Patent NL-1043227-B1 (NL)
Title: Method and composition for enhancing growth of mealworms (hence; the larvae of the tenebrio molitor and/or the larvae of the alphitobius diaperinus)
Inventor: DHR DRS PJOTR VAN TILBURG
IPC: A23K50/90
Filed: 2019-04-09
Granted: 2020-10-20
Abstract: METHOD AND COMPOSITION FOR ENHANCING GROWTH OF MEALWORMS (HENCE; THE LARVAE OF THE TENEBRIO MOLITOR AND/OR THE LARVAE OF THE ALPHITOBIUS DIAPERINUS) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S): None. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to a method and a composition for enhancing protein production by mealworms. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and composition for enhancing growth of the larvae of both the lesser mealworm (Alphitobius Diaperinus) 10 and the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio Molitor), without influencing the relative protein-mass of the insect. Insect producers are continually looking for new compositions and methods that selectively permits an increase in growth and/or reproduction speed of insects. A number of advances have been made over 15 the years in incrementally increasing the growth and reproduction speed of insects. For example, various changes in surrounding temperature and/or lighting have been tested in order to speed up growth and reproduction, and various changes have been made to the ingredient composition of insect feed in attempts to coax insects into increasing the amount of feed intake, increasing the amount of water intake, and/or adding particular feed components that are thought to aid in increasing (the 20 amount of proteins produced by) insects. Additionally, some efforts have focused upon modifying the feed to cause digestion of particular feed components by insects. For example, tests have been performed with feed components with specific protein-values attempting to improve the protein-value of the insects, and tests have been performed with feed additives to consequently permit digestion of select components by the insects. 25 It is assumed to be common knowledge that because of the large variety in insect-species, a change in habitat and/or a change in the fed an insect takes in can lead to different outcomes per species. Finding the optima! breeding conditions per species therefore requires extensive research. Complicating matters further when it comes to the research of changes in diets or habitational-factors, is that care must be taken to assure that changes does not cause health problems for the insects and/or 30 those (mamma's) who come in contact with the insects Though the various insect-feeding techniques that have been proposed and/or practiced over the years have enhanced the overall knowledge base with respect to insect-feeding, these techniques have not adequately addressed the problem of how to most economically, efficiently, and effectively increase the 35 amount of protein produced by insects. Therefore, a need still exists for an improved method and composition for feeding insects that ensures high amounts of proteins produced by a single insect. Given the growing demand for (animal-) protein, it is probable that the insect-industry will grow fiercely over the coming years, especially when new inventions are made that improve the economic viability of the insect-industry 40 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention includes a method of enhancing growth of mealworms (hence; the larvae of the Tenebrio Molitor and the larvae of the Alphitobius Diaperinus). The method includes providing a feed that contains pyriproxyphene and at least one additional feed 45 component, and orally feeding the feed to the insect, the insect ingesting a feed that contains of carries pyriproxyfen, up to 150 ppm per grams of feed. The present invention further includes a feed materiel and a method of feeding the lesser mealworm and/or the yellow mealworm (a.k.a. the larvae of the Alphitobius Diaperinus and the larvae of the Tenerbio Molitor), which takes into account the fact that insects are seldom fed separately, and ensures 50 that the feed is equally distributed amongst the larvae when feeding several insects at once. 1 1043227