This is like a vast comprehensive compared with their initial ice cream box primary because I have taken on board fellow-posters' warnings about the larvae getting increasingly voracious and large. I also try to dry the hawthorn with newspaper on wet days such as today, thanks to warnings from other UTM breeders about damping off.Final point of interest: I did look online for larva breeding boxes of the kind I used as a teenager via Watkins & Doncaster but they are not to be had at the moment. The best websites can offer is the hope of new stocks later in June. Are a lot of us caterpillar breeders about? Martin Wainwright
Hi Martin - i've reared Emperors for a few years, and yes, you do need good-sized containers to rear them in - i used old biscuit tins! Another useful tip was to rear them on Willow - much less spikey to handle than Hawthorn or Bramble! Good luck with them - they're a lot of fun, assembling in the spring!
ReplyDeleteThanks v much Dave. I really like your Scarlet Tiger pupa. I remember that phenomenon of the colours showing through in Swallowtail chrysalises on holiday in France. All warm wishes. M
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