How are silk fibres produced by …

The process of rearing of silkworms to produce silk is called sericulture.

Process of sericulture:

• A female silkmoth lays hundreds of eggs at a time.
• The eggs laid by the silkmoth are stored on cloth or paper and kept under hygienic and appropriate conditions.
• The eggs are warmed to a suitable temperature for larvae to hatch from eggs.
• The larvae feed on mulberry leaves kept in clean bamboo trays and increase enormously in size.
• After 25-30 days, the caterpillars are moved to a tiny chamber of bamboo in the tray to spin cocoons.
• The caterpillar or silkworm spins the cocoon inside which develops the silk moth.
• The cocoons are kept under the sun or boiled or exposed to steam.
• The silk fibres separate out from the cocoon using special machines. This process is called reeling the silk.
• Silk fibres are then spun into silk threads, which are woven into silk cloth by weavers.