Method for controlling the temperature in a rearing room for flies

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for rearing flies, comprising the steps of introducing one or more different life stages of flies into a room comprising six walls, wherein at least one of the walls is solid and the other walls are solid, formed by mesh, bars or wires or are a combination thereof; controlling the temperature in the room with an heating and cooling which is arranged in the floor; and ventilating emissions from the room. Another object of the present disclosure relates to a room for rearing flies, comprising six walls, wherein at least one of the six walls is solid and the other walls are solid, formed by mesh, bars or wires or are a combination thereof; an heating or cooling which is arranged in the floor; a ventilator for ventilating emissions from the room; elements for providing water and / or insect nutrition; and oviposition media and attractants.

Description

REPLOID GROUP AGMETHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE IN A REARING ROOM FOR FLIESDESCRIPTIONField of the Disclosure

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for rearing flies of the order Diptera and in particular to a method for controlling the temperature of a room for mass-rearing of black soldier flies.Brief description of the related art

[0002] Flies require for their rearing an appropriate temperature which is usually in the range of 25°C to 35°C. Mass-rearing facilities typically use climate control systems to maintain the required temperature.

[0003] Diptera, particularly the black soldier fly is mass-reared on organic side streams and biowaste to produce larval biomass and frass, among others used as pet and animal feed and fertilizer. This process requires reliable generation of offspring from adult flies with high fitness and low age disparity.

[0004] The adult life stage of Diptera is most reared in cages in ventilated rooms or ventilated cages. Published European patent application EP 3 726 974 Al discloses an insect breeding device. The insect breeding device comprising at least one insect cage; a bin for holding a cleaning liquid; a first tube connected to the bin for receiving the cleaning liquid, wherein the tube is entering the at least one insect cage through a first opening; a nozzle coupled to the first tube, positioned inside the at least one insect cage configured to deliver the cleaning liquid to the interior of the at least one insect cage; and a second tube coupled to a second opening, different from the first opening, in the at least one insect cage, configured to drain the cleaning liquid and the debris from the at least one insect cage.

[0005] Published European patent application EP 2 846 632 Al relates to an apparatus and a method of inducing black soldier flies to emerge, mate and lay eggs. The method involves exposing at least one male black soldier fly and at least one female black soldier fly to artificial light in an enclosed space. The artificial light includes at least one wavelength in a visible spectrum and at least one wavelength in an ultraviolet spectrum.

[0006] Published European patent application EP3171693 Al discloses methods and apparatus for culturing Dipteran insects, particularly black soldier flies . The apparatus include a mating chamber that contains adult insects, and adaptations for the scheduled and / or metered introduction of inputs, such as: empty egg laying substrate, prepupae, bedding, carbohydrate (sugar) and / or water); and, the scheduled and / or metered collection of outputs, such as: egg laying substrate containing eggs, exuvia and bedding, and / or dead adults. The systems may also include adaptations to optimize the use of space, including the use of controlled environmental conditions within a confined space

[0007] Less commonly, one large room is used for fly rearing. Published International application WO 20230 / 31536 Al discloses a cage for the industrial production of insect eggs made up of an enclosure delimited by a ceiling and four side walls defining a confined boxshaped space for the insects, the enclosure containing an area for accommodating at least one container of pupae and means for attaching and extracting collectors for collecting the eggs laid by the insects confined in the cage, characterised in that the front wall of the enclosure has at least one first opening that can be closed by a first door for accessing the area for accommodating at least one container of pupae, a second door for enabling an operator to access the inside of the cage, at least one opening lined with additional closure means for inserting and removing the egg collectors; the cage having a dark inner space that communicates, on the one hand, with the first door and, on the other hand, with the rest of the enclosure

[0008] Cages or modular or permanent rooms are climatized via air using one of the many variations of AC and HVAC systems. Published European patent application EP 3 726 976 Al discloses a climate control device for controlling the temperature and humidity of air supplied to colonies of insects cultured in an industrial scale insect farm. In particular, the invention relates to a controllable air conditioning system comprising a network of pipes connecting at least one cluster comprising at least one insect farming cage, such that air is conditionable in the cages at the cluster level. More specifically, the invention relates to a system comprising a central main air conditioning facility providing temperature conditioned air and absolute air humidity conditioned air to each of a number of local air conditioningdevices, each separate local air conditioning device providing temperature conditioned air and absolute air humidity conditioned air to each of a plethora of clusters of insect breeding cages separately, said cages housed in an temperature conditioned farming room. This way, insects in cages housed in farming rooms are farmed under improved conditions with regard to minimized cage-to-cage temperature differences and differences in relative air humidity, due to the use of the climate control device of the invention.

[0009] Published International application WO 2022 / 112770 Al discloses a system for controlling a fly breeding apparatus, wherein the fly breeding apparatus comprises one or more enclosures for the containment of a population of flies; wherein the system comprises: one or more input devices, wherein at least one of the one or more input devices is a machine vision system or camera that is configured for imaging the population of flies, or a portion thereof, within at least one of the one or more enclosures; one or more output devices; and a control system; wherein, the one or more input devices, the one or more output devices and the control system are connected to enable the system to control and / or maintain at least one property of a status of the population of flies within the fly breeding apparatus. The document relates to input and output devices but is silent about an advantageous arrangement of a heating or cooling in a rearing room.

[0010] Published Chinese utility model CN 210248 030 U discloses a hermetia illucens feeding device, which comprises an accommodating body, a feeding device and a control device, wherein the accommodating body is provided with a feeding space; the at least one cold and heat exchange pipe is fixed to the containing body, the cold and heat exchange pipe passes through the feeding space, and the two ends of the cold and heat exchange pipe are provided with an input end and an output end respectively. And a fluid is input into the input end, so that the fluid exchanges heat with larvae or organic matters in the feeding space and then is output from the output end. Therefore, the interior of the feeding space can be rapidly cooled or heated so as to help the growth of larvae or the fermentation of organic matters. It appears to be disadvantageous that the cold and hot heat exchange pipes pass through the feeding space, because the flies can come in direct contact with the hot or cold pipes.

[0011] Disadvantages of solution known from the prior art relate to the risk of evaporative cooling down the temperature of the flies, their associated metabolism and life history traits, e.g. mating, fecundity, life span. Ventilation can disrupt lekking, mating and oviposition of flies. Thus, complex systems for heating, ventilation and air conditioning(HVAC) with significant air flows are needed. In rooms using solutions from the prior art, air flow and air quality will likely be inhomogeneous in the respective room.

[0012] Thus, there is a need for a solution for rearing flies avoiding the disadvantages from the solutions of the prior art.Summary of the Disclosure

[0013] The present invention provides a method for rearing flies, comprising the steps of Introducing one or more different life stages of flies into a room comprising six walls, wherein at least one of the walls is solid and the other walls are solid, formed by mesh, bars or wires or are a combination thereof;Controlling the temperature in the room with an heating and cooling which is arranged in the floor; andVentilating emissions from the room.

[0014] The heating or cooling of a method according to the present disclosure comprises in an embodiment electrical heating or cooling elements.

[0015] In an embodiment of the method the heating or cooling comprises a fluidic pathway arranged in the floor which is connected to a pump for providing a heating and / or cooling fluid.

[0016] It is further intended that the fluidic pathway meanders in a horizontal plane in the floor of the room.

[0017] The method comprises further a fluidic pathway which is connected to a fluidic supply for providing the fluid to the fluidic pathway and a fluidic drain for removing the fluid form the fluidic pathway.

[0018] The fluidic supply is in an embodiment the connected to a heating and / or cooling device.

[0019] It is envisaged that the fluidic supply and fluidic drain are connected to a controller for controlling the temperature of the fluid and / or the flow rate of the fluid.

[0020] The method comprises further a controller comprising a storage with stored temperature data and flow rates for fly rearing.

[0021] In an embodiment, the temperature sensor inside the room is connected to the controller for adjusting the temperature and / or flow rate of the fluid dependent from the measured temperature in the room.

[0022] The method may further comprise the step of providing oviposition media and / or oviposition attractants, wherein the oviposition media are selected from the group comprising cavities, cardboard, wood, plastic balls, sponges and wherein the oviposition attractants comprise odorants and volatiles from fermented organic substances.

[0023] It is envisaged that the fly is the black soldier fly which is introduced as egg, larva, pupa, and / or adult.

[0024] Another object of the present disclosure relates to a room for rearing flies, comprising six walls, wherein at least one of the six walls is solid and the other walls are solid, formed by mesh, bars or wires or are a combination thereof; an heating or cooling which is arranged in the floor; a ventilator for ventilating emissions from the room; elements for providing water and / or insect nutrition; and oviposition media and attractants.

[0025] The walls of a room according to the present disclosure comprise in an embodiment openings for supplying water and nutrition, oviposition attractant and oviposition media.

[0026] Another object of the present disclosure relates to a use of an heating in a room comprising one or more different life stages of flies for controlling the temperature of the room

[0027] The foregoing summary is not intended to summarize each potential embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure.Summary of the Figures

[0028] The invention will be described based on figures. It will be understood that the embodiments and aspects of the invention described in the figures are only examples and do not limit the protective scope of the claims in any way. The invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents. It will be understood that features of one aspect or embodiment of the invention can be combined with a feature of a different aspect or aspects of other embodiments of the invention, in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows schematically a rearing room with heating or cooling arranged in the lower wall.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows schematically a top view onto the heating or cooling with fluidic pathway.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows schematically a rearing room with heating or cooling and attached heating element, cooling element and controller.Detailed Description of the Disclosure

[0032] The technical problem is solved by the independent claims. The dependent claims cover further specific embodiments of the invention.

[0033] The disclosure relates to a rearing room for insets like Diptera providing heat or cooling to the rearing room via a heating or cooling in a solid wall of the room, which can be the floor of the room so that an underfloor heating or cooling is provided. The thermal control of the heating or cooling uses fluidic or electrical heating or cooling elements embedded in the solid wall, e.g. the floor as lower wall. Heating can be achieved by conduction, radiation and convection. A fluid can also be used for heating or cooling. It turned out that heating or cooling embedded in a wall increases the temperature uniformity and improves the efficiency of heat distribution which is in particular advantageous for insect rearing.

[0034] The term room shall be understood within the meaning of the present disclosure to cover a space which prevents flies from leaving said space. A room will thus have six walls like a container or a tank, wherein at least one wall is solid and the remaining walls are solid or formed by mesh, bars or wires or are a combination thereof. A cage or a combination of solid and open structures as walls are appropriate to form a room within the meaning of the present disclosure as long as the walls prevent the insects in whatever developmental stage from leaving the room.

[0035] The rearing room can be equipped with at least a water supply which is sufficient for fly rearing. The room can also contain water as a mist or water can be introduced in the form of small water droplets. On the one hand, this can increase the humidity, but on the other hand it can also mean that water is available for flies everywhere in the room for a short period of time. Additionally, insect nutrition is provided. The water and nutrition can be provided in the room or through openings in the walls from the outside.

[0036] Insect oviposition media and oviposition attractants are provided in the room for an efficient insect rearing or through openings in the walls from the outside. The flies can be provided in a single developmental stage or combinations of developmental stages covering egg, larva, pupa, and / or adult.

[0037] Oviposition attractants comprise odorants that are attractive to the flies and correspond to or imitate the natural attractants of the flies increased the willingness of the flies to lay eggs and increased the accuracy of egg laying. This leads to more efficient reproduction and a higher number of larvae

[0038] The term fluid relates to liquids and gas or mixtures thereof, wherein a liquid can evaporate or condensate so that the fluid may change its condition of aggregation.

[0039] As a heating medium in hydronic system, water or an aqueous fluid can be used. The fluid is guided in pipes which are arranged below the floor of the rearing room. The pipes can be made of a metal like copper or a polymer like polyethylene or poly butylene.

[0040] The hydronic system requires further boilers for heating of the fluid or a convector for the cooling of the fluid. The fluid has to circulate so that circulators for the fluid are intended.

[0041] For adjusting the temperature of the fluid to an intended temperature or for adjusting the flow rate of the fluid, the system requires further a controller which can have a storage unit for storing temperatures which are adapted to the rearing of the insects in the rearing room.

[0042] Emissions resulting from the insect rearing will be ventilated from the room for improving or keeping good rearing conditions for insects.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows schematically a rearing room 1 with heating or cooling 5 which is attached below floor 2 of the rearing room 1. The rearing room 1 has a flat floor and may provide further features like a door, light sources and openings for ventilation of the room or for providing nutrition.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows schematically a top view onto the heating or cooling 5 with fluidic pathway 10. The fluidic pathway 10 is connected via supply 11 and drain 12 to a fluidic supply and fluidic drain, respectively. The fluidic pathway 10 of heating or cooling 5 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 meanders below the floor of the rearing room so that the floor is heated or cooled equally. An electrical heating may also meander in the lower wall or floor of the room for achieving an equal distribution of heating or cooling 5. Any other form of the fluidic or electrical pathway providing an equal distribution of heating or cooling is also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows schematically a rearing room 1 with heating or cooling 5 and attached heating element 20, cooling element 30 and controller 40. Heating element 20 and cooling element 30 are connected to the fluidic pathway so that the temperature of the fluid can be adjusted. Controller 40 is connected to the heating and cooling element for controlling the temperature of the fluid inside the fluidic pathway. Controller 40 may comprise a storage for storing data relating to temperatures for rearing insects so that the temperature of the room can be adjusted to a desired temperature allowing an optimal rearing of the respective insects.

[0046] One advantage of a rearing room with a heating or cooling in a solid wall of a room according to the present disclosure relates to an automatic passive movement (i.e. without active ventilation) of air in the room. If the lower wall or floor is used, the movement of the air will be from the top to the bottom because warm air from the warm floor moves to the top. This is advantageous because it provides a more homogenous climate. The heating or colling according to the present disclosure reduces air flows via ventilation so that a drying of water, aqueous nutrition or the flies themselves inside the room will be reduced. A reduced air flow enables a better fly behaviour with respect to mating and lekking for instance resulting in more efficient generation of offspring. Additionally, the heating or cooling according to the present disclosure increases the activity of the flies. The flies can take off more easily after introduction and thus mate more quickly, which presents a significant economic advantage for the operator. The underfloor heating quickly and efficiently dries the flies from surface water, which can cause their wings to stick together and result in immobility. The use of cold and heat exchange pipes passing through the feeding space, as it is disclosed in CN 210 248 030 U, does not provide the above mentioned advantages of a room for rearing flies and its use du to the different arrangement of the means for heating and cooling. Another disadvantage of the setup according to CN 210 248 030 U is the fact that the flies can directly come in contact with hot or cold pipes whch are arrange within the rearing room.

[0047] The foregoing description of preferred and other embodiments is not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the inventive concepts conceived of by the Applicants. It will be appreciated with the benefit of the present disclosure that features described above in accordance with any embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter can be utilized, either alone or in combination, with any other described feature, in any other embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter.Reference Numerals1 room2 floor5 heating or cooling10 fluidic pathway11 fluidic supply13 fluidic drain20 heating element30 cooling element40 controller

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method for rearing flies, comprising the steps ofIntroducing one or more different life stages of flies into a room comprising six walls, wherein at least the one of the six walls is solid and the other walls are solid, formed by mesh, bars or wires or are a combination thereof;Controlling the temperature in the room with a heating or cooling which is arranged in the at least one solid wall; andVentilating emissions from the room.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating or cooling comprises electrical heating or cooling elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating or cooling comprises a fluidic pathway arranged in the floor which is connected to a pump for providing a heating and / or cooling fluid.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the fluidic pathway meanders in a horizontal plane in a lower wall of the room.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fluidic pathway is connected to a fluidic supply for providing the fluid to the fluidic pathway and a fluidic drain for removing the fluid form the fluidic pathway.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fluidic supply is connected to a heating and / or cooling device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the fluidic supply and fluidic drain are connected to a controller for controlling the temperature of the fluid and / or the flow rate of the fluid.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the controller comprises a storage with stored temperature data and flow rates for fly rearing.

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein a temperature sensor inside the room is connected to the controller for adjusting the temperature and / or flow rate of the fluid dependent from the measured temperature in the room.

10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising the step of providing oviposition media and / or oviposition attractants.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the oviposition media are selected from the group comprising cavities, cardboard, wood, plastic balls, sponges and wherein the oviposition attractants comprise odorants and volatiles from fermented organic substances.

12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the fly is the black soldier fly which is introduced as egg, larva, pupa, and / or adult.

13. A room for rearing flies, comprising six walls, wherein at least one of the six walls is solid and the other walls are solid, formed by mesh, bars or wires or are a combination thereof; a heating or cooling which is arranged in the floor; a ventilator for ventilating emissions from the room; elements for providing water and / or insect nutrition; and oviposition media and attractants.

14. The room of claim 13, wherein the walls comprise openings for supplying water and nutrition, oviposition attractant and oviposition media.

15. A use of a heating in a room according to claim 13, comprising one or more different life stages of flies for controlling the temperature of the room.

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