History of Bio-Fly

Bio-Fly Company was established at the beginning of 2004, as a subsidiary of the Bio-Bee Group. Bio-Bee develops and implements biological control solutions for key pests of modern agriculture, aimed at reducing the use of chemical pesticides in agricultural production.

The beginning – Arava Fruit Fly Control Project

The company was founded following a successful pilot of the Arava-Araba Medfly Eradication Project (AMEP), conducted jointly by Israel and Jordan. As part of the project, sterile flies, imported from Guatemala on a weekly basis as pupae, were dispersed throughout the Arava–Araba Valley, in order to keep the valley free of the Mediterranean fruit fly.

Following the success of the project, the Ministry of Agriculture's Plant Protection and Inspection Services (PPIS) decided, with the support of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to establish this technology in Israel, and expand its use to extensive regions. For this purpose, it was necessary to construct a local production of sterile flies. Bio-Bee Company, the third largest in its field in the world, took up the challenge, and established Bio-Fly for this purpose.

After several months of studying the technology and familiarization with the field, in Israel and abroad, construction of the plant commenced in November 2004. In March 2005 the plant was opened, and in June 2005 regular sales of sterile pupae began, initially to the Israeli side of AMEP, replacing the pupae imported from Guatemala.

Bio-Fly expands into additional projects and services

In November 2005, the plant was awarded ISO 9001:2000 standard certification. In January 2006 the company began to export its products to Jordan, to the Jordanian side of AMEP.  A month later, the company opened its Emergence Center, and began two new projects as part of which it supplied mature flies ready for dispersal in the field, as well as company involvement and support services for the projects from the planning stage to implementation in the field.

At the end of 2006, an irradiation machine was put into operation to irradiate pupae in the production facility, and prevent dependency on external parties.

At the beginning of 2007, the company increased involvement in project management in the field, thus supporting the expansion of existing projects and initiation of new projects in Israel. The company accompanies all these projects from their very beginning, and is committed to supplying high quality flies in compliance with the international quality assurance standards for SIT technology.

Bio-Fly is currently the only company in the eastern Mediterranean region engaged in the mass production of sterile flies – a public product that is integrated into national and regional pest control programs. Among our customers and partners are government ministries and agricultural organizations, in Israel and abroad, who have taken up the challenge of environmentally friendly Medfly control.