How to Hatch Silkworms

Order silkworm eggs from a reputable dealer. The silkworm eggs should be offered glued down to a petri dish to avoid breakage. When the eggs arrive, do not open the petri dish. Place it under a ceramic bowl with one side of the bowl propped up to allow air flow. Keep it in temperatures of 78 to 88 degrees F with a damp sponge next to the petri dish for adequate humidity, and away from direct sunlight.

Prepare the silkworm food according to the instructions and refrigerate it as soon as you notice the eggs beginning to hatch. Remove the ceramic bowl; the light will encourage faster hatching. Place small chunks of food into the petri dish after 24 hours but avoid touching unhatched eggs with the food. It is extremely important to avoid extremes in humidity level and temperature. The cover of the petri dish should only be removed for feeding.

Wash hands before handling the silkworms or their food. Once all the eggs have hatched, place four to seven strips of chow into the petri dish.

Feed the silkworms again five to seven days later, by placing new food between the strips of old food. When the worms crawl onto the new feed material to eat, remove the old food to avoid decomposition. The petri dish should continue to remain covered.

Transfer the silkworms to the plastic sweater box or cardboard box three to five days later. They should be about 1 inch long. You can place the petri dish uncovered into the box with new strips of food so that the worms crawl out, and then remove the petri dish. Cover the box to prevent the food from drying out. Observe eating habits and feed again when necessary, usually every 24 to 48 hours. Remove old food strips when placing new food strips to prevent mold from forming.

At about 28 days after hatching, the silkworms will spin cocoons and will emerge as moths two to three weeks later. The moths mate with each other, lay eggs and die within a week.