How to breed cicadas?

Cicada is also called golden cicada , cicada, and cicada monkey. Its larvae have high nutritional value, the market demand is increasing year by year, and the price is rising year by year, so many people want to breed it. So how do you breed cicadas? Let’s learn more about it below.

1. Breeding varieties

Golden cicada refers to the general term for all cicada nymphs, but not all cicadas are suitable for breeding. Some species have very low yields and reproduction rates, and the population is very small, making it difficult to obtain cicada eggs outdoors. Currently, the only larger species with a high reproduction rate is the black cicada. In addition, there is a big black cicada, which is suitable for breeding in trees, while the small black cicada is more suitable for breeding in bamboo forests and shrub forests.

2. Obtaining eggs

Speaking of cicada eggs, there are two ways to obtain them. One is to purchase them from other breeding bases, and the other is to look for them in wild forests. If you want to find branches with wild cicada eggs, you have to look for them during the cicada singing season. The time when cicadas emerge varies from region to region across the country, so you can decide based on local conditions. In Guangdong, cicadas usually emerge in early May, and the later they appear as you go north. In Henan, a little further north, it's around August.

3. Breeding site

The hatching of cicadas and the breeding of nymphs mainly depend on trees, especially broad-leaved species such as willow, poplar, and elm . Therefore, the selection of breeding sites is extremely important. We should look for places with abundant forest resources, loose and breathable soil, and convenient water sources to ensure that the cicadas have sufficient food sources and a good growth environment.

4. Egg branch hatching

In order to ensure the hatching rate of cicada species, branches with eggs should not be buried in the soil. Artificial centralized hatching can be used, which is safer. The egg branches should be placed in a constant temperature and moisture-maintaining incubation room for hatching. After the cicada eggs hatch, they are manually spread evenly on the soil. At this time, the cicada nymphs will burrow into the soil like ants .

5. Management and protection

The hatched nymphs live underground for up to 2-3 years. During this period, they must take care to prevent attacks from natural enemies, such as ants and mice. At the same time, they must maintain the ecological balance of the forest and must not cut down trees at will.

6. Harvest and Sales

Generally, during the summer nights every year, cicadas will emerge from the soil, climb onto tree trunks and molt, and this is the best time to catch them. The harvested cicadas can be sold fresh or processed into dried products, and there is a wide market demand for them.

That’s it