Researchers aim for hardier herds of worms

By Béatrice St-Cyr-Leroux Jun 22nd, 2026

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In 5 seconds A multidisciplinary team at UdeM studies bacterial resistance in mealworms with a view to developing more productive and resilient insect farming practices.

Professor Marie-Odile Benoit-Biancamano observing a mealworm larva
Photo : Marco Langlois

The black soldier fly converts organic waste into biomass. The cricket brings crunchy protein to the dinner plate. The mealworm can break down plastic.

In the past, we gladly left insects to the wilds, but today their uses are better known and they are farmed intensively, much like cattle, pigs or poultry. In Quebec and elsewhere, various species of insects are being reared for their nutritional or ecological value, offering promising solutions to ethical and environmental challenges.

But insect farming comes with its own set of complex health, technical and economic hurdles—challenges that are often underestimated.

To address the current lack of guidelines in Quebec, a multidisciplinary research team at Université de Montréal decided to take a closer look at biosecurity in this relatively young industry.

Guillaume Saint-Jacques, then an undergraduate in biological sciences, worked with Marie-Odile Benoit-Biancamano, a professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and Colin Favret, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, to analyze pathogen resistance in different strains of yellow mealworms.

The findings of the team – which includes experts in entomology, veterinary pathology, microbiology and agriculture – were recently published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.

Guillaume Saint-Jacques, then an undergraduate in biological sciences at Université de Montréal
Photo : Guillaume Saint-Jacques

Colin Favret, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Université de Montréal
Photo : Colin Favret

Vulnerable to disease

Insects are not immune to infection. Viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites can spread quickly through an insect farm, causing mass die-offs.

“Unlike conventional livestock operations such as pig or poultry farms, insect farms often lack not only basic infrastructure, like entry airlocks, but also rigorous health protocols, like mandatory clothing changes,” said Benoit-Biancamano.

“Yet the risks are similar. With intensive production, the health risks increase and the consequences can be devastating.”

The lack of control has direct impacts on the industry. Many farmers, facing repeated losses and unable to identify the cause—whether it’s a pathogen, an inadequate environment or both—eventually give up. As a result, despite strong initial interest, the number of active farmers fluctuates widely, and the industry is currently in a slump.

Biosecurity, an underestimated challenge

To help address these problems, the research team set out to identify strains of mealworms that are naturally more resistant to disease.

Saint-Jacques ran experiments on several strains, exposing them to Serratia marcescens, a bacterium known to infect many insect families. In total, 200 larvae from 10 strains were tested. Two stood out: a Turkish strain and a French strain.

“Some exhibited rapid growth and high mortality, while others, which developed more slowly, seemed to resist infections better,” Saint-Jacques explained. “This suggests that it may be possible to steer insect farms toward more robust strains.”

However, the mechanisms behind pathogen resistance remain unclear. There are a number of possibilities: genetic factors, the role of the microbiome, and “immune priming,” where parents pass on protection against a pathogen to which they have been exposed.

A histological section of the mealworm
Photo : Marie-Odile Benoit-Biancamano

Strong potential in need of a rethink

Despite the challenges, the researchers believe that insect farming has strong potential. However, much work lies ahead before the industry can stabilize.

“We need to better understand the diseases, develop appropriate diagnostic tools and establish rigorous biosecurity standards,” said Benoit-Biancamano.

More broadly, this means rethinking insect farming by drawing on practices from conventional livestock rearing, including strain selection, health monitoring and optimized growing conditions.

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