June / July 2026
The business of breeding insects
How do you keep thousands (or millions) of insects happy and healthy? And why would you want to?
How do you keep thousands (or millions) of insects happy and healthy? And why would you want to?
“I think people sometimes forget that a mite is not an insect,” says Dr Davina Saccaggi. “It reacts differently, so you shouldn’t be treating it the same way.” Saccaggi is an entomologist and acarologist – she specialises in the study of plant-parasitic insects and mites – with Citrus Research International. So, if mites aren’t insects, what are they? And how should growers approach their control?
Knowing your mites protects your crop. By Davina Saccaggi (CRI), Edward A. Ueckermann (NWU), Elleunorah Allsopp (ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij) When you spot mites on your crop, do not panic. Not all mites are pests. In fact, there are many mites that…