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How to Kill Silkworms Humanely

Silkworms are small white-colored worms that produce silk thread via their cocoons. The technique of making silk fabrics with this thread was invented by the Chinese. Silkworm cultivation is required for the craft, classroom lesson, or hobby of making silk items. Silkworms must be killed to acquire their precious silk. The most humane ways of killing silkworms are the boiling method and the oven method.

Things You'll Need

Water
Medium-sized pot
Stove
Large ladle
Strainer
Paper towels
Oven
Oven tray
Bucket

Instructions

Boil method
- 1
  Fill your pot halfway with water. Place it on your stove and allow the water to come to a boil.
- 2
  Put one silkworm on your ladle.
- 3
  Lower the ladle into the boiling water. Be careful not to allow the water to splash onto the silkworm, but for the silkworm to be evenly lowered into it.
- 4
  Repeat Step 3 for each silkworm.
- 5
  Keep all your silkworms in the boiling water for about five minutes. You'll know the silkworm is dead when it has turned dark yellow or brown. If the silkworm started out with having a cocoon, you'll see the cocoon has opened up.
- 6
  Use your strainer to strain the silkworms.
- 7
  Lay your dead silkworms on paper towels to allow them to air dry and cool.
Oven method
- 8
  Preheat your oven to 109.4 degrees.
- 9
  Spread your silkworms out on your oven tray, as evenly spaced as you can.
- 10
  Place your oven tray in your oven. Wait for about 15 minutes. Your silkworms will hopefully have died before this time, so check periodically. They should be dark yellow or brown.
- 11
  Remove the tray from the oven.

Animals & Science