The sound of munching is getting louder. When we add new leaves, there is an audible crackling, a bit like when you add milk to rice bubbles. I am not sure I have really been showing you the full enormity. But, of course, the enormity is growing all the time. Here, a couple of specimens representative of their general size (some are smaller): about 6 cm or 2 1/2 inches long. And hungry! Hungry all the time!
A friend took ten to share with her students at school, but we still have ohhh… over 100. Here they are after this morning’s tidy up.
I live in hope they will pupate before I have had to introduce myself to complete strangers with mulberry trees. We had two merciful gifts of leaves this week, and offers of more from fellow Guildies who understood the gravity of the situation.. So perhaps we won’t have to strip the neighbourhood trees completely bare! On the other hand, I can hear chewing…
Local & Bespoke 
I have two huge mulberry trees in my yard….. you are making me think that I should try raising some of these little critters!
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I don’t think there is any should about it. More a question of what strikes you as fun or useful! But you can be sure I have had my beady eyes on front yards with two mulberry trees for weeks now. I have been picking from one place where the trees are within reach of the front fence. I just decided that if I were the tree owner I’d probably prefer that to having a stranger knock at the front door and explain about silkworms at breakfast time! My friend who has two trees on the other hand–I took my secateurs when I dropped by!
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I would think that the people would think it was very interesting…. if you knocked on their door and explained why you need leaves! I know that I would!
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Maybe! I can imagine both scenarios but have decided breakfast (when I come past their place) is not the time to try and perhaps I’ll knock if I come past after work. Our back door neighbours were very kind when one of our hens woke up on her first day living here and flew over their fence before breakfast. They had dogs so it couldn’t wait, we ran straight round and knocked and introduced ourselves. They seemed to find it all very entertaining. The chook, who had to be caught by a foot in the end, probably liked it less!
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I would love to have chickens here. But we have no fence around our yard and I fear that they would soon become food for packs of coyotes. Or roaming dogs. Or raccoons.
Someday I dream of living in the county, with a huge garden and lots of chickens. Maybe even a goat or sheep too.
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