Jinsha Niu is more common in the southern region, but it is also frequently seen in the northern region. It has the effect of nourishing the kidneys, preventing high fever in children, and alleviating urinary difficulties. Let's take a look at its specific characteristics and cultivation methods together with the editor!
Characteristics of Jinsha Niu Medicinal Herb
The grains of this herb are granular in shape, measuring 7-15 millimeters in length. They are all yellowish-brown in color with blackish-brown spots.
The head is relatively flat and the mouthparts are well-developed. There is a pair of elongated upper jaws that curve inward like pincers.
The thorax is large, and the abdomen has 10 segments. The chest and abdomen are swollen or slightly swollen, with short hairs on both sides and spines on the ends.
There are 3 pairs of legs, with the middle pair being the longest. They often fall off during the processing and roasting stages.
The body is light and the texture is brittle. The odor is slightly fishy and the taste is slightly salty. The best quality is characterized by a large and complete size, yellowish-brown color, lightness, and lack of sand or mud.
Functions of Jinsha Niu
It belongs to the kidney and bladder meridians. It has the functions of reducing fever, relieving spasms, dissolving masses, promoting urination, and treating carbuncles and abscesses.
It is used for treating high fever in children, kidney and urinary tract stones, urinary difficulties, scrofula, and boils. The recommended dosage is 3-9 grams, in the form of decoction or powdered for oral administration.
Cultivation Methods of Jinsha Niu
1. Collective Breeding
You can use a large enamel plate or a 25cm x 25cm plastic tray as the breeding container, but the depth must be at least 5cm.
Fill the breeding tray with a layer of dry fine sand that is 2.5cm thick.
Due to the cannibalistic nature of Jinsha Niu, the density should not be too high. The traps they set have a certain range of influence. For second instar larvae, the recommended density is 1 per 30 square centimeters, and for third instar larvae, it is 1 per 40 square centimeters.
The first instar larvae and the traps they build are relatively small, so the breeding density can be slightly increased. However, after entering the second instar, partial transfer and dispersion are necessary (based on the fact that Jinsha Niu throws away its molted skin at the edge of its trap).
2. Single Breeding
Since Jinsha Niu requires a certain range of influence for its habitat, collective breeding cannot increase the breeding density and may lead to cannibalism. Single breeding, on the other hand, can increase the breeding density and ensure that they do not cannibalize each other.
Use a plastic cup or small porcelain teacup with a height of 5cm, a bottom diameter of 3-4cm, and a mouth diameter of 5cm as the container. Fill it with a layer of dry fine sand that is 2.5cm thick. Each cup can breed one Jinsha Niu.
Alternatively, you can install vertical and horizontal partition bars in the plastic tray used for collective breeding, with a spacing of 5cm between each partition bar. This will divide the tray into 25 5cm x 5cm squares, each filled with 2.5cm thick dry fine sand. Each square can breed one Jinsha Niu. Single breeding can be carried out from the first instar to the pupation stage without the need for transfer and container replacement.
