FABIans Amy Collop (Technical assistant at the Biological Control Facility) and PhD candidate Elisa Pal travelled to Stellenbosch to attend an insect mass-rearing course from 6-10 March. This course was organised by Prof. Des Conlong and hosted by the Stellenbosch University’s Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology. This course covered various aspects of insect rearing such as insect pathology, quality control, insect breeding and genetics, insect nutrition and artificial diets, and development of a Sterile Insect Technique  (SIT) programme. The guest lecturers for this 2023 edition were Dr Norman Leppla (University of Florida) and Dr Allan Cohen (North Carolina State University) who specializes in insect nutrition and diets. Between two lectures, Amy and Elisa had the opportunity to visit various insectary facilities such as Phyla and Fruit fly Africa in Stellenbosch. Phyla is a phytosanitary research laboratory funded by the deciduous fruit industry organisation Hortgro, whereas Fruit Fly Africa mass produces and releases the sterile Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata) males using the Sterile Insect Technique. To conclude the week, the attendees travelled to Citrusdal to visit the impressive XSIT facility where they commercially developed the SIT technique on the False codling moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) for the citrus industry.