Step Six: To Moth or Not? That is the Question...

this may seem cruel however think about this...

WHEN THEY COME OUT OF THE COCOON AS A MOTH THEY HAVE NO MOUTH SO THEY CANT EAT!!! PRETTY MUCH YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IF YOU WANT 300-1000 EGGS PER FEMALE MOTH AND THEN WATCH HER SLOWLY DIE FOR 2 WEEKS OR…COOK THE COCOONS

we placed our lovely little cocoons on a cookie sheet with wax paper on it.then we covered each cocoon with a cup (Dixie actually worked better verse the Styrofoam we used) make sure to poke holes in the top so they can breath. the males will do anything to get to a female so the holes are easier for them while the one with the opening is easier for dealing with females so you can see what she is doing.

They may have wings but they are vestigial

This is Adam our fist moth

Silk Moths mating

- adult moths produce pheromones to attract each other, when nervous or startled they spray them so be careful, I didn't find the smell offensive but it did have a slight smell, I think I was more grossed out by them spraying than anything else
-you can see the difference between male and female moths, as far as size is concerned, the same is true for their wings

-Moths have no mouths and can live for 10-15 days before dying, there sole purpose at this point is to mate

- one male can fertilize 3-5 females