Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME
Motivation
Industrial insect production is often too labor-intensive, prone to hygiene issues, and difficult to scale economically for smaller and semi-automated systems. Process steps related to reproduction, in particular, are complex and cost-intensive, whereas decentralized larval rearing requires simple, robust, and cost-effective solutions that utilize local waste streams.
As with other livestock, the husbandry requirements for rearing parent mealworms differ significantly from those for fattening, although healthy young animals positively influence later fattening performance. The reproductive phase sets the course for rearing and growth. Animal health, feeding, and the prevention of cannibalism have a major influence on reproductive performance. Egg-laying beetles have higher environmental requirements, such as lower stocking densities and higher-quality feed. Although reproduction accounts for only 14.2% of the production area in an insect farm, it generates approximately four times the profit per square meter compared to larval fattening. At the same time, the value density in the animal stock is increased by a factor of 4 to 10. Process complexity has also increased significantly: on average, six additional handling processes are currently required per box, which increases labor costs and susceptibility to disruptions; there is potential for reducing material usage and handling steps in production in conjunction with optimized feeding and animal hygiene.
