Insect Rearing & Research Tools

Mass and laboratory rearing of insects is a key component of entomological projects and many vector/pest management strategies; insect rearing for feed/food is gaining increasing attention worldwide. Vienna Scientific Instruments works with entomologists to provide versatile instruments and tools for (mass) rearing facilities and insect research tasks.

Mosquito Mass Rearing & Insect Production

Tray and Rack Systems for Mosquito Larvae Rearing. IAEA/FAO standard racks for efficient mass rearing of mosquitoes and other larvae in water-filled trays. 30 or 50 trays per rack, automatic and manual tilting, modules with pupae / water collection system.

IR-401 Feeding Station for Mosquito Tray and Rack Systems

IR-401 Automated Feeding System for Tray & Rack. Liquid feeding station for the IAEA Tray & Rack system, providing a highly standardized and rapid feed application for mass rearing of insects.

Mosquito Rearing Trays. IAEA/FAO standard, water-filled trays for the efficient rearing of mosquitoes on a mass scale. Best used in Tray & Rack Mass Rearing Units.

Insect Farming Production System. Customized Tray & Rack Systems for space and cost efficient mass rearing of mealworms etc. Standardized trays, sturdy aluminum racks for cost effective production facilities.

Insect Sorting & Collection

IR-604 Insect Sex Separator. Efficient manual separation of insect larvae, pupae in water according to size with a three level narrow glass apperatus.

IR-502 Oviposition Brushing Maschine. Time efficient collection / harvest of insect eggs from creped paper strips - derived e.g. from mass rearing cages.

IR-735 Insect Aspirator / Collector with Counter. Efficient transfer of flying insects between rearing cages with this aspirator. Photoelectric counter for collected individuals. Can be modified to fit a wide range of target cage dimensions.

Insect Chill Plates / Chill Tables. Efficient, precise cooling plates to immobilize insects during sorting and/or experimentation. Various models available, custom accessories such as hand rests and matched cages.

Insect Rearing & Release Cages

Insect Rearing & Oviposition Cages. IAEA approved Rearing Cages for Mass Rearing of Mosquitos and other flying insects. Fully customizabel with sugar feeder, different net sizes, blood ports, oviposition collection and spraying system. Different sizes and storage systems (hanging on rails, standing, etc.) available.

Custom Insect Research Cages. Various types and sizes of Insect Cages for Research & Development & Innovation Projects.

Insect Release Cages. Custom release cages for mosquitoes and other flying insects. Rigid and collapsible versions, with feed and water reservoirs, etc.

Research on Insect Pests and Control Techniques & Insects Farming for Feed / Food

In research, insect pests must be investigated using high numbers of individuals to evaluate all potential control methods. In insect control techniques such as SIT, large numbers of insects have to be reared and released repeatedly. The requirement for efficient mosquito mass rearing / insect mass rearing technology has been one of the major obstacles preventing the large scale application of the Sterile Insect Technique against mosquitoes and other insects. Furthermore, an increased interest in using insects as alternative, sustainable source of protein for feed and food can be noticed and requires the development of cost efficient insect farming solutions. Insects have highly varied habits and habitats. Their size ranges from a millimetre to over a hand span long and their food and feeding habits are equally variable. Thus, specialized rearing rack & tray systems are e.g. required for mosquitoes (Mosquito tray & rack) or mass production of mealworms etc. (Farming tray & racks). Owing to largely varied habitat preferences, insects’ rearing requires specific techniques for different species. In close collaboration with entomologists and insect farmers, Vienna Scientific strives to provide the best technologies for insect rearing to meet the growing demand.

Selected studies on Insect Control Techniques

Benedict, M. Q., & Robinson, A. S. (2003). The first releases of transgenic mosquitoes: an argument for the sterile insect technique. Trends in parasitology, 19(8), 349-355.
Black, W. C., Alphey, L., & James, A. A. (2011). Why RIDL is not SIT. Trends in parasitology, 27(8), 362-370.
Bourtzis, K., & Vreysen, M. J. (2021). Sterile insect technique (SIT) and its applications. Insects, 12(7), 638.
Calkins, C. O., & Parker, A. G. (2005). Sterile insect quality. Sterile insect technique: principles and practice in area-wide integrated pest management, 269-296.
Dunn, D. W., & Follett, P. A. (2017). The sterile insect technique (SIT)-an introduction. Entomol. Exp. Appl, 164, 151-154.
Dominiak, B. C., McLeod, L. J., Landon, R., & Nicol, H. I. (2000). Development of a low-cost pupal release strategy for Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) with Queensland fruit fly and assessment of climatic constraints for SIT in rural New South Wales. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 40(7), 1021-1032.
Dyck, V. A., Hendrichs, J., & Robinson, A. S. (2021). Sterile insect technique: principles and practice in area-wide integrated pest management (p. 1216). Taylor & Francis.
Martín-Park, A., Che-Mendoza, A., Contreras-Perera, Y., Pérez-Carrillo, S., Puerta-Guardo, H., Villegas-Chim, J., ... & Manrique-Saide, P. (2022). Pilot trial using mass field-releases of sterile males produced with the incompatible and sterile insect techniques as part of integrated Aedes aegypti control in Mexico. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 16(4), e0010324.
Orozco‐Dávila, D., Quintero, L., Hernández, E., Solís, E., Artiaga, T., Hernández, R., ... & Montoya, P. (2017). Mass rearing and sterile insect releases for the control of A nastrepha spp. pests in Mexico–A review. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 164(3), 176-187.
Parker, A. G. (2005). Mass-rearing for sterile insect release. Sterile insect technique: principles and practice in area-wide integrated pest management, Springer, pp 209-232.
Wimmer, E. A. (2005). Eco-friendly insect management. Nature biotechnology, 23(4), 432-433.
Zheng, X., Zhang, D., Li, Y., Yang, C., Wu, Y., Liang, X., ... & Xi, Z. (2019). Incompatible and sterile insect techniques combined eliminate mosquitoes. Nature, 572(7767), 56-61.

Selected Studies on Insect Farming

Bear, C. (2021). Making insects tick: Responsibility, attentiveness and care in edible insect farming. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 4(3), 1010-1030.
Cadinu, L. A., Barra, P., Torre, F., Delogu, F., & Madau, F. A. (2020). Insect rearing: Potential, challenges, and circularity. Sustainability, 12(11), 4567.
Chia, S. Y., Tanga, C. M., van Loon, J. J., & Dicke, M. (2019). Insects for sustainable animal feed: inclusive business models involving smallholder farmers. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 41, 23-30.
Gahukar, R. T. (2016). Edible insects farming: efficiency and impact on family livelihood, food security, and environment compared with livestock and crops. In Insects as sustainable food ingredients (pp. 85-111). Academic Press.
Madau, F. A., Arru, B., Furesi, R., & Pulina, P. (2020). Insect farming for feed and food production from a circular business model perspective. Sustainability, 12(13), 5418.
Mueller, U. G., Gerardo, N. M., Aanen, D. K., Six, D. L., & Schultz, T. R. (2005). The evolution of agriculture in insects. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst., 36, 563-595.
Niyonsaba, H. H., Höhler, J., Kooistra, J., Van der Fels-Klerx, H. J., & Meuwissen, M. P. M. (2021). Profitability of insect farms. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 7(5), 923-934.
Tomberlin, J. K., Van Huis, A., Benbow, M. E., Jordan, H., Astuti, D. A., Azzollini, D., ... & Zheng, L. (2015). Protecting the environment through insect farming as a means to produce protein for use as livestock, poultry, and aquaculture feed. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 1(4), 307-309.
Żuk-Gołaszewska, K., Gałęcki, R., Obremski, K., Smetana, S., Figiel, S., & Gołaszewski, J. (2022). Edible Insect Farming in the Context of the EU Regulations and Marketing—An Overview. Insects, 13(5), 446.

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