The present invention in general relates to the field of biological crop protection by use of phytoseiid predatory mites. More particularly the present invention relates to a system for releasing a phytoseiid predatory mite in a crop and novel uses of host mites in such phytoseiid predatory mite releasing system. The phytoseiid predatory mite releasing system according to the invention and the uses according to the invention are characterised by the selection a host mite species having an intrinsic growth rate (r.sub.m) of <0.28.

An apparatus and method of Black Soldier Fly breeding are provided. The method includes emitting a lure light to lure Black Soldier Flies into an interior space of a fly enclosure, emitting a mating light to induce Black Soldier Flies in the interior space to mate, and illuminating the interior space to a first illuminance above an ovipositing illuminance threshold and below a mating inducing illuminance threshold. The lure light has a first wavelength range that attracts recently hatched Black Soldier Flies into the fly enclosure through one or more lure ports formed in the fly enclosure. The mating light has a second wavelength range that induces Black Soldier Flies to mate. The method may also include illuminating the interior space to a second illuminance below the ovipositing illuminance threshold so that Black Soldier Flies in the interior space are encouraged to rest.

An apparatus and method of Black Soldier Fly breeding are provided. The method includes emitting a lure light to lure Black Soldier Flies into an interior space of a fly enclosure, emitting a mating light to induce Black Soldier Flies in the interior space to mate, and illuminating the interior space to a first illuminance above an ovipositing illuminance threshold and below a mating inducing illuminance threshold. The lure light has a first wavelength range that attracts recently hatched Black Soldier Flies into the fly enclosure through one or more lure ports formed in the fly enclosure. The mating light has a second wavelength range that induces Black Soldier Flies to mate. The method may also include illuminating the interior space to a second illuminance below the ovipositing illuminance threshold so that Black Soldier Flies in the interior space are encouraged to rest.

A system, method, and computer program product for an aquaponics, and greenhouse system, including a solar greenhouse insulated on north, east and west sides and with glazing on a south side at an angle to maximize winter sunlight, and housing: a fish tank; grow beds coupled to the fish tank; and hydroponic tanks respectively coupled to the grow beds. The grow beds are coupled to a fish tank geyser pump internal to the fish tank, and a hydroponic tank geyser pump internal to a respective one of the hydroponic tanks. The fish tank and hydroponic tank geyser pumps are powered by an external air pump via an air selector switch to pump and aerate water from the hydroponic tank to the grow bed and to pump water from the fish tank to the grow bed and aerate water of the fish tank.

A process includes microbially degrading harvested polyculture plant material to form a concentrated microbial biomass and providing the concentrated microbial biomass to an intermediary animal for consumption. The process may also be directed to producing a product animal which includes providing a growth area having an outlet for waste and providing a harvested plant material collection area having an outlet for degradation products. The process may also include providing a microbial growth system for producing a bacterial biomass and directing at least some waste from the outlet of the product animal growth area to the harvested plant material collection area. The process may also include directing at least some degradation products to the microbial growth system, directing some of the microbial biomass produced in the microbial growth system to an intermediary animal for consumption, and directing the intermediary animal to a product animal growth area.

A method of distributing fragile insects in a distribution involving a wind shear, comprises, encapsulating the insects into a bubble and then releasing the bubble into the wind shear so that the bubble protects the insect from the wind shear. The insect may be inserted before or after formation of the bubble at any stage of the insect life cycle and the bubble may be uniform or made of a slow dissolving and a quick dissolving part. The bubbles are useful for aerial distribution of sterile male mosquitoes.

A display apparatus includes a transparent electronic display such as a non-backlit LCD screen, a display area disposed behind the transparent electronic display, and a light source for illuminating the display area. When the light source is activated, the pixels of the LCD screen, and objects behind the screen, become visible. Various examples of the display apparatus include additional enhancements to the visual image and/or functionality. These enhancements include additional monitors for coordinated displays, user-controlled turntables with coordinated informational displays, parallax compensation, RFID sensors for identifying objects to be displayed, and switchable liquid crystal films and/or polarized mirror coatings to further control revealing and concealing of objects behind the screen. Some examples of the display apparatus may include an animal habitat. The animal habitat may be selectively revealed or concealed. The display apparatus may incorporate screen displays with animal movements for unique visual effects.

Methods are also provided for isolating and using a whole-saliva leech extract in the treatment of a bacterial skin infection. The methods can include feeding a phagostimulatory agent to a leech; inducing a regurgitation in the leech, the inducing including placing the leech in an environment having a temperature of less than about 0 C.; and, collecting an unrefined, whole saliva in the regurgitation of the cooled leech. The methods can include revitalizing the leech by warming it at a temperature ranging from about 5 C. to about 40 C. Stable, lyophilized, whole-saliva extracts of a leech are also provided, the extract having a stable activity when stored for use at a temperature below about 20 C., the extract maintaining at least 70% of the activity for at least 6 months. The extracts can be used to treat solid tumors, treat liquid tumors, treat diabetes, treat a viral disease, treat a parasitic disease, treat an antibacterial disease, or serve as an anti-oxidant.

In an aspect, a system for breeding and harvesting insects is provided and includes an egg-producing chamber structure configured to receive insect pupae for pupation and to permit emerged adult insects to mate and oviposit insect eggs, at least one oviposition region in the egg-producing chamber structure configured to receive the insect eggs and apertured to permit at least one of the insect eggs and neonates of the insect eggs to pass therethrough, at least one larvae-growth chamber in communication with the at least one oviposition region so as to be configured to receive the at least one of the insect eggs and neonates of the insect eggs, wherein the larvae-growth chamber is further configured to permit the at least one of the insect eggs and neonates of the insect eggs to transition into larvae and to hold feed material for the larvae, a harvesting receptacle positioned to hold larvae, and an inclined surface positioned to receive larvae from the at least one larvae-growth chamber, and to provide a passageway for the larvae to travel to the harvesting receptacle.

Methods and apparatus are provided for culturing Dipteran insects, particularly Hermetia illucens. 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.