3D printing potential – How 3D printing technology can help pest management

Using 3D printing technology, the FDACS-DPI 3D Print Lab can design and create almost anything. Objects are designed using computer software and printed, using a 3D printer, by depositing successive layers of heated plastic until the object is created. The Lab has created a trap for the Asian citrus psyllid which has near-equal trapping rates to the industry-standard yellow sticky card—with the added ability to preserve the psyllids for DNA analysis and without the sticky mess. Other 3D print collaborations for insect trapping include a moth trap, a cotton aphid trap, a fly bait station, and a thrips collection device for mass rearing. The Lab has also created and tested prototypes for trapping the giant African land snail. With 3D printing technology, objects are completely customizable and can be produced and adjusted quickly.