Last silkworm breeding season finished end of July. This summer was specially warm and I was afraid my silkworms will not make it to finish their life cycle. But they did it.

For the spinning I collected for them some branches from the plant pistacia lentiscus, in greek σχίνος (shinos) . We can find easily this plant everywhere in the island. Each year I try different plants to find out which are more appropriate for them in this area. I think this one is the best till now.

The initial problem of this year’s breeding was the general drought. The mulberry tree’s  leaves were not tender enough and I was skeptical how it would work, especially in the beginning of the breeding when the newborn silkworms need to eat tender leaves. But nature seems to be more adaptable than we think and my breeding continued without any worries.

In an old book on sericulture in Crete, it was mentioned as a practical information to keep the cocoons after finishing their cycle well ventilated, is to group them in ” grapes” and to keep them hanged. I tried for the first time this method and I was happy with the result even from an esthetic point of view.

Irini Gonou, Naxos, Greece