Device and method for rearing insects in a high-bay warehouse

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for breeding insects in a high-bay warehouse, comprising a storage area with at least one high-bay rack and a warehouse logistics device. Crates can be stackably stored in the at least one high-bay rack, and the crates can be transported within the storage area by means of the warehouse logistics device, with insects located in the crates. The invention also relates to a method for breeding insects in a high-bay warehouse using a device according to the invention.

[0002] A device for rearing insects is already known, for example, from German patent DE 10 2019 121 102 B3. The device enables automated rearing of insects by rotating a stack of boxes using a portal according to a paternoster principle, and the insects inside the boxes are fed by a supply module.

[0003] Furthermore, the international patent application WO 2016 / 153340 A2 discloses a device and a method for rearing insects. The device comprises a spawning area in which a plurality of spawning containers are present, adapted to receive or have received adult insects, including mother insects and insect food, the plurality of spawning containers being stacked in one or more stacks of spawning containers; a plurality of spawning structures, at least one spawning structure being adapted to be provided or being provided in each spawning container in the spawning area, the mother insects will spawn their eggs in these spawning structures, such that the spawning structure or a part of the spawning structure holds the eggs, the spawning structure or part thereof being removable from the spawning container, the adult insects remaining in the spawning container;a hatching area in which the eggs will hatch, the hatching area being adapted to receive the spawning structure or the part thereof holding the eggs and to be removed from the spawning tanks, allowing the harvesting of the baby larvae; a food supply system for supplying food to the spawning tanks; a spawning structure handling area comprising a spawning structure handling system adapted to remove the spawning structure or the part thereof holding the eggs from the spawning tank and to transport the spawning structure or part thereof to the hatching area and to provide an empty spawning structure or part thereof in each spawning tank, the spawning structure handling area preferably also being adapted to clean the spawning structures or parts thereof;and a container handling system for transporting the spawning containers between the spawning area and the spawning structure handling area.

[0004] Furthermore, a farm for rearing insects is previously known from US 2018 / 0070566 A1, the invention relating to a facility for rearing insects comprising a first zone in which the insects to be reared are stored in containers while they grow, and a second zone comprising at least one station configured to perform a rearing-related task on the insects in a container or on the container. The containers are grouped in the first zone in sets of palletized containers referred to as base units. The first zone comprises pallet tracks in which the base units are arranged. The first zone is further equipped with an automatic device configured to move the base units between the first zone and an interface with the second zone.

[0005] Furthermore, international patent application WO 2014 / 171829 A1 discloses a method and system for breeding insects using a plurality of individual boxes, in which at least a portion of each box is filled with a substrate containing feed and immature stages of insects. Furthermore, a climate chamber is provided in which the boxes are housed and which has a ventilation system. A conveyor system is included in the system for retrieving the boxes from and returning them to the climate chamber. An observation system for obtaining observations, including data and measurements, and a feed station for the starting material are arranged along the conveyor system downstream.

[0006] Also previously known from international patent application WO 2017 / 223096 A1 is an autonomous food delivery platform configured to navigate through a facility and deliver insect food to multiple insect habitats located within the facility. In some cases, the food delivery platform can be configured to deliver the food to multiple insect habitats essentially at the same time.

[0007] Furthermore, DE 10 2020 005 146 A1 discloses a method for the industrial breeding of black soldier flies and for the further processing of their larvae into insect meal, as well as a device for this purpose. DE 10 2018 009 529 A1 also discloses the rearing of insect larvae, which are subsequently processed into a food or food component.

[0008] Finally, US 2012 / 0123141 A1 discloses a process for extracting unsaturated oils from insect larvae.

[0009] Based on this prior art, the invention aims to provide an automated, resource-saving, and efficient breeding of insects in a high-bay warehouse. This object is achieved by a device according to independent claim 1. Furthermore, this object is achieved by a method according to independent claim 17. Advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0010] In one aspect, the invention relates to a device for breeding insects in a high-bay warehouse, comprising a storage area with at least one high-bay rack and a warehouse logistics device, wherein boxes can be stored in a stackable manner in the at least one high-bay rack and the boxes can be transported within the storage area by means of the warehouse logistics device, wherein insects are located in the boxes.In order that the crates to be transported, among other things, only have to cover the shortest possible distances, the device according to the invention provides that a supply portal is arranged on the at least one high rack, to which the warehouse logistics device can transport the crates stored stackably in the at least one high rack, wherein the state of the crate contents within the crates transported from the warehouse logistics device to the supply portal can be determined by means of the supply portal and the crates can be supplied by means of the supply portal and / or the crates can be discharged when the insects are ready to be harvested.The condition of the crate contents can be determined, for example, by labeling each crate. The label is read by the supply portal. Based on the associated data, such as the storage period in the high-bay warehouse, the supply portal can decide whether and in what form the crate filled with insects should be supplied and / or removed. The short distances covered by the crate logistics facility allow for increased supply to the growing insects. This ultimately ensures optimized breeding of the insects within the crate.

[0011] The warehouse logistics facility can be a storage and retrieval machine, a shuttle or a flow rack for transporting the boxes from at least one high rack to the supply portal.

[0012] The boxes may contain not only the insects being reared, but also insect skins, insect eggs, feces, feed, substrate, and other contents, which ultimately also influence the successful and efficient rearing of the insects. Furthermore, the boxes can be filled with different insect species and different stages of the insects. Depending on the insect species, especially grasshoppers, stacked storage in high-bay racks is not possible, as the type of box used is not suitable for stacking.

[0013] In a first advantageous embodiment, the supply portal has at least one buffer area in which the crates transported from the warehouse logistics facility to the supply portal can be temporarily stored. As a result, efficiency can be further increased.

[0014] In order to be able to determine whether the optimal climate or the optimal conditions for breeding prevail in the boxes, in a further advantageous embodiment of the device, the supply portal provides at least one detection device with which the parameters required for insect breeding, in particular humidity and temperature, can be determined within a box. This can ultimately ensure more efficient breeding of the insects, since the qualitative, physiological and pathological states of the box contents can be determined. In a further advantageous embodiment, the detection device has at least one sensor and / or a device for recording and / or data transmission, in particular a camera, in order to be able to determine the corresponding parameters or the state of the box contents, in particular the insects, within a box.In particular, the use of a camera makes it possible to obtain an overall picture of the condition of the insects and the remaining contents of the box.

[0015] In an advantageous embodiment of the device, the parameters determined by the detection device, which ultimately reflect the condition of the box contents, in particular of the insects, in one of the boxes, can be compared with a reference database so that the respective condition of the box contents and / or the maturity of the insects can be determined. The data thus obtained by the detection device can further be used to create a reference database and, by comparing the data stored in the reference database with currently determined parameter data, for machine learning of the detection device. Ultimately, the data thus obtained can preferably be used for the automated optimization of production parameters, in particular for improving the formulation and dosage of the feed. As a result, further optimization of insect rearing can be achieved.

[0016] Furthermore, in an advantageous embodiment of the device, the supply portal comprises at least one supply module with which the insects within the boxes transported by the storage and retrieval machine into the supply portal can be supplied with supplies. In particular, the supply module adds feed and substrate to the boxes to promote the growth of the insects within the boxes.

[0017] In order to be able to remove unwanted by-products of the insects, in particular insect skins, feces and uneaten food remains, the latter of which can spoil and thus pose a potential risk of disease to the insects, the device provides in a further advantageous embodiment that the supply portal has at least one cleaning module. With this cleaning module, the supply portal can remove other box contents, in particular insect skins, feces and food remains, from the box and thus also contribute to an increased growth rate of the insects. In a further advantageous embodiment, the cleaning module has at least one suction device with which the other box contents can be removed from a box by suction or air sifting.The removal of the other contents of the box, in particular the insect skins and the insect excrement, can also be carried out by at least one electrical device present on the cleaning module, with which the corresponding other contents of the box can be removed from a box by electrostatics.

[0018] Furthermore, in an advantageous embodiment, the device according to the invention provides that, in order to optimize the automated breeding of insects in a high-bay warehouse, the device according to the invention has at least one hatching area. Hatching processes take place in this hatching area; in particular, insect eggs and / or pupae laid by reproducing insects can hatch in this area. However, insect eggs or pupae obtained elsewhere can also be incubated in the hatching area. The insect eggs and / or pupae can be arranged in boxes, flat crates, and / or flat trays. As soon as the larvae and / or insects have hatched from the insect eggs and / or pupae, they can be further processed in a pupa processing area in a further advantageous embodiment of the device.Thus, the insects intended for rearing can reproduce independently and then be transferred, for example by a suitable transport system and the warehouse logistics facility available in the storage area, to the at least one high rack to which a supply portal is arranged for further rearing.

[0019] In order to achieve optimal conditions for hatching insect eggs and / or pupae and thus ultimately an increased number of hatched larvae and / or insects, a further advantageous embodiment of the device provides that the hatching area has an incubator for hatching the insect eggs and / or pupae. This ensures that optimal conditions prevail for the hatching of larvae and / or insects from the insect eggs and / or pupae, thereby further increasing the efficiency of insect rearing.

[0020] Furthermore, in an advantageous embodiment, the invention provides for the device to have at least one separation device with which the insect eggs and / or pupae or the larvae and / or insects hatched in the hatching area, in particular in the incubator, as well as the insect pupae, larvae or insects processed in the pupa processing area can be separated from the rest of the box contents. This makes it possible to separate any eggs and / or pupae that have not yet hatched from the larvae and / or insects that have already hatched from the insect eggs and / or pupae, and to transfer the larvae and / or insects that have thus hatched from the hatching area or pupa processing area to the at least one high shelf in the storage area for further rearing, and to transfer any eggs or pupae that have not yet hatched back to the hatching or pupa processing area for further treatment.Residues of the larvae and / or insects hatched from the insect eggs and / or pupae, as well as the remaining eggshells or pupae, that have already accumulated in the hatching or pupa processing area can also be removed by the separation device.

[0021] In order to prepare the containers for filling with insect eggs or to be able to care for the larvae and / or insects that have hatched from the insect eggs and / or pupae in the incubator, and in order to ensure that, for example, a means of transport or a conveyor system travels the shortest possible distances, a further advantageous embodiment of the device provides that it has at least one supply device with which the container filled with insect eggs and / or pupae can be filled with appropriate supply materials. This has the advantage that all steps required for complete reproduction, starting from the incubation of the insect eggs and / or pupae to the (initial) care of the hatched larvae and / or insects and their introduction into a box for further rearing, can be carried out within one area.

[0022] Once the insects in the crates are ready for harvesting or have reached the level of maturity required for further processing, they must be unstacked within at least one stackable high-bay crate, the contents removed from the crates, and the crates cleaned. To achieve this, an advantageous embodiment of the device provides at least one emptying area in which the aforementioned steps can be performed.

[0023] In a further advantageous embodiment, the emptying area comprises at least one emptying device with which the boxes can be unstacked and the contents removed from the boxes. This allows for quick and gentle emptying of the stackable boxes filled with insects.

[0024] In order to be able to reuse the crates that have been unstacked and emptied in the emptying area, the device provides, in a further advantageous embodiment, that the emptying area has at least one cleaning device with which the emptied and unstacked crates can be cleaned.

[0025] To ensure that the contents emptied from the crates can be separated in the emptying area, the device, in an advantageous embodiment, provides at least one separation area in which the contents emptied from the crates can be separated into products, intermediate products, and other crate contents. Products can be, in particular, harvest-ready insects of a desired size, intermediate products (not yet fully mature insects), and other crate contents, such as feed residues, droppings, and insect skins. In another advantageous embodiment, the contents emptied from the crates can be transported to the separation area in the form of bulk material.

[0026] In a further advantageous embodiment, the device provides that the crates cleaned and emptied by means of the cleaning device in the emptying area can be stored in at least one buffer area and kept ready for further use.

[0027] Furthermore, in an advantageous embodiment, the device has at least one filling area in which the boxes can be filled with feed, insects, insect eggs, substrates or a combination thereof. The filling area essentially serves for the initial filling or refilling of the boxes with the materials essential for rearing, in particular substrate, insect eggs, larvae and feed. The filling area can also be used to initially fill boxes with insects, insect larvae or newly hatched insects intended for rearing and to supply them with appropriate materials for further rearing. The filling area preferably has at least one supply portal for the initial filling or refilling of the boxes intended for rearing.Particularly preferably, the filling area has a supply portal for at least one existing stage of the insects, in particular for pupae, newly hatched larvae or beetles.

[0028] Furthermore, in an advantageous embodiment, the device provides that the filling area has at least one filling line in which the crates are filled. The filling line can have different stations or modules that supply the crate to be filled with the necessary materials.

[0029] In order to ensure that the crates stored in the at least one high-bay rack in the storage area and transportable by the warehouse logistics facility can be transported into and out of the storage area, the device is provided in an advantageous embodiment with at least one conveyor system with which the crates can be transported into and out of the storage area. In a further advantageous embodiment, the device provides for the conveyor system to be wholly or partially a driverless transport system. An automated guided vehicle is a floor-mounted conveyor with its own drive that is automatically controlled and guided without contact. These automated guided vehicles are typically used to transport materials, specifically for pulling or carrying conveyed goods using active or passive load-handling devices, but not for transporting people.Such transport systems essentially consist of one or more driverless transport vehicles, a control system, a device for determining location and situation, a device for data transmission as well as an infrastructure and a peripheral device.

[0030] Furthermore, in a further advantageous embodiment, the device provides that it has at least one delivery area to which materials, in particular feed, raw materials for feed, substrate or any other materials necessary for the breeding of insects, can be delivered.

[0031] Preferably, at least one feed raw material silo can be arranged in the delivery area, in which, among other things, raw materials for feed production can be stored and kept for further use.

[0032] In a further advantageous embodiment, the device can also have at least one product silo in which a product obtained from the breeding, for example live insects for use as animal feed, can be stored.

[0033] To ensure optimal growth conditions for the insects within the crates stacked in at least one high-bay rack, a further advantageous embodiment of the device provides that the storage area has at least one air conditioning system that regulates the air quality within the storage area. Air quality includes, among other things, the temperature, humidity, and particle concentration within the air. Thus, the air conditioning system can be used to set the optimal conditions for efficient insect growth.

[0034] It is also advantageous if, within the storage area, there is an access to the at least one supply portal arranged on the high-bay rack, so that in an advantageous embodiment, the device provides that, within the storage area, at least one platform for maintenance, for manual intervention and for manual loading of the supply portal is provided on the at least one high-bay rack arranged supply portal.

[0035] Furthermore, in a further advantageous embodiment, the device provides that the storage area is designed as a silo, so that the at least one high-bay rack serves as a supporting element for at least one external facade. This results in material savings, which ultimately ensures resource-saving and efficient breeding of insects. In a further advantageous embodiment, the device provides that the at least one high-bay rack serving as a supporting element and external facade has insulation with a vapor barrier, so that the storage area is shielded from the outside. This ensures, in particular, that a change in the climatic conditions outside has little to no impact on the conditions prevailing within the storage area.

[0036] In a second aspect, the invention relates to a method for rearing insects using a device according to the invention, in which a stack of crates is removed from at least one high-bay rack and transported to a supply portal, wherein for each crate transported to the supply portal, the condition of the contents of the respective crate is determined by means of the supply portal and, depending on the determined condition of the crate contents, the crate is discharged or supplied, wherein after supplying the respective crates are transported back to the at least one high-bay rack. The supply can be made dependent on the condition of the crate contents, in particular depending on the age, population, life stage of the insects, the batch and other factors. This makes it possible to achieve automated and efficient rearing of insects in a high-bay warehouse.

[0037] To further increase the efficiency of the method for breeding insects in a high-bay warehouse, an advantageous embodiment of the method provides that the stackable crates in at least one high-bay warehouse are not stored according to a fixed location system, but rather according to the chaos principle or another optimized storage format. The chaos principle is a so-called dynamic storage system in which a part to be stored does not have a fixed storage location in the warehouse area, but is stored in any location that is unoccupied at the time of storage. As a result, among other things, a leveling of the machine utilization rate of the supply portals and the warehouse logistics facility and better utilization of the storage space can be achieved, as well as easier storage and replacement of new stackable crates.

[0038] In a further advantageous embodiment, the method also provides that crates transported to the supply portal are transported from this supply portal to another supply portal. This can be done, for example, by the warehouse logistics facility itself or by a suitable means of transport. This is advantageous if the capacity of the supply portal to which the crates were transported is at full capacity, or if the corresponding supply portal is defective or requires maintenance. To avoid downtime, these crates are transported to another existing supply portal whose capacity is not fully utilized so that the crates can be examined there and, if necessary, discharged and / or supplied. As a result, faster processing of the crates is ensured and downtime is avoided.

[0039] The method also provides for the substrate and / or feed to be removed from crates ready for harvest so that the insects can empty their intestines. This is particularly advantageous because it avoids the need to clean the raw product obtained from the insects, as the raw product is thereby almost completely freed of any excrement still present in the insects. The separation preferably takes place 1 to 8 days, particularly preferably 1 to 5 days, before the actual harvest, i.e. before the crate is discharged from the storage area for further processing, for example from the supply portal or the warehouse logistics facility. This is because it increases the proportion of nutrients in the product, i.e. the insect, and reduces other components, such as water and excrement.

[0040] Furthermore, in another advantageous embodiment, the method provides for the harvest-ready crates discharged from the supply portal or the warehouse logistics facility to be unstacked and emptied. In an advantageous embodiment of the method, the emptied crates can also be cleaned. Furthermore, the cleaned crates can be stored and kept for further use, in particular for receiving intermediate products or for refilling.

[0041] The process also provides for the crate contents from the emptied crates to be separated into products, intermediate products, and other crate contents. Products can be insects of a corresponding weight or size, whereby smaller or lighter insects can be considered intermediate products, which, in a further advantageous embodiment of the process, can be returned to a crate for further rearing. The remaining crate contents, which may consist, for example, of dead insects, insect skins, substrate and / or feed residues, feces, and other components, can be separated as other crate contents for further destruction or processing.

[0042] In order to further process the insects, now considered a product, the process provides, in another advantageous embodiment, that the products are either preserved as live products or inactivated and shredded. Inactivation can be achieved, in particular, by a sharp change in temperature, which can be achieved by heating or cooling, particularly by blanching or freeze-drying. After inactivation, the product can be shredded, and the resulting shredded product can be fed to the subsequent processing steps.

[0043] In a further advantageous embodiment, the process provides for defatting the shredded product and forming an oil from the product. The defatted product thus obtained can then be dried and ground in a further advantageous embodiment of the process, ultimately yielding a flour.

[0044] In a further aspect, the invention provides for the use of a flour obtained from the process for feed for insect and animal breeding and for food, in particular in the form of protein powder.

[0045] Furthermore, in a further aspect, the invention provides for the use of an oil obtained from defatting for food and cosmetic products, as well as for animal feed. For example, the oil can be used as a pure oil for preparing salad dressings, as well as in food production as a substitute for palm oil. Furthermore, its use in cosmetic products, particularly as a substitute for palm oil, is also conceivable. Ultimately, the oil can be used for its own purposes or for the production of animal feed.

[0046] The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment.

[0047] It shows: Fig. 1: a schematic representation of a device for rearing insects in a perspective view.

[0048] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a device for breeding insects in a perspective view. In the storage area 2, several high-bay racks 3 are arranged in rows of two. A storage and retrieval machine 4, as a warehouse logistics device, can move along the free spaces formed between the rows of two. The storage and retrieval machine 4 can transport crates to and from the respective high-bay rack 3. In addition, the storage and retrieval machines 4 can move out of the high-bay racks 3 and to the supply portals 5 arranged at every other high-bay rack 3, thus transporting crates from the high-bay racks 3 to the supply portals 5 arranged at every two-row rack.

[0049] The crates transported from the high-bay racks 3 by means of the storage and retrieval machines 4 to the supply portals 5 arranged in the two-row rows can be inspected within the supply portals 5. Depending on the condition of the crate contents, the supply portal 5 can supply the crates with supply materials, in particular feed and substrate, or, in the case of crates ready for harvest, can eject them from storage area 2. Furthermore, crates ready for harvest can also be ejected directly from storage area 2 by means of the storage and retrieval machine 4. This can occur, for example, based on an elapsed time interval based on empirical data. Thus, it is possible to eject the crates from storage area 2 by means of the storage and retrieval machine 4 even without checking the condition of the crate contents by a supply portal 5.

[0050] After the crates have been supplied by the supply portal 5, they can be removed from the supply portals 5 again by the storage and retrieval machine 4 and returned to the high-bay racks 3 for further storage. The crates supplied by the supply portal 5 can be stored or accommodated, for example, according to the chaos principle or another form of optimized warehousing. The supplied crates can also initially be temporarily stored in a buffer area at the supply portal 5 until the storage and retrieval machine 4 returns them to the high-bay rack 3.

[0051] In the event that the crates are stored in the form of stacks or double stacks, it is conceivable that the supply portal 5 has the necessary equipment to unstack these crate stacks accordingly in order to carry out the corresponding inspection and supply of the crates.

[0052] In order to be able to intervene manually during the automated supply of the crates through the supply portals 5, a platform 19 is located along the supply portals 5 arranged on the high racks 3, so that, for example, employees can manually take a sample from the crates or from the supply materials or carry out a visual inspection.

[0053] For the initial or new filling or refilling of boxes with insects and the corresponding materials required for breeding, the device 1 here has a filling area 16 with an upstream supply portal 17. The filling area is connected by the conveyor system 18 to the delivery area 20 and the feed raw material silos 22 adjacent to the delivery area 20, in which delivered feed raw materials are stored for further processing or use, as well as to the storage area 2 and the separation area 14. For the delivery of any materials, in particular feed raw materials, the delivery area 20 here has a truck ramp 21, which ensures easy unloading of a truck filled with the corresponding materials. Furthermore, any equipment with which the delivered feed raw materials can be processed orcan be processed before they are then stored in the feed raw material silos 22 for further processing or use.

[0054] If crates have been identified as ready for harvesting in the supply portal 5, the supply portal 5 can discharge these crates, or the crates can be discharged directly from the storage area 2 by the storage and retrieval machine 4 based on the empirical assumption that they are now ready for harvesting. The supply portals 5 and the storage and retrieval machines 4 can therefore both discharge harvest-ready crates from the storage area 2 and transport them to the emptying area 11 for further processing via the conveyor system 18, which is also connected to the emptying area 11. Once they arrive in the emptying area 11, the crates identified as ready for harvesting can be destacked and emptied via the emptying device 12, and the emptied crates can be cleaned via the cleaning device 13 arranged on the emptying device 12. However, cleaning is not necessary.Direct reuse of the emptied crates without prior cleaning is also conceivable. The crates cleaned by the cleaning device 13 can then be stored in a buffer area 15 for further use, in particular for refilling or for filling insect eggs or pupae.

[0055] The crate contents emptied by the emptying device 12 can then be transported by the conveyor system 18 from the emptying area 11 to the separation area 14. Once there, the emptied crate contents can be separated into products, intermediate products, and other crate contents. Intermediate products, such as not fully mature insects, can be transported back to the filling area 16 for restocking by the conveyor system 18. The insects separated as products, such as fully mature insects or insects with a certain degree of maturity, can then either be stored as live products in product silos 23 or held for further processing. The live products can also be further processed, in particular for the extraction of oil and flour.Such end products obtained from the products can also be stored in product silos 23 before being transported, for example, by truck or freight train to another location for further processing or use. The other contents of the boxes separated from the intermediate products and products, in particular insect skins and insect droppings, can be used, for example, as or for the production of fertilizer.

[0056] In addition, the Figure 1The device 1 shown has a hatching area 7 and a pupa processing area 9 with a supply device 8 and a separation device 10, in which processing steps for optimizing the insects intended for rearing can be carried out independently and automatically. Containers, in particular boxes, filled with insect eggs and / or insect pupae can be stored in the hatching area 7, and the insect eggs and / or insect pupae can be incubated under optimal conditions within the hatching area 7 or pupa processing area 8. Preferably, the hatching area 7 has an incubator for this purpose. It is also conceivable for the containers filled with insect eggs and / or insect pupae to be stored in the high-bay rack 3.In order to be able to supply the larvae and / or insects hatched from the eggs and / or pupae in the hatching area 7 and / or pupa processing area or in the high rack 3, the device 1 has a supply device 8 in which the hatched eggs and / or pupae can be supplied in particular with food and substrate for optimal growth.

[0057] To ensure that the larvae hatched from the eggs in the hatching area 7 can be transported and cared for, the device 1 can also comprise transport, supply, dosing, and handling devices with which the newly hatched larvae and / or insects can be supplied with the necessary materials, in particular the appropriate feed, for optimal growth. The supply of feed, substrate, or larval portions for further rearing in the storage area 2 can take place either directly via the supply device 8 or in the filling area 16.

[0058] Once the hatched larvae and / or insects have reached a stage suitable for further rearing, they can be separated from any unhatched eggs or pupae, dead insects, and any other box contents by the separation device 10. The young larvae or young insects thus separated from any other box contents can then be initially treated for further rearing in the pupa processing area 9 or, by conveying them with the conveyor system 18 within the filling area 16 through the upstream supply portal 17, filled into boxes together with materials for further rearing and transported to the storage area 2 for further rearing.

[0059] Thus, a device for rearing insects in a high-bay warehouse is disclosed above, which enables automated, resource-saving and efficient rearing of insects. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0060] 1Device 2Storage area 3High bay 4Storage retrieval machine 5Supply portal 7 Hatching area 8 Supply facility 9 Pupa processing area 10 Separation facility 11 Emptying area 12 Emptying facility 13 Cleaning facility 14 Separation area 15 Buffer area 16 Filling area 17 Upstream supply portal 18 Conveyor system 19 Platform 20 Delivery area 21 Truck ramp 22 Feed raw material silo 23 Product silo

Claims

1. Apparatus (1) for rearing insects in a high-bay warehouse, comprising a storage region (2) having at least one high-bay rack (3) and a storage logistics device, it being possible for the boxes to be stored in a stackable manner in the at least one high-bay rack (3) and for the boxes to be transported and / or discharged within the storage region (2) by means of the storage logistics device, insects being located in the boxes, the apparatus (1) (3) having a supply portal (5), it being possible for the boxes, which can be stored in a stackable manner in the high-bay rack (3), to be transported from the at least one high-bay rack (3) to the supply portal (5) by means of the storage logistics device and the state of the box contents within the boxes to be determined by means of the supply portal (5) and the insects in the boxes to be supplied using the supply portal (5) and / or the boxes to be discharged, characterized in that the supply portal (5) is arranged on the at least one high-bay rack (3).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the supply portal (5) has at least one buffer region in which the boxes transported from the storage logistics device to the supply portal (5) can be temporarily stored.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the supply portal (5) has at least one detection device by means of which the parameters required for the insect breeding, in particular humidity and temperature, can be determined within a box, the detection device preferably having at least one sensor and / or an apparatus for recording and / or data transmission, in particular a camera.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the parameters determined by the detection device, which reflect the state of the contents in one of the boxes, can be compared with a reference database, so that in particular the particular state of the box contents and / or degree of maturity of the insects within a box can be determined, it preferably being possible for the data obtained by comparing the determined parameters with the reference database to be used for the machine learning of the detection device and particularly preferably for the data obtained to be used for the automated optimization of the production parameters, in particular the recipe and dosage of the feed.

5. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supply portal (5) has at least one supply module by means of which the insects in a box can be supplied with supply materials, in particular feed and substrate.

6. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supply portal (5) has at least one cleaning module by means of which parts of the box contents, in particular insect skins, excrement and feed residues, can be removed from a box, the cleaning module preferably having at least one suction apparatus by means of which the parts of the box contents to be removed can be removed from a box by suction or air classification and / or having at least one electrical device by means of which the part of the box contents to be removed can be removed from a box by electrostatics.

7. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus has at least one hatching region (7), the hatching region (7) preferably having an incubator for breeding insect eggs and / or insect pupae.

8. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus has at least one pupae processing region (9).

9. Apparatus according to at least one of claims 7 or 8, that the apparatus has at least one separation device (10) by means of which the insect eggs and / or insect pupae or the larvae and / or insects hatched in the hatching region (7) and / or pupae processing region (9) and / or in the high-bay warehouse can be separated from the other box contents and / or the apparatus has a supply device (10) by means of which the insect eggs, insect pupae, hatched larvae and / or insects can be supplied with supply material.

10. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that there is at least one emptying region (11) in which the boxes can be unstacked and the box contents can be removed from the boxes, the emptying region (11) preferably having an emptying device (12) by means of which the unstacking of the boxes and the removal of the box contents from the boxes can be carried out, the emptying region (11) particularly preferably having at least one cleaning device (13) by means of which the unstacked and emptied boxes can be cleaned.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that there is at least one separation region (14) in which the box contents emptied from the boxes can be separated into products, intermediate products and other box contents, it preferably being possible for the box contents emptied from the boxes to be transported to the separation region (14) in the form of bulk material.

12. Apparatus according to at least one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that there is at least one buffer region (15) in which empty and / or cleaned boxes can be kept available.

13. Apparatus according to at least one of the claims, characterized in that the apparatus has at least one filling region (16) in which the boxes can be filled with feed, insects, insect eggs or a combination thereof, the filling region (16) preferably having at least one upstream supply portal (17) for filling the boxes and there particularly preferably being an upstream supply portal (17) for at least one stage of the insects and the filling region preferably having at least one filling line in which the filling of the boxes takes place.

14. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus has at least one conveyor system (18) by means of which in particular the boxes or stacked or palletized stacks of boxes can be conveyed out of and into the storage region (2), the conveyor system (18) preferably being a completely or partially driverless transport system.

15. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus has at least one delivery region (20) to which materials, in particular feed for rearing the insects, can be delivered, at least one feed raw material silo (22) preferably being arranged at the delivery region (20).

16. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus has at least one product silo (23) in which a product obtained from the rearing of the insects can be stored and / or the storage region (2) has at least one air conditioning device by means of which the air properties within the storage region (2) can be regulated and / or the storage region (2), on the at least one supply portal (5) arranged on the high-bay rack (3), has at least one platform (19) for maintenance, for manual intervention and for manually loading the supply portal (5) and / or the storage region (2) is designed in silo construction, so that the at least one high-bay rack (3) is used as a support element for at least one external facade, the at least one high-bay rack (3) being used as a support element for at least one external facade preferably having insulation with a vapor barrier, so that the storage region (2) is shielded from the outside.

17. Method for rearing insects in a high-bay warehouse comprising an apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that a stack of boxes is taken from at least one high-bay rack (3) and transported to a supply portal (5), the state of the box contents of the particular box being determined for each of the boxes transported into the supply portal (5) by means of the supply portal (5) and the boxes being discharged or supplied depending on the determined state thereof, the respective boxes being transported back into the at least one high-bay rack (3) after the supply.

18. Method according to claim 17, characterized in that the boxes transported into and out of the at least one high-bay rack (3) are stored in the at least one high-bay rack (3) according to a chaos principle or another form of storage optimization.

19. Method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the boxes transported to the supply portal (5) are transported from this supply portal (5) to another supply portal.

20. Method according to at least one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that in the case of harvest-ready boxes, the substrate and / or feed is removed so that the insects empty their intestines, the removal of the substrate and / or feed preferably being carried out 1 to 5 days before the harvest-ready box is discharged.

21. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims 17 to 20, characterized in that discharged, harvest-ready boxes are unstacked and emptied, the unstacked and emptied boxes preferably being cleaned, the boxes particularly preferably being stored and kept available for further use.

22. Method according to claim 21, characterized in that the emptied box contents are separated into products, intermediate products and other box contents, the intermediate products preferably being filled into boxes for further breeding, the product particularly preferably being maintained as a live product or inactivated and shredded, the shredded product preferably being defatted and an oil being formed, the defatted product particularly preferably being dried and ground so that a flour is formed.