Cicada breeding technology

The golden cicada is commonly known as the cicada turtle and cicada monkey. It has extremely high nutritional and medicinal value and has broad prospects for breeding . So what are the key points of cicada breeding technology ? Let’s learn more about it below.

1. Breeding preparation

When breeding cicadas, you first need to choose healthy tree species with well-developed root systems, lush growth, and rich sap as host plants, such as poplar, elm , willow , etc. In addition, it is necessary to prepare a suitable breeding environment, ensure that the soil is loose, fertile, and pollution-free, and maintain appropriate humidity and temperature.

2. Seed source acquisition

There are mainly two ways. One is to collect cicada eggs from the wild. During the cicada monkey emergence season, branches with cicada eggs are collected from the wild. The other is to purchase high-quality cicada eggs from regular breeding farms.

3. Hatching and breeding

The breeding targets are mainly newly hatched nymphs and nearly hatched eggs. The egg branches collected from the wild or the source area are concentrated indoors to promote hatching. Method: Use a 70x40x20cm plastic box, spread 5-10cm of fine dry sand on the bottom, place the egg branches vertically/horizontally on it, and spray continuously to keep it moist. During incubation, check the hatching status regularly and transplant the nymphs to the breeding farm if they are active.

4. Feeding management

Cicadas feed on the sap of mulberry, locust, poplar and other trees. Note that older trees are preferred because they contain more nutrients. When breeding, the tree needs to be cut into sections and sawed at an angle to make it easier for the cicadas to feed.

5. Do a good job in epidemic prevention

Unearthed nymphs and adults face threats from a variety of natural enemies (such as toads, snakes, rodents, hedgehogs, etc.) and microorganisms (such as Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium muscardine, Entomogenetic algae, etc.). Special protection is required during breeding.

6. Harvesting method

Cicada pupae can be harvested before they break out of the soil and enter the critical stage of metamorphosis, or just before they reach maturity. Generally, a smooth plastic film can be wrapped around the tree trunk at a height of about 30 cm to prevent cicada pupae from continuing to climb, making it easier to collect them. Or you can use the night and a flashlight to look for and catch unemerged cicada pupae on the ground under trees and low on tree trunks.

In general, although the prospects for cicada farming are promising, due to the long growth cycle of cicadas, the farming risks are relatively high, and breeders should conduct sufficient market research and risk assessment in advance. At the same time, we should focus on mastering the breeding techniques of cicadas and improving the yield and quality so as to earn higher breeding profits.