How Silkworms Make Silk

Silkworms produce one of the most desired natural fibers in the world. Once these fibers are spun into threads and then woven into fabrics, the end result is an exceptional and highly sought after product. Silk has incredible strength, texture, and luster. Because of these qualities, silk has long been used to manufacture many types of products ranging from blouses and bridal gowns to silk drapes and silk curtains. Even today, as the diverse variety of synthetic fibers rival silk in many ways, the demand for silk still remains increasingly high.

Silkworm farming, or sericulture (the production of raw silk by raising silkworms), first began in China about 5000 years ago where the technology and art of silk making was so valuable that for centuries the technique was shrouded in secrecy. This technique eventually escaped the control of the Chinese and the silk industry was thus established in other countries. Today, silkworm production is carried out in Japan, China, Spain, France, and Italy. Silkworm production is a very tedious, labor-intensive and time-consuming process but yields a large amount of silk for the worldwide textile market.

The silk produced from Bombyx mori is of primary commercial importance. The larvae of most silkworms produce silk strands that they emit from holes in the jaw and spin into a protective egg-bearing cocoon in preparation to pupate. About the size of a cotton ball, each cocoon is constructed from a continuous silk strand that astonishingly measures about a mile long. The silkworm larvae will produce between 500-1200 silken strands during the cocoon-building process. During sericulture, these cocoons yield the silk that is eventually harvested for the textile industry.

Every spring, silkworms will lay around 500 eggs. In commercial production, farm workers will then transport these eggs to an incubation stage until the following spring when the eggs hatch. The worms that emerge are given a diet of mulberry leaves for 6 weeks until they are naturally ready to begin creating a cocoon. Once the cocoon is complete, each one is taken within twelve days before the cocoon can hatch into a silkworm moth. The cocoons are then placed in boiling water to release the glue that holds the silken strands together and the threads are then wound onto a spindle. The end product is rolls of raw silk that are ready to be dyed, sold, and subsequently fashioned into custom silk curtains and other exceptional textile commodities.

Article by: Brent Kennedy