Clarke’s mission is to make communities around the world more livable, safe, and comfortable. A properly functioning mosquito insectary is one of the most important tools that makes that work possible.
Modern mosquito insectaries give us a controlled place to turn field questions into real answers. They help us spot insecticide resistance sooner, see how changing mosquito populations respond to different control strategies, confirm products before deployment, and test with local mosquito populations instead of relying only on long-used lab strains. This work assists Clarke’s own research, as well as the research of mosquito control organizations across the globe.
That means better decisions, stronger data, and a clearer path from what we see to what we do next. Insectaries are not just research spaces. They are working tools that help improve field results and support faster, more responsive vector control programs.
We outgrew our old insectary, so we built a better one.
In Clarke’s legacy mosquito insectary, the existing systems supported six to nine colonies at a time, with 50,000 mosquitoes being reared weekly. While that capacity had served us well during past projects and research initiatives, it was no longer sufficient for the growing demand from our internal research, development, and engineering teams, as well as customers.
In addition to growing demand, this legacy insectary was built within existing office architecture that was not built for the unique and at times harsh conditions created by an insectary environment. Some of these concerns included:
Building a better insectary meant more than adding square footage. We needed independent environmental controls, stronger containment, and a design that could support the growing demands of both our internal teams and the mosquito control districts we work alongside. Here’s what we built — and why it matters.
The upgraded facility expanded from three to five specialized chambers, each with independently programmable temperature, humidity, and photoperiod (lighting cycle) controls. That distinction is important. When you’re rearing multiple species or resistance-selected strains simultaneously, shared environmental controls aren’t just inconvenient — they compromise your data.
Independent chambers mean Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles colonies can each be maintained in their optimal conditions at the same time, without interference.
The practical result:
High-humidity environments create real operational risks: mold, contamination, and the kind of fluctuating conditions that introduce variability into bioassay results.
The new insectary was engineered to address those risks directly, not manage around them. A dedicated outside air system (DOAS) regulates airflow and prevents the mold accumulation that compromised our legacy facility. Insulated structural panels and inter-chamber buffer zones stabilize environmental conditions. Multiple air curtains at entry and exit points strengthen containment without slowing down daily workflows, and advanced filtration systems reduce both contamination risk and routine maintenance burden for humidifiers.
Capacity and safety matter, but so does day-to-day usability.
The new insectary was phased in deliberately so research could continue without interruption throughout construction. Now that it’s operational, it supports faster product movement through development, more consistent experimental conditions, and smoother collaboration between R&D and field teams.
The path from lab observation to field application is shorter, and the data supporting each step along the way is stronger.
This investment gives us more room, tighter controls, and better safety features to support growing demand in vector control. It helps us take on more research, study new species and resistance patterns, work more closely with local districts, and deliver solutions people can count on. This is not just about keeping up. It is about being ready for what comes next.
Good data is the foundation of effective mosquito management. Talk with Clarke about how field support, testing, and research might enable your program to act more quickly and confidently.
Let’s talk about what a more sustainable mosquito control program looks like for you.
