WO2020109665A1

WO2020109665A1 - Liquid dispenser for insect farming and method of dispensing liquid in insect farming

Info

Publication number: WO2020109665A1
Application number: PCT/FI2019/050851
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johannes Nikola; Johannes Erkkonen
Original assignee: Entocube Oy
Priority date: 2018-11-29
Filing date: 2019-11-28
Publication date: 2020-06-04
Also published as: FI20186013A1; FI130106B

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a liquid dispenser for insect farming. The dispenser comprises a dispenser element comprising a drinking surface for providing liquid for insects. The dispenser element further comprises a supply surface arranged to be supplied with the liquid from a liquid supply, and a plurality of microstructures forming a path connecting the drinking surface and the supply surface. The liquid dispenser is configured such that at least 50 % portion of the drinking surface has its surface normals (n1, n2, n3] at an angle of 0 to 135° with respect to the direction of gravity (g) during use.

Description

LIQUID DISPENSER FOR INSECT FARMING AND METHOD OF DISPENSING LIQUID IN

INSECT FARMING FIELD

The invention relates to insect farming, and particularly liquid dispensing arrangements in insect farming.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Human consumption of insects is common to cultures in most parts of the world. Currently, more than a billion people consume insects as food as a part of their diet. Most insect consumption occurs in areas naturally abundant with them, such as South and Central Africa, East Asia and South America. Insects are most commonly foraged from nature. However, due to rising populations and a corresponding rise in dietary needs, farming has become a widely spread way to produce insect-based foods.

Arthropods, such as beetles, termites, ants, crickets and their different life stages are some examples of edible insects for humans. Many species of crickets, locusts, beetles, wax moths and various other insects are also used as pet food and fish bait all over the world.

Crickets are especially important for human consumption because of their protein content. Among the hundreds of different species of crickets, the house cricket [Acheta domesticus] is one of the most common species used for human consumption. In many parts of the world, crickets are consumed dried, baked or seasoned. Crickets are also farmed for animal feed for pets and agricultural livestock.

Crickets are usually housed in movable or stationary rearing containers or rearing areas in relatively high temperature (around 30°C) and furnished with simple items to provide them shelter.

Insect farming is a relatively young industry and the farming process is currently a very labour-intensive process. Insects require manual feeding (via distribution of fresh feed or dry granulated foods that may utilize resources originating from food industry side streams), watering, handling, harvesting, cleaning and aid in reproduction. Crickets and many insects in general are watered simply by using a water container, i.e. watering them with standing water or with wetted items or paper pieces on plastic cups. Automated solutions exist but are merely arrangements transferred from solutions used for watering of chickens. The automatization in those systems is in the form of conventional surface guards or float valves, which maintain the amount or level of water in the containers.

One of the drawbacks of such solutions is that the insects and, therefore, their excrements are in direct contact with the volumes of the water which thereby become contaminated leading to elevated food safety risks. This can also potentially be harmful for the health of the crickets. Moreover, the insects can drown in the open water. Crickets require a steady supply of fresh water but will drown easily even in a shallow dish or with only a few unsuitable watering components. Thus, providing water for crickets can be tricky, since any amount of standing water can be dangerous for the crickets.

SUMMARY

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a liquid dispenser and method for dispensing liquid so as to alleviate the above disadvantages. The object of the disclosure is achieved by a dispenser and a method which are characterized by what is stated in the independent claims. The preferred embodiments of the disclosure are disclosed in the dependent claims.

In a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure, a dispenser element forms a drinking surface for insects. The dispenser element comprises a plurality of microstructures that form paths for a liquid to traverse, and the drinking surface is supplied with the liquid from a liquid supply through these paths. Because liquid is supplied to the drinking surface with the microstructures, formation of large pools of water on the drinking surface can be avoided. The dispenser and its dispenser element are structured such that most of the drinking surface is essentially vertical or even facing down. Thus, excrement from the insects mostly falls away from the drinking surface.

The above aspects of the liquid dispenser can be implemented in several ways. For example, the liquid dispenser may comprise a dispenser element that comprises a surface (e.g. a wall or a side of the dispenser element) that acts both as a drinking surface and a climbing surface. This surface may comprise microstructures that facilitate migration of liquid along or through the microstructures. The microstructures connect the drinking surface to a supply surface that is provided with liquid. For example, the surface may be in the form of a wall made of a wire mesh material, and openings in the wire mesh material may act as the microstructures in the form of microchannels. The drinking surface may be mostly vertical, facing down, or at an orientation between vertical and facing down. The supply surface may be on the same side, wall, or surface as the drinking surface or which may be on a different side, wall, or surface than the drinking surface. It may be supplied with liquid by multiple different methods, such as: spraying, dripping water from the above, immersing the supply surface below a liquid surface for capillary action to occur.

Alternatively, the liquid dispenser may comprise one or more dispenser elements that extend from a side wall or a top of a receptacle acting as liquid supply, for example. The dispenser element may be in the form of a flexible, elongated or sheet-like element made of a plurality of polymer fibres, for example. At least part of one end of the element may be immersed in liquid in the receptacle. The element extends through the wall so the other end of the element extends from the wall to the exterior of the liquid dispenser. This other end may be configured such that its surface normal are mostly vertical or facing down. The dispenser element may be configured such that the liquid is supplied to the drinking surface mostly through the capillary phenomenon where water or other liquids travel against gravity due to interaction of adhesion forces between molecules of the liquid and molecules of the dispenser element. The wall may act as the climbing surface providing access to the dispenser elements. The material and texture of the side wall may be configured such that insects are able to climb the side from below and thereby access the end of the dispenser extending from the side.

The liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure provides several advantages. Because liquid is supplied to the drinking surface through the microstructures and formation of large pools of liquid on the drinking surface is avoided, the drowning hazard can be significantly reduced. Further, because most of the drinking surface is essentially vertical or even facing down, and because excrement from the insects mostly falls away from the drinking surface, the risk of contaminating the liquid at the drinking surface is significantly reduced and, as a result, the insect can access the liquid more hygienically.

In addition, the above to aspects, i.e. the use of microstructures and the orientation of the drinking surface, have synergistic advantages. For example, the microstructures contribute in distributing the liquid evenly on vertical surfaces and surfaces facing down.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following the invention will be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows a simplified vertical cross section of a dispenser element according to the present disclosure;

Figure 2 shows a simplified diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure; Figure 3 shows a simplified diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure; and

Figure 4 shows a simplified diagram of a third exemplary embodiment of a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure describes a liquid dispenser for insect farming. In the context of the present disclosure, a dispenser is a device that provides liquid to insects for their consumption. A liquid can be drinking water for the insects, for example. Thus, the liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure may act as a water dispenser (i.e. a watering device) for insects. The drinking water may or may not be provided with additives. Water is merely an example of a liquid in the context of the present disclosure. The liquid dispenser may be used to provide any potable liquid to be consumed by insects. A dispenser according to the present disclosure comprises a dispenser element. The dispenser element comprises a supply surface, a drinking surface, and a plurality of microstructures.

In the context of the present disclosure, a drinking surface is a surface configured to be able to hold a sufficient amount of liquid on itself such that insects can drink the liquid (or moisture of the liquid) from said surface. A surface area of the drinking surface is configured to be sufficient to provide liquid for a plurality of insects. Alternatively, or in addition, the liquid dispenser may comprise a plurality of dispenser elements in order to provide sufficient amount of liquid for a plurality of insects. The surface area of drinking surfaces of a liquid dispenser may be configured to be sufficient to satisfy liquid needs of 1000 insects (e.g. house crickets), 10000 insects, or even 100000 insects during insect farming. The supply surface is arranged to be supplied with liquid from a liquid supply, and the plurality of microstructures form a path connecting the drinking surface and the supply surface. In the context of the present disclosure, the phrase "supplied with liquid" is intended to be understood as bringing liquid to direct contact to the supply surface in such a manner and in such volumes that at least portion of said liquid is passed to the drinking surface through or along the path formed with the microstructures. In some embodiments, this may mean being constantly in direct contact with liquid. For example, at least portion of the supply surface may be immersed below a liquid surface in a liquid receptacle acting as a liquid supply. Alternatively, an interior wall of liquid reservoir or a supply channel may define a supply surface. This reservoir or supply channel may be supplied from a separate liquid supply. Further, "supplied with liquid" may also mean being provided with liquid in the form of a continuous or non-continuous stream of liquid poured from above, or being sprayed on with liquid from a pressurised liquid source acting as a liquid supply, for example.

In the context of the present disclosure, the phrase "a path connecting the drinking surface and the supply surface" is intended to be understood as a path that allows the liquid to traverse or migrate along the route, thereby enabling the liquid move from the supply surface to the drinking surface. Further, the microstructures may help the liquid to disperse (approximately) evenly on the drinking surface. Thus, in this context, a "path" may connect two sides of the dispenser element and/or may extend along a side of the dispenser element. In other words, a "path" may connect a drinking surface and a supply surface that are on the different sides of the dispenser element and/or on the same side of the dispenser element. Further, in this context, a "path" may be a plurality of paths or a network of interconnected paths formed by the microstructures between the drinking surface and the supply surface.

In some embodiments, the microstructures may be in the form of microchannels. In the context of the present disclosure, the term "microchannel" refers to a channel (e.g. a hole or a cavity) extending all the way between an opening at the drinking surface and an opening at the supply surface. In some embodiments, each microchannel may be a separate channel between a first opening (i.e. an outlet) on the drinking surface and a second opening (i.e. an inlet) on the supply surface. However, the plurality of microchannels may also be in the form of a network of interconnected channels in the dispenser element. On one hand, the size of the microchannels is small enough so that liquid passing through the microchannels is affected by surface forces at the walls and openings of the microchannels. The size of the microchannels is small enough that the walls of the microchannels induce surface forces that prevent the liquid from flowing freely from the supply surface to the drinking surface and that prevent gravitation from detaching (e.g. dripping or streaking) the liquid from the drinking surface. On the other hand, the size of the microchannels is large enough so that the liquid is able to enter the microchannels. In this context, the term "size of the microchannels" refers to an average diameter of cross-sectional size of the microchannels.

For each point of the drinking surface, a surface normal can be defined. In the context of the present application, each "surface normal" is a vector that that points away from the dispenser element and that is perpendicular to a tangent plane of the point of the drinking surface, each tangent plane being defined for the drinking surface in macroscopic scale. In this context, the phrase "a tangent plane in macroscopic scale" is intended to be understood as a tangent plane defined for the drinking surface as seen by unaided eye, not as a tangent plane defined for an individual small feature (such as an opening of a microchannel) of the drinking surface.

In a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure, the liquid dispenser is configured such that at least 50 % portion of the drinking surface has its surface normals at an angle of 0 to 135 ° with respect to the direction of gravity during use. In other words, said portions of the drinking surface have orientations that include orientations from directly facing down (corresponding 0 ° as defined above) to orientations facing sideways (90 ° as defined above), or even up to orientations that are facing up and sideways (135 °). Thus, less than half (< 50 %) of the drinking surface has a small inclination (<45 °) with respect to a parallel plane during use. Figure 1 illustrates these orientations. In Figure 1, cross-sectional diagram of an exemplary cylindrical shape is shown. The center axis of the cylindrical shape is oriented to align with the direction of gravity g in Figure 1. In Figure 1, portion 11 facing down has its surface normal at angle 0 ° with respect to the direction of gravity g. Figure 1 shows two such normals n_\. Portion 12 facing sideways has surface normals at angle 90 ° with respect to the direction of gravity g. Figure 1 shows two such normals

Portion 11 has surface normal at angle 135 ° with respect to the direction of gravity g. Figure 1 shows two such normals «3.

The above-discussed advantages of the liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure become more prominent when the percentage of the portion of the drinking surface having its surface normals at an angle of 0 to 135 ⁰ becomes larger. Therefore, in some embodiments it is preferable that at least 75% of the drinking surface is at an angle of 0 to 135 ° with respect to the direction of gravity during use. In some embodiments, it may be preferable to have even 95 % or more of the drinking surface has its surface normals at an angle of 0 to 135 ° with respect to the direction of gravity during use.

Further advantages can be achieved by restricting the orientations of the drinking surface to more inclined angles. The more inclined the drinking surface is, the less undesired material accumulates on it. Therefore, preferably at least 50 % portion of the drinking surface has its surface normals at an angle of 0 to 90 ° with respect to the direction of gravity during use. Even more preferably, at least 75 % portion of the drinking surface has its surface normals at an angle of 0 to 90 ° with respect to the direction of gravity during use. In some embodiments, it maybe preferable to have even 95 % or more of the drinking surface has its surface normals at an angle of 0 to 90 ° with respect to the direction of gravity during use.

In addition to the properties of the microstructures, surface properties of the materials of the drinking surface may be configured to further increase the advantages of the liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure. The surface properties of the drinking surface may be configured such that they facilitate accumulation of liquid on the drinking surface when the supply surface is being supplied from the liquid supply during use. The materials and the surface texture of the drinking surface may be mainly hydrophilic (opposed to mainly hydrophobic). For example, material or materials and texture of the drinking surface may be configured such that a contact angle of a water droplet on the drinking surface is less than 90 °.

Another aspect of the liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure is access to the drinking surface. In order to be able to drink from the drinking surface, the insects have to be able to be in close vicinity of the drinking surface. While lower portions of the drinking surface may be easily accessible to the insects, the insects may have to climb in order to reach the portions above the lower portions. Thus, at least portion of exterior of the liquid dispenser preferably has a texture that can be climbed by insects, said portion thereby acting as a climbing surface that provides the insects access to the liquid on the drinking surface during use.

Because insects may chew the dispenser element, some consideration may be required in selection of the materials of the dispenser element. On one hand, it may be desirable to form the parts of the liquid dispenser from materials that can withstand the insect bites. Thus, in some embodiments, it may be advantageous to form the dispenser element from hard materials such as metal or ceramics. On other hand, a less durable material may be used, if it is cheaper and/or more readily available. Some parts (e.g. the dispenser element) may be made disposable so that they can be replaced during maintenance (e.g. after the insects have been harvested, before the next growing cycle, or during a growing cycle). Thus, softer materials may also be used.

In addition, the materials of the dispenser element have other preferable characteristics. One preferable characteristic is even pore size and distribution. With even pore size and distribution, an even distribution of liquid on the drinking surface can be ensured. The materials (and/or the surface texture) of the dispenser element are also preferably mainly hydrophilic so that a suitable path for the liquid can be formed. In addition, the material is preferably non-toxic, and complies with EU and FDA regulations, as well as USDA requirements.

In the following, the liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure is discussed in more detail in reference to some exemplary embodiments.

For example, Figure 2 shows a simplified diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure. In Figure 2, a liquid dispenser 21 comprises a receptacle 22 acting as the liquid supply of liquid 27 and at least one piece of cord 23 made out of a plurality of fibres acting as the dispenser element. At least a portion of an exterior surface of a first end of the at least one cord 23 acts as the drinking surface 24 while at least a portion of an exterior surface of a second end of the at least one cord 23 acts as the supply surface 25. The second end is positioned such that at least portion of supply surface 25 is below the surface level of the liquid 27 during use. In Figure 2, most (50 % or more) of the drinking surface 24 has its surface normals at an angle of 0 to 135 ° with respect to the direction of gravity during use. Gaps and/or pores (not shown in Figure 2) between the plurality of fibres act as the microstructures that are in the form microchannels connecting the supply surface 25 to the drinking surface 24. The material of the cord 23 is selected such that surface forces in the microchannels cause a capillary effect drawing the liquid 27 from the supply surface 25 to the drinking surface 24. For water as the liquid to be dispensed, the (average) size of the microchannels may be between 1 gm to 2mm, for example. Preferably the size is 1 gm to 1 mm. Most preferably the size is 15 gm to 500 gm. The cord 23 may have a uniform cross-section. Alternatively, the cord 23 may have a hollow centre section that improves delivery of the liquid 27 to the first end of the cord 23. In Figure 2, grooves 26 have been formed to an exterior surface of the receptacle 22, thereby forming the climbing surface. The grooves are preferably at least partly non-vertical so as to help the insects to climb upwards along the climbing surface. For example, lateral, circular, diagonal, or multi direction may be used. The receptacle 22 may be provided with a cover or a lid (not shown in Figure 2) in order to prevent the insects climbing inside the receptacle and drowning in the liquid 27). The receptacle may be made of waterproof materials. For example, non-toxic plastics may be used. The cord may be made of fibres of synthetic or natural polymers or a combination of different polymers. The fibres may form a woven or a non-woven structure.

In addition to the preferable characteristics already defined above, one preferable characteristic for material of the cord is high wet strength. In other words, the materials should be such that they do not come apart when in contact with the liquid to be supplied. Another preferable characteristic is good dimensional stability. In other words, the materials of the dispenser element are preferably such that they do not deform much when exposed to the liquid. Yet another preferable characteristic is good swelling characteristics. In other words, the material should be able to absorb the liquid well.

The above preferable characteristics can be achieved with different combinations of materials and structures (e.g. non-woven and woven structures, or combinations thereof). Many or even all of the above-described preferable characteristics are present in some commercially available cord and string products. For example, commercially available string or cord products that are made from cellulose-, cotton-, viscose-, polypropelene-, nylon-, and polyester- based fibres, or combinations thereof, include many variants that can be used as dispenser elements in a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure. However, the materials are of the cord is not limited to these examples. The cord may be made of any non-toxic fibrous material that can be formed into a cord as described above.

Figure 3 shows a simplified diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure. In Figure 3, a liquid dispenser 31 comprises a receptacle 32 acting as the liquid supply of liquid 37 and a ductile sheet 33 made out of a plurality of fibres acting as the dispenser element. The sheet 33 may be a piece of cloth, for example. The materials of the receptacle 32 and the sheet 33 may be similar or the same as in the first embodiment. The sheet may be made filter fabric for foodstuff filtration, for example. The filter fabric may be a milk filtration fabric intended to be used for on- farm mechanical filtration of milk, for example. Milk filter fabrics produced by DeLaval International AB are an example of such filter fabrics.

At least a portion of the surface of a first end of the sheet 33 acts as the drinking surface 34 while at least a portion of the surface of a second end of the sheet 33 acts as the supply surface 35. The second end is positioned such that at least portion of supply surface 35 is below the surface level of the liquid 37 during use. In Figure 3, practically the whole the drinking surface 34 has its surface normals at an angle of 0 to 135 ° with respect to the direction of gravity during use. Gaps and/or pores (not shown in Figure 3) between the plurality of fibres of the sheet 33 act as the microstructures that are in the form microchannels connecting the supply surface 35 to the drinking surface 34. The material of the sheet 33 is selected such that surface forces in the microchannels cause a capillary effect drawing the liquid 37 from the supply surface 35 to the drinking surface 34. Similar to Figure 2, grooves 36 have been formed to an exterior surface of the receptacle 32, thereby forming the climbing surface in Figure 3. The receptacle 32 may be provided with a cover or a lid (not shown in Figure 3) in order to prevent the insects climbing inside the receptacle and drowning in the liquid 37).

Figure 4 shows a simplified diagram of a third exemplary embodiment of a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure. In Figure 4, the liquid dispenser 41 comprises a wire mesh element 42 acting as the dispenser element. The wire mesh element forms 42 a shape with a hollow centre section. A wire mesh of the wire mesh element 42 forms an exterior wall 43 on one side of the wire mesh and an interior wall 44 on the opposite side of the wire mesh. The shape may be a circular cylinder, for example. However, the shape dispenser element is not limited to circular cylinders. Other hollow shapes with an exterior wall defining a drinking surface according to the present disclosure may also be used in Figure 4. The shape may be a square cylinder, rectangular cylinder, or a triangular cylinder for example. In some embodiments, a metal wire mesh (e.g. fine stainless steel, preferably acid resistant) may make up one or more sides of the cylinders, but some sides of the cylinders may be made of other materials. Further, the shape may also be other shape than a cylinder as long as it forms a drinking with at least 50 % portion of the drinking surface has its surface normals at an angle of 0 to 135 ° with respect to the direction of gravity during use. The preferable percentages and angles for the surface normal, as defined above, also apply here. In Figure 4, at least a portion of the exterior wall 43 of the shape acts as the drinking surface, and at least a portion of the interior wall 44 of the shape around the hollow centre acts as the supply surface. The exterior wall 43 also acts as the climbing surface. The supply surface is arranged to be supplied with liquid from a liquid supply. The liquid supply may be in the form of a water container positioned above the dispenser element. In Figure 4, a water container 45 is positioned above the dispenser element 42. The water container 45 may be an integral part of the liquid dispenser, or it may be a separate unit that is detachably connected to a supply inlet that is connected to the hollow centre of the wire mesh element 42, for example. Alternatively, the liquid supply may be a pressurized liquid source, such as a water tap.

The wire mesh in Figure 4 has openings (not shown) between the wires of the wire mesh. These openings in the wire mesh act as the microstructures in the form of microchannels connecting the exterior wall 43 (i.e. the drinking surface) to the supply surface. The size of the openings is configured such that the liquid is able to seep through the opening from the interior surface 44 to the exterior surface 43. However, the size of openings, together with the surface properties of the exterior surface 43, are configured such that the liquid mostly remains on the exterior surface (e.g. in the form of small droplets at the openings, or in the form of a thin liquid film dispersed along the exterior surface). For water as the liquid to be dispensed, the size of the microstructures may be between lgm to lmmfor example. Preferably the size is lgm to 600gm. Most preferably the size is 1 gm to 400 gm. Most (50% or more) of the exterior surface may be used as the drinking surface. For example, in Figure 4, practically the whole exterior surface 43 may be used as the drinking surface. At the same time, practically all (> 95 %) of the surface normals of the exterior surface are at an angle of 0 to 90 ° with respect to the direction of gravity g.

The shape of the wire mesh element is not limited to shapes with a hollow centre. Instead, in a fourth exemplary embodiment, the wire mesh element forms an open, planar shape. The planar shape may be flat or curved, for example. Figure 5 shows a simplified diagram of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a liquid dispenser 51 according to the present disclosure.

In Figure 5, the liquid dispenser comprises a liquid dispenser element 52 in the form of a wire mesh element that has a planar shape. The wire mesh of the dispenser element 52 has two sides: a first side 53 and an opposite second side 54. At least portion of the first side 53 acts as the drinking surface according to the present disclosure. The first side 53 also acts as the climbing surface. At least a portion of an opposite, second side 54 may be supplied in the form of liquid dripping or streaming from above, for example.

In Figure 5, a water container 55 is positioned above the dispenser element 52. At least a portion the planar dispenser element 52 may be slightly inclined (with respect to a completely vertical orientation) so that the water container 55 can provide liquid to a top portion of the second side. The water container 55 may be an integral part of the liquid dispenser, or it may be a separate unit that is detachably connected to a supply inlet that is connected to the hollow centre, for example. Alternatively, or in addition, the supply surface on the second side 54 may supplied by spraying liquid on the supply surface from a pressurized liquid source, such as a water tap. As in the third exemplary embodiment, size of the openings in the wire mesh is that the liquid is able to seep through the openings from the supply surface to the drinking surface in the fourth exemplary embodiment. However, the size of openings, together with the surface properties of the drinking surface, are configured such that the liquid mostly remains on the drinking surface.

While the above paragraphs discuss the drinking surface and the supply surface being on opposite sides of the planar dispenser element 52 in Figure 2, a portion of the second side 54 may also act as the drinking surface in Figure 5. In other words, the supply surface and a drinking surface may be on the same side 54 of the liquid dispenser element 52. For example, in Figure 5, the top portion of the second side 54 may act as the supply surface and a bottom portion of the second side may act as the drinking surface. The microstructures of the dispenser element 52 may be configured such that they facilitate movement/migration of liquid along a path formed by the microstructures.

While the third and fourth exemplary embodiment mainly discuss the dispenser element being out of a wire mesh, and specifically a metal wire mesh, said embodiments are not limited to metal wire meshes. The dispenser element (or at least the drinking surface) may be in the form of a plastic (e.g. nylon) screen, for example. In addition, the dispenser element does not have to be in the form of a wire mesh. For example, the dispenser element may be in the form of (or may comprise a wall made of) an open-cell metal or ceramic foam, for example. In some embodiments, the drinking surface may be only on the same side as the supply surface. In other embodiments, the drinking surface may be on both sides of the planar liquid dispenser element. If the drinking surface is only on the same side as the supply surface, the microstructures do not have to form a channel between the opposite sides of the planar dispenser element.

In the third and fourth exemplary embodiment, it may be challenging to avoid any liquid from dripping or streaking, particularly if the dispenser element is supplied from an unregulated, pressurized liquid source. Thus, a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure may be used in a liquid dispensing system that comprises a drain device in addition to the liquid dispenser. The drain device may be positioned below the liquid dispenser in order to gather any excess liquid dripping from the liquid dispenser. The drain system may comprise a planar surface having a plurality of small openings. The planar surface may be a flat surface or a planar surface with a recess in its middle section, for example. The size of the openings may be configured such that the openings allow the liquid to pass through the planar surface without formation of pools of liquid while at the same time preventing the farmed insects from passing through the planar surface.

In addition to the liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure, the present disclosure further describes a method for providing liquid for insects in an insect farming space. The method comprises utilizes a liquid dispenser according to the present disclosure. Thus, the method comprises providing the insect farming space with a liquid dispenser having a drinking surface supplied with liquid from a liquid supply via a plurality of microstructures. At least 50 % portion of the drinking surface has its surface normals at an angle of 0 to l35 ° with respect to the direction of gravity. Surface properties of the drinking surface may be selected such that they facilitate accumulation of liquid on the drinking surface when it is being supplied with the liquid from the liquid supply.

It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the liquid dispenser and method of dispensing liquid can be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above but may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A liquid dispenser for insect farming, wherein the dispenser comprises a receptacle acting as a liquid supply and a sheet acting as a dispenser element, wherein

- the sheet is made out of a plurality of fibres,

- at least a portion of an exterior surface of a first end of the sheet acts as a drinking surface for providing liquid for insects,

- at least a portion of an exterior surface of a second end of the sheet acts a supply surface arranged to be supplied with the liquid from the liquid supply, and

- gaps or pores between the plurality of fibres act as a plurality of microstructures forming a path connecting the drinking surface and the supply surface,

wherein the liquid dispenser is configured such that most of the drinking surface is essentially vertical during use.

2. A liquid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein

surface properties of the drinking surface are configured such that they facilitate accumulation of liquid on the drinking surface when the supply surface is being supplied from the liquid supply during use.

3. A liquid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein material and texture of the drinking surface are configured such that a contact angle of a water droplet on the drinking surface is less than 90°.

4. A liquid dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

at least portion of exterior of the liquid dispenser has a texture that can be climbed by insects, said portion thereby acting as a climbing surface that provides the insects access to the liquid on the drinking surface during use.

5. A liquid dispenser according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein grooves have been formed to an exterior surface of the receptacle, thereby forming the climbing surface.

6. A liquid dispenser for insect farming, wherein the dispenser comprises a dispenser element comprising

- a drinking surface for providing liquid for insects, - a supply surface arranged to be supplied with the liquid from a liquid supply, and

- a plurality of microstructures forming a path connecting the drinking surface and the supply surface,

wherein

- the dispenser comprises a wire mesh element acting as the dispenser element,

- the drinking surface and the supply surface are on opposite sides of wire mesh of the wire mesh element,

- openings in the wire mesh act as the microstructures in the form of microchannels connecting the drinking surface to the supply surface, and

- the liquid dispenser is configured such that most of the drinking surface is essentially vertical during use.

7. A liquid dispenser according to claim 6, wherein wire mesh element forms a shape with a hollow centre section, wherein at least a portion of an exterior wall of the shape acts as the drinking surface and at least a portion of an interior wall of the shape acts as the supply surface.

8. A liquid dispenser according to claim 7, wherein wire mesh element forms a planar shape, wherein at least a portion a first side of the planar shape acts as the drinking surface and at least a portion an opposite second side of the planar shape acts as the supply surface.

9. A liquid dispenser according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the exterior wall of the wire mesh element also acts as the climbing surface.

10. A method for providing liquid for insects in an insect farming space, wherein the method comprises

- providing the insect farming space with a liquid dispenser having a drinking surface provided with liquid from a liquid supply with the aid of a plurality of microstructures, wherein most of the drinking surface is essentially vertical.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein surface properties of the drinking surface facilitate accumulation of liquid on the drinking surface when it is being supplied with the liquid from the liquid supply.