Artifical feeding
One of Insect Services’ main areas of research is the development of artificial feeding systems for various tick species as well as for bedbugs and lice. Artifical feeding of bloodsuckers can be an elegant way to minimize the use of vertebrate hosts.
We use methods of artifical feeding for:
- the breeding, e.g. of bedbugs and lice
- the testing of repellents, e.g. for fleas
- the screening of systemic agents, e.g. with ticks
Artifical feeding of bedbugs 
Preparation for flea feeding 
Sucking I. ricinus nymphs on artificial membrane (red globules: tick excrements)