The invention concerns an insect-breeding facility comprising a climatic zone (Z1, Z2) for storing the insects. The facility comprises an air-conditioning zone (Z4) comprising an air-conditioning system, for bringing air to a first temperature, and simultaneously for bringing air to a second temperature (T2). A first set of pipes (C1) is configured to transport the air at the first temperature from the air-conditioning zone (Z4) to the climatic zone (Z1, Z2) and to deliver it there, a second set of pipes (C2) is configured to transport the air at the second temperature from the air-conditioning zone (Z4) to the climatic zone (Z1, Z2) and to deliver it there. The facility also comprises a device for extracting air from the climatic zone (Z1, Z2). The invention also concerns a corresponding method for air conditioning in a climatic zone (Z1, Z2) of an insect-breeding facility.

An animal house climate control system uses a method for operating a baffle of an air inlet of an animal house with a motor using timed inlet control. The method includes performing a calibration sequence to calculate opening velocity and opening inertia values and closing velocity and closing inertia values. The method also includes moving the baffle from an initial position to a final position by calculating a calculated power on time for the motor using the opening inertia or closing inertia values. The method can also include calculating a real position error value by comparing the calculated on time for the motor and a measured on time for the motor and using the real position error value to calculate adjusted opening and closing velocity values.

The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for long-term storage, shipping, and stable production of black soldier flies, capable of use in waste remediation or protein production. The invention overcomes drawbacks associated with current methods of using black soldier flies, significantly increasing the period during which black soldier fly neonates can be stored and the time in which larvae mature.

A pet enclosure includes a bottom section, a middle section, and a top section. The middle section is connectable to the bottom section with an opening in the middle section. The opening in the middle section has a bottom portion that connects with a top portion of an opening in the bottom section. The top section is connectable to the middle section with an opening in the top section. The opening in the top section has a bottom portion that connects with a top portion of an opening in the bottom section. The bottom section, middle section and top section when connected together form an enclosed pet enclosure with an animal opening therein.

A laboratory animal cage including a basin and a removable hood positioned which define an inner space that is closed and not accessible from the outside. The basin includes a flat bottom wall and sidewalls joined thereto, which define a first support edge. The hood is tray-shaped to define a second engagement edge and includes a main cover wall. Positioning the hood over the basin prevents the inner space from being accessed via the opposing first support edge and second engagement edge. With the bottom of the basin positioned on a support plane, the maximum distance between the first support edge and the support plane is 110 mm or less. Additionally, at least 50% of the inner surface of the bottom wall has a minimum height measurement to the inner surface of the hood of at least 127 mm, which is available for an animal.

A door assembly includes a frame having interconnected wires that define an opening for an animal to pass therethrough, and a door having interconnected wires and being coupled to the frame. A latch assembly has a handle structure and a pin. The handle structure is pivotable with respect to one of the door and the frame, and the pin is movable axially with respect to one of the door and the frame. A first wire of the plurality of wires of the frame forms a key hole assembly. The key hole assembly defines an aperture for receiving the pin when the door is in a latched position with respect to the frame. A tab assembly is formed by at least one wire of the door and is disposable behind at least one of the plurality of wires of the frame in the closed position.

A lighting assembly includes a light guide having opposite first and second major surfaces and at least one edge surface extending between the first and second major surfaces, a solid-state light source arranged to emit light into the edge surface of the light guide, and a plurality of integrated optical elements associated with the first major surface to redirect the light emitted by the solid-state light source. The lighting assembly may further include an air circulation device and a heat transfer system configured to transfer heat generated by the solid-state lighting source to a flow of air generated by the air circulation device. The solid-state light source may include light-emitting diodes, laser diodes, and/or organic light emitting diodes configured to produce multiple colors. Also provided is a habitat including the lighting assembly, and related methods.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods for collection and analysis of environmental air dust (EAD) within an individually ventilated cage rack (IVR) environment for detecting pathogens. The method includes collection of an EAD sample by a collection media, isolation of a plurality of nucleic acids (e.g., RNA and/or DNA) representative of one or more infectious agents from the EAD sample, optional reverse transcription of RNA to cDNA if the isolated nucleic acids contain RNA, amplification of the cDNA and/or DNA (e.g., by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)), and assay interpretation. Optionally, the EAD sample may be analyzed with one or more other sample types (e.g., fecal pellets, oral swabs, body swabs, tissue, etc.) to improve detection of low-copy organisms.

The invention relates to 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 involving a network of pipes connecting at least one cluster having 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 having a central main air conditioning facility providing temperature conditioned air and absolute air humidity conditioned air to each of a number of local air conditioning devices, 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 a 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.

A lighting assembly includes a light guide having opposite first and second major surfaces and at least one edge surface extending between the first and second major surfaces, a solid-state light source arranged to emit light into the edge surface of the light guide, and a plurality of integrated optical elements associated with the first major surface to redirect the light emitted by the solid-state light source. The lighting assembly may further include an air circulation device and a heat transfer system configured to transfer heat generated by the solid-state lighting source to a flow of air generated by the air circulation device. The solid-state light source may include light-emitting diodes, laser diodes, and/or organic light emitting diodes configured to produce multiple colors. Also provided is a habitat including the lighting assembly, and related methods.