Our largest insect research centre is located near our global headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin. It houses about 20 species of insects, including the mosquitoes that can transmit malaria, dengue, the Zika virus and chikungunya.
We also have three species of cockroaches, two of ants, slithering silverfish and firebrats, clothes moths, stored product pests and the common house fly. And for good measure, we also manage an active field-collection programme so that we can secure seasonal insects, too.
On any given day, we have about 850,000 insects, and more than 15 million are reared annually in what is known as our Insectary. It is a controlled, carefully monitored environment where researchers study all aspects of insect behaviour, development and methods of insect control. The species in the Insectary have been specifically chosen to represent the most common household pests and disease vectors that are found in the world.