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About Bugs for Bugs

Man at desk in lab using microscope, bookshelves, oranges, and paper towels visible.
Woman in green and yellow uniform using microscope to examine green fruits in a lab.
Person handling tray in sterile facility with metal rack, white bucket on floor nearby.
Laboratory bench with white containers, mesh covers, shelves, plastic boxes, ventilation unit.
Woman in glasses holding squash in a storage area with shelves of squash.
Individual with glasses in a green shirt tending indoor plants on metal shelves under lights.
Bugs for Bugs booth with biocontrol solutions; posters, containers, and product materials displayed.
Person at podium with award, Citrus Technical Forum 2019, E.E. Muir & Sons logo on screen.
Man in plaid shirt holding a trophy, backdrop shows logos from 2019 Citrus Forum event.

Bugs for Bugs specialises in integrated pest management (IPM) and is one of Australia’s leading suppliers of biological control agents. Since 1981, our mission has been to help Australian growers achieve best practice pest management with minimal pesticides.

We are a science-based company that...
  • Has been providing crop protection solutions and bio-control organisms for more than thirty years
  • Breeds beneficial insects and mites (good bugs to control bad bugs)
  • Is highly experienced in the field of fruit fly management
  • Offers a range of non-toxic alternatives to conventional pesticides
  • Conducts ongoing research and development into biological control and fruit fly management
  • Provides contract research in the field of integrated pest management

We are proud of our close relationship with other research providers including the departments of agriculture, universities and CSIRO.

Bugs for Bugs Toowoomba
Aerial view of rural property with green-roofed buildings, trees, white structures, and railway line.
Aerial view of greenhouses on farmland, surrounded by fields and forest.
Green plants growing in a greenhouse with drip irrigation and a shaded canopy.
Large industrial building with green roof, red accents, driveway, palm trees, and parked vehicle.

Our production facilities

Our main insectary is located at the site of the old butter factory in Mundubbera. In addition, we have production facilities at Donnybrook, on the Sunshine Coast, and in Toowoomba. We produce our biological control agents in a range of different environments, including climate controlled rooms, laboratories, and glasshouse structures. Each facility is overseen by a range of entomologists and production staff. We now operate more than 50 climate controlled rooms for the production of our biological control agents.

Beneficial Insect Production

Beneficial insect and mite production is very challenging. Maintaining continuous insect production of each beneficial species requires constant monitoring of the rearing systems and attention to detail. Bugs for Bugs uses around 250 tonnes of butternut squash and 24 tonnes of wheat per year for its beneficial insect production.

We currently produce 16 species of natural enemies available to help manage pest problems in a more sustainable way. Each of these rearing systems is complex and labour intensive.

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Round loaves of bread with powdery mold on a wire rack in a bakery setting.
Dan Papacek inspecting a peach crop
Six people in casual attire stand in a green field with mountains and clouds in the background.
Two men in a banana plantation, holding tools, surrounded by plants and dried leaves.
Two people in a field with orange trees, wearing aprons, collecting fruit on a clear day.
Two men in matching shirts stand in front of lush green trees in an agricultural setting.
Two people crouching in a green field with hills in the background, examining crops.
Person in sunglasses and black polo in greenhouse with flowering plants under a transparent roof.
Three people stand in a greenhouse with colorful flowers under a translucent roof.

Additional services

We have a number of field staff located across the country providing on-farm advice to growers helping them to manage pests effectively.

In addition to this, we have a long running history with research providers including various departments of agriculture, universities, and CSIRO. We continue to work closely with these organisations and provide a range of support in relation to pest management and biosecurity research. Over the years we’ve provided consulting services in Central and Southeast Asia, Northern Africa, and the South Pacific.

Our commitment to research is significant and we are constantly striving to streamline our existing mass rearing systems while searching for new organisms that can help growers with practical alternatives to conventional pesticides.

Bugs for Bugs also offers contract research to evaluate IPM compatible materials including their effect on biological control agents.

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Disclaimer:

While we make every effort to supply you with beneficial insects and mites to help improve your pest management, and to reduce the need for pesticides, we cannot guarantee the outcome in every situation.  Our biocontrol agents do feed readily on the species that we have specified in our tech sheets and on our website.  However, there are many variables including accurate pest identification, plant species, pest density, numbers of beneficials released, environmental conditions and history of pesticide usage that influence the outcomes.  We will always do our best to help you achieve a positive outcome but we simply cannot guarantee that your problem will be solved to your satisfaction.  Because every situation is unique we are constantly learning about how best to use our good bugs.  We appreciate any feedback from your experience.

The entomology team, Bugs for Bugs.