IN THEIR HABITAT AND SO FAR NO ACCIDENTS. I ACTUALLY ENJOY THIS PART OF THE ROUTINE A LOT. I GET VERY RELAXED , IF I'M NOT RUSHED TO GET IT DONE. OF COURSE THE MORE CATERPILLARS YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE MORE WORK IT IS IN EVERY ASPECT. IF YOU ONLY HAVE A DOZEN OR SO CATERPILLARS THE WORK IS MUCH EASIER AND QUICKLY ACCOMPLISHED.
I KEEP MY CAGES (AND JARS ) AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE. I LINE THE CAGE WITH BROWN PAPER CUT TO FIT, SO IT'S EASY TO DUMP OUT THE DROPPINGS.THIS LINER CAN BE REUSED MANY TIMES. I ALSO KEEP A LIGHTWEIGHT COTTON GAUZE "BLANKET" TO COVER THE CAGE TO PROTECT THE CATERPILLARS FROM HOT SUN, COOL DAYS , COLD NIGHTS , OR WIND. WHERE I LIVE WITH COOL NIGHTS, I COVER THE CAGES EVERY NIGHT, AND UNCOVER THEM WITH THE MORNING SUN. IF IT'S A COLD AND WINDY NIGHT, I COVER THE CAGE WITH A SHEET OF PLASTIC, BEING CERTAIN TO REMOVE IT EARLY IN THE MORNING. SOMETIMES I JUST BRING THE CAGE INSIDE FOR THE NIGHT.
WHEN THE CATERPILLARS STAY IN THE SAME SPOT FOR A LONG PERIOD, NOT FEEDING, IT'S A TIME TO LEAVE THEM ALONE, TO LET THEM SHED AND REST. IF THE FOOD NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, I WORK QUIETLY AROUND THEM. AGAIN, THEY RESUME THEIR ROUTINE, UNTIL THEY MATURE AND THEIR TIME COMES TO CREATE THEIR COCOONS. THIS ALSO IS A TIME TO NOT TOUCH OR MOVE THEM.
AFTER A FEW DAYS I CAREFULLY MOVE THE BRANCHES WITH THE COCOONS AND PLACE THEM UPRIGHT IN THE BACK CORNER OF THE CAGE, UNTIL FALL, WHEN I CLIP AND TRIM THEM CAREFULLY, PREPARING FOR THEIR WINTER STORAGE IN A CONTAINER IN THE REFRIGERATOR. IN EARLY MAY, THEY ARE RETURNED TO THE CAGE OUT ON THE PORCH FOR HATCHING, BREEDING AND RELEASING. THIS IS VERY EXCITING AND CHARMING. THIS IS A VERY FUN TIME.
I LOVE WATCHING AND " PLAYING" WITH THE CATERPILLARS BUT I DON'T HANDLE THEM ANY MORE THAN NECESSARY. I CAN'T RESIST ONCE IN AWHILE HOLDING ONE IN MY HAND AND FEEDING IT. SOMETIMES I STUDY THEM WITH MY MAGNIFYING GLASS. ALWAYS I ENJOY THEM. BASICALLY IT'S THE SAME AS RAISING ANY OTHER ANIMAL. IT TAKES PATIENCE, COMMITTMENT, RESPECT, CONSIDERATION AND GOOD CARE.
WHEN THE POLYPHEMUS ARE RESTING, THEY LOOK JUST LIKE THEY'RE PRAYING,, ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THEM, AND SO, I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER TOO, THAT THEY WILL STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY, AND COME SPRING TIME THEY'LL BE BORN AGAIN, FREE TO FLY AWAY, NOW A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CREATURE. THE MOST MAGICAL TIME OF THE WHOLE PROCESS. THEY LEAVE US WITH A WONDERFUL AND FANTASTIC SENSE OF GOD'S AMAZING GIFTS, AND HOPEFULLY SOME EGGS TO START US ALL OVER AGAIN. WHAT AN HONOR TO HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE.