In Tasman, Odette Petzold has developed a passion for raising silkworms, once a common sight in the area.
Her interest sparked a couple of years ago after a conversation with an elderly resident at a Richmond rest home, who reminded her of the silkworms she grew up with in South Africa.
“The older generation here remembers silkworms, but there’s a whole generation in between that hasn’t seen or heard of them, as they are no longer commonly around,” she says.
Inspired, Odette tracked down a silkworm supplier and began keeping them as a hobby—captivated by their fascinating life cycle and ability to spin silk.
With a background in beekeeping, she notes that sericulture, or silk farming, shares similarities with apiculture, running through the same life cycle.
The silkworms only feed on mulberry leaves, which Odette says presents a challenge.
“Up north, there are plenty of mulberry trees with leaves year-round, but here, there aren’t many, and the few that are around lose their leaves in winter,” she explains.
“I don’t know why they only eat mulberry leaves—it’s a bit like a koala that only eats eucalyptus; they just do.”
One of the things Odette enjoys the most is creating unique items like thank you cards and bookmarks using their silk.
“If you put them on a raised shape, they’ll spin whatever that shape is,” she says with a smile.
“However, they’re not great with corners—stars don’t work well, but fat round hearts are perfect.”
Now, Odette dreams of introducing local kids to silkworms through a sustainable, hands-on project.
She envisions small boxes where children can raise their own silkworms, learning about growth, responsibility, and life cycles.
Odette believes that by reconnecting younger generations with silkworms, once common in New Zealand homes, she can inspire curiosity, teach sustainability, and offer kids the joy of raising these fascinating creatures.
Silkworms’ history dates back to ancient China around 2,640 BC, and in New Zealand, they were introduced in the 1880s for silk production and trade- an idea which unfortunately failed.
Odette hopes to bring a piece of that history to today’s youth.
