Essential Compendium of Sericulture and Mulberry: Volume Two

...[at every feeding,] one must look closely at each instance. Wherever they are densely packed, use chopsticks Traditional sericulture often employed specialized bamboo chopsticks to move silkworms, as the heat and oils from human hands were thought to be harmful to the delicate larvae to lightly lift and evenly distribute them toward the four sides. One must ensure that the silkworms in the basket can move about freely and at their own ease, and are not distressed by cramped conditions. In this way, they will eat the leaves evenly, and you will avoid the "disease of uneven growth," where some worms grow large while others remain small.

Opening the Baskets

Whenever mature silkworms have filled a basket, use empty baskets to separate and store them; this process is called "opening the baskets" original: "kai kuang" (開筐); the act of expanding the rearing space to accommodate the silkworms' rapid increase in size. This can be done by moving them along with their current bedding or by picking them up from where they cluster and redistributing them. In any case, never allow the slightest amount of piling or clustering within a basket.

Stripping the Bedding

The sand-bedding; the accumulation of silkworm droppings and uneaten leaf fragments of the silkworms is hot and prone to "steaming" likely referring to the heat of fermentation and high humidity that builds up in dirty trays, which is a primary cause of silkworm disease. If this bedding is not cleared away, it will harm the silkworms.

Whenever the bedding in the basket becomes thick, one must take mottled chaff; the husks of grain used as a separating layer and sprinkle a thin layer over the silkworms. Feed them leaves for two or three meals. Once the leaves are consumed, utilize the spaces within the mottled chaff to gradually peel and lift the silkworms up, distributing them evenly into empty baskets. Once the dregs and waste are removed, the basket will be clean and the silkworms will no longer be smoked by "foul vapors" original: "hui qi" (穢氣); unhealthy air resulting from decaying organic matter. This stripping process must be done with great care and attention; one must not be hasty, as that will injure the silkworms.