See How the Silkworm is Farmed for Its Incredible Silk in a Japanese Silk Farm

Key Points

• Silkworms create a single strand of silk for their cocoons.
• China was the first country to consistently produce silk.
• Silkworms cannot live without the support of humans.

The only reason that anyone can buy silk shirts or pajamas is due to a practice called sericulture. Sericulture, or silk farming, involves the harvest of silk from silkworms. The demand for high-quality silk is unwavering, allowing China and India to offer 60% of all silk worldwide. Let’s take a look at this farming process to learn more about where this refined material comes from.

What Are Silkworms?

Silkworms are the larva stage of the Bombyx mori moth. They are necessary to the economy as the main producer of silk, and they rely on humans. Their silk is one of the biggest trades in the world to create many different products. Though they are essential to trading, they aren’t necessary to the local environment.

How to Make Silk With Silkworms

Silk farmers need many cocoons to produce silk. Creating 1 pound of silk takes at least 2,000 cocoons. Each of these cocoons has 1,000 feet of a singular silk thread. During the harvesting process, silk farmers boil silkworms after. The hatching process greatly damages silk strands because the caterpillar chews through it.

Instead of disposing of silkworms, some farmers allow them to be sold as food. In India, silk farmers use a method that involves allowing the caterpillar to reach adulthood first. The farmers cut a spot in the cocoon to get through. While the silk is a little rougher, this method humanely protects the insect responsible for making it.

Silkworms In Captivity: A Lifelong Habitat

While the silkworms used to have a home in the wild, their long-term cultivation means that they no longer can survive. This evolution comes from genetic alterations through years of breeding. China started using these worms 5,000 years ago, though it used to be a major secret. Their genetics changed so drastically through the breeding and farming of silk that the only way to support this larva was in a manmade habitat. They need to maintain a temperature of 18 and 25 °C.

How Big Does a Silkworm Get?

Since every silkworm grows in captivity, it is up to the breeder to decide how long they will let it continue to grow up to 3 inches. Though they aren’t able to fly, their wings are about 2 inches wide. Their diet is minimal, making them easy to raise.

See How a Japanese Silk Farm Works