De Groene Vlieg

What De Groene Vlieg does

De Groene Vlieg Bio Control/Diagnostics B.V. is a Dutch biological pest control company founded around 1980 and headquartered in Dronten, Netherlands. It operates as a subsidiary of the HLB Group (a diversified agricultural knowledge conglomerate employing approximately 200 people across HLB, NMI, AgroCares, and De Groene Vlieg). The company's core technology is the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for control of the onion fly (Delia antiqua): sterile male flies are mass-bred, sterilized, and released in large quantities onto participating onion fields, where they compete with wild fertile males for mating, producing no viable offspring and progressively suppressing the regional pest population. A new purpose-built Dronten facility (De Boorn 1, opened 2024–2025) doubled production capacity to 1.6–1.8 billion sterile flies per season. In April 2026 the company introduced the 'poppenmodel', deploying sterile pupae directly to fields in weather-resistant orange cup holders rather than releasing adult flies, improving freshness and mating effectiveness.

The company's commercial offering is built around two pillars. The first is the SIT seasonal subscription service, sold per enrolled onion hectare, complemented by SIT-plus bundled biological control strategies introduced in 2023. The second is a broad portfolio of insect monitoring and signalling services covering carrot fly, bean fly, chicory leaf miner, beet leaf miner, tobacco thrips, wireworm, and aphids in flower bulbs, using the in-house-developed Goudval sticky trap and proprietary pheromone systems. SIT is deployed across more than 50% of total Dutch onion acreage, with carrot fly monitoring covering more than 8,000 hectares and bulb aphid monitoring covering more than 9,000 hectares across the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.

De Groene Vlieg distributes through two channels: a direct field sales force of approximately 15 regional crop advisors (teeltadviseurs) covering all Dutch provinces, and a formalized dealer network (Van Iperen, Alliance, Agrifirm, FarmPlus, George Pars Graanhandel, ProfytoDSD, Agrowin, Heyboer, Wesemael, AgroBuren) established in 2023. Pricing is subscription-based per hectare per season; exact pricing is not publicly disclosed, but SIT is the only measure eligible under the Dutch CAP eco-regeling for biological onion pest control, enabling participating farmers to claim €60–€200/hectare in subsidies, with additional interest rate incentives via the Rabobank Duurzaamheidsmatrix secured in December 2025. Primary customers are Dutch onion farmers, with secondary segments in root vegetable and flower bulb growers. Soil and crop health research (nematode, fusarium, pathogen) is delivered through sister company HLB rather than directly via De Groene Vlieg.

Name

De Groene Vlieg

Legal name

De Groene Vlieg Bio Control/Diagnostics B.V.

Website

https://degroenevlieg.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

De Groene Vlieg is a Dutch biological pest control company that mass-produces and releases sterile onion flies via the Sterile Insect Technique to suppress wild pest populations across Dutch onion farms, supplemented by monitoring services for carrot fly, aphids, and other pests across the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biological Pest Control Services

NAICS

Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (325320), Exterminating and Pest Control Services (561710)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Insect Control (Crawling/Flying Insects) for Farms & Ag Facilities (AFACAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biological Pest Control (Beneficial Insects, Nematodes, Microbials) (AFABAKAB), Eco-Friendly/Organic Outdoor Pest Control (Botanical, Beneficials, IPM) (HSAIANAJ), Pest Control Product Supply (Fumigants, Traps, Lures, Applicator Equipment) (AFAOAIAN)

Keywords

• Biological pest control
• Sterile insect technique
• Insect monitoring services
• Agricultural diagnostics
• Onion fly control

Headquarters

HQ city

Dronten

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) Services: De Groene Vlieg provides end-to-end onion fly SIT services to onion farmers, including monitoring, breeding, sterilization, field release, and advisory support. The service is sold directly via field sales and through a dealer network. Farmers enroll their onion parcels for the season, and the company handles the full process from trapping to fly release.
2. Insect Monitoring and Signalling Services: Monitoring and signalling services for various insect pests including carrot fly (wortelvlieg), bean fly (bonenvlieg), tobacco thrips (tabakstrips), wireworms (ritnaalden), leaf aphids in flower bulbs, chicory leafminer fly, and beet fly. Services include trap placement, weekly monitoring, laboratory analysis, and pest pressure reports with recommendations.
3. Research Insect Sales: Sale of onion fly larvae and pupae, as well as rove beetles (A. bilineata), specifically for research purposes. Pupae are shipped on Mondays; rove beetles are available on order (up to 2,500 units with ~5 weeks lead time).
4. Soil and Crop Health Services (via HLB): De Groene Vlieg cross-references HLB's soil and crop health services including nematode sampling, fusarium testing, and other soil analysis. These services are delivered by sister company HLB and billed through that entity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

De Groene Vlieg provides biological pest control services to Dutch agricultural businesses, primarily the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for onion fly suppression, which involves mass breeding, sterilization, and field release of sterile male onion flies (Delia antiqua). The company complements its core SIT service with a portfolio of insect monitoring and signaling services using proprietary Goudval sticky traps for carrot fly, bean fly, beet leaf miner, tobacco thrips, wireworm, and aphid pests across onion, carrot, chicory, sugar beet, and flower bulb crops.

Product overview

De Groene Vlieg operates as a biological pest control company offering a suite of integrated insect management services, primarily for Dutch onion growers. The core product is the Steriele Insecten Techniek (SIT) for onion fly control, which breeds, sterilizes, and releases sterile onion flies to suppress wild populations through non-viable mating. This is complemented by a broad portfolio of insect monitoring and signaling services covering carrot fly, bean fly, beet leaf miner fly, tobacco thrips, wireworm, and aphids in flower bulbs — all using proprietary traps such as the Goudval. Soil and crop health research is provided through sister company HLB. A major 2026 innovation introduced the poppenmodel (pupae deployment model), deploying pupae directly in weather-resistant orange cup holders ('oranje ufo's') on participating fields, replacing the traditional fly-release method and improving efficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SIT - Uienvlieg (Steriele Insecten Techniek voor Uienvlieg)
• Wortelvlieg Signalering (Carrot Fly Monitoring)
• Bonenvlieg Signalering (Bean Fly Monitoring)
• Witlofmineervlieg Signalering (Chicory Leaf Miner Monitoring)
• Bietenvlieg Signalering (Beet Leaf Miner Monitoring)
• Tabakstrips Signalering (Tobacco Thrips Monitoring)
• Ritnaaldenbeheersing (Wireworm Monitoring and Control)
• Bladluis Signalering in Bloembollen (Aphid Monitoring in Flower Bulbs)
• Verkoop Kortschildkever en Uienvlieg (Sale of Onion Fly Larvae and Rove Beetles for Research)
• Bodem en Gewas Onderzoek (Soil and Crop Health Research via HLB)
• Poppenmodel (SIT Pupae Deployment Model)
• Digitalisering Veldwerk (Tablet-Based Field Registration System)
• SIT-plus Strategy

Quantifiable outcome

• SIT covers more than 50% of total Dutch onion acreage, with target regional coverage of ~90% for optimal effectiveness
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Uireka (Chain-wide Onion Research Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Uireka is a 9-year chain-wide onion research consortium representing all links of the Dutch onion sector (~80 partners). De Groene Vlieg/HLB participates in Uireka by performing fusarium soil testing and contributing SIT expertise. Uireka 4 has a budget of €6.5 million over four years. The consortium conducts practical, farmer-driven research on onion health, pests, and diseases.
• Dealer Network (Van Iperen, Alliance, Agrifirm, FarmPlus, George Pars Graanhandel, ProfytoDSD, Agrowin, Heyboer, Wesemael, AgroBuren)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDealers promote and resell SIT and monitoring services to their farmer customers. De Groene Vlieg provides area updates, training, and marketing support. The dealer network enables coverage across all Dutch onion-growing regions. The formal dealer program was established in 2023.
• De Groot en SlotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDe Groot en Slot (an onion breeding company) co-organized the Uienmiddag (Onion Afternoon) 2026 event with De Groene Vlieg in Emmeloord, bringing together onion farmers and industry players.
• Waterman OnionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWaterman Onions (onion sorting and export company, Emmeloord) co-hosted the Uienmiddag 2026 event and actively promotes SIT among its onion farmer suppliers. The company exported 180,000 tonnes of onions in 2025.
• LNCN (Landbouwbeurs Centraal Nederland)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLNCN organizes the Themadag Uien (Onion Theme Day) in Dronten, at which De Groene Vlieg/HLB maintains a presence. The event features onion competitions and charity auctions.
• Stichting De Leeuw Kyiv (Kees Huizinga)minorOthersDe Groene Vlieg/HLB purchased red onions at the LNCN Themadag Uien charity auction for €1,500, with proceeds supporting Stichting De Leeuw Kyiv (charity supporting the Ukrainian army and civilians). The onions were subsequently used as fly feed at the Dronten breeding facility, creating a circular initiative.
• HLB (Hoofdbedrijf Lab voor Bodem en Gewas)coreOthersHLB (HLB Group) is the parent organization of De Groene Vlieg. HLB provides soil research, nematode testing, fusarium analysis, and scientific expertise that complements De Groene Vlieg's insect monitoring and SIT services. The combined organization employs ~200 people and operates across the Dutch agricultural sector.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Agrobio (Biobest Group): Spain-based biological pest control subsidiary of Biobest, producing and distributing beneficial insects and bumblebees for Mediterranean horticulture. Comparable as a European beneficial-insect provider, though serving different crops and geographies than De Groene Vlieg.
• AB Biotics (Futureco Bioscience): Spain-based agricultural biotech focused on biostimulants, biocontrol, and microbial products for horticulture and specialty crops. Comparable as a European biological-input provider serving growers, though operating in Mediterranean crops rather than Dutch open-field onion SIT.

Broad incumbents

• Suterra: US-based subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical and a global leader in pheromone-based mating disruption and insect monitoring. Comparable to De Groene Vlieg as a non-chemical pest management provider serving agriculture, with overlapping pest-monitoring and area-wide control offerings.
• Biobest: Belgian multinational supplying beneficial insects, biopesticides, and pollination services to greenhouse and open-field growers worldwide. Comparable as a European biological pest control provider using natural enemies and IPM protocols, though it focuses on protected-cultivation crops rather than open-field SIT.
• Koppert: Netherlands-based global leader in biological crop protection and natural pollination, offering a broad portfolio of beneficial insects, microbials, and IPM solutions. Directly comparable to De Groene Vlieg as a Dutch biological pest control specialist serving protected and open-field horticulture, though operating at much larger scale and across many more crops.

Others

• Waterman Onions: Netherlands-based onion sorting and export company handling 180,000 tonnes annually, actively promoting SIT among its onion farmer suppliers. Comparable as a Dutch onion-sector value-chain participant that is a customer and ecosystem partner of De Groene Vlieg rather than a direct SIT competitor.
• HLB Group: Netherlands-based parent organization of De Groene Vlieg, providing soil research, nematode testing, fusarium analysis, and scientific expertise to Dutch agriculture. Comparable as a Dutch agricultural diagnostics and research platform that supplies soil/crop health services alongside De Groene Vlieg's insect offerings.

Direct peers

• Oxitec: UK/US-based developer of sterile insect technology (and genetically engineered insects) for pest control in agriculture and public health. Most directly comparable to De Groene Vlieg on the core SIT methodology for area-wide pest suppression, though Oxitec's applications extend to mosquitoes and Mediterranean fruit fly rather than onion fly.
• Viridaxis: France-based producer of beneficial insects (parasitoid wasps) for biological pest control in greenhouse crops. Comparable to De Groene Vlieg as a European beneficial-insect producer supplying growers, though focused on protected horticulture and aphid parasitoids rather than open-field SIT.

Emerging players

• Provivi: US-based agricultural biotech developing pheromone-based pest control for row crops including maize, rice, and tree crops. Comparable as an emerging biological pest-control company targeting area-wide suppression of insect pests, though its technology platform (synthetic pheromones) differs from SIT.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about De Groene Vlieg