Partner startup DroneUA - BEETLESS, an emerging leader in sustainable pest control, has initiated collaborative field trials with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), targeting one of the most devastating agricultural threats in the United States — citrus greening disease.
These field tests, launched in partnership with the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida, aim to evaluate BEETLESS’s smart insect trap technology against the Asian Citrus Psyllid, the insect responsible for spreading Huanglongbing (HLB) — a disease that destroys up to 75% of Florida’s citrus crops annually.
The testing effort includes collaboration with Dr. Lauren M. Diepenbrock, assistant professor of entomology at UF, and is part of a broader initiative to explore chemical-free, targeted methods for pest monitoring and suppression. Dr. Diepenbrock’s lab focuses on invasive pest control and integrated pest management, bringing scientific insight into optimizing the device’s performance both in the lab and in real-world field conditions.
During the trial, both first- and second-generation prototypes of the BEETLESS trap are being evaluated in citrus groves for attractant efficiency, species selectivity, and real-time capture rates under varied environmental conditions. The goal is to validate the trap’s capacity to reduce pest populations while preserving pollinators and other beneficial insects.
“Florida’s citrus industry is ground zero for fighting HLB in the US,” said Oleksandra Afanasieva, BEETLESS Co-Founder and CEO. “These trials will help ensure that our technology not only performs under pressure, but does so in a way that aligns with the ecological and operational needs of American growers.”
The data collected from this collaboration will be instrumental in shaping BEETLESS’s U.S. product roadmap and regulatory alignment. Insights from the testing will also support regional adaptation and broader market entry strategies.
Founded by DroneUA and Mosqitter, BEETLESS develops advanced, chemical-free pest control systems that merge bioengineering and robotics. The company’s mission is to help farmers around the world increase productivity without compromising environmental sustainability.
The collaboration with the University of Florida represents an important milestone in BEETLESS’s growth and commitment to scientific rigor. It underscores the company’s approach to building solutions based on real-world needs and empirical performance data.
