Miljøfluen produces live dung flies and parasitic wasps, which are used as a natural method to combat unwanted flies in pig and cattle barns.
The company’s owner, Tannie Andersen, has been building the business since its foundation in 1993. Her son-in-law, Søren Bøgelund Nielsen, joined the production team in 2011 and has served as production manager since 2018. Later, her daughter Tina Andersen, who is married to Søren, also became part of the company. Together, they describe themselves as a strong trio that complements each other very well.
From Air Force to Fly Control
“Søren was the first of the two young people to be employed,” says Tannie Andersen. “First in production in 2011 and later as production manager. Demand for our products had grown enormously, and we needed more hands. At the time, he was working as a corporal in the Royal Danish Air Force. I already knew him well through his marriage to my daughter Tina, so we headhunted him a little, if you can call it that.”
“In our industry, you don’t take a specific education to perform the tasks—we look more at personal qualities when hiring. Søren brought integrity and efficiency with him from the Air Force, which we benefit greatly from in production and warehouse operations.”
Tannie Andersen, Owner of Miljøfluen
Recently Joined by a Daughter
Tannie continues: “Tina has always been involved on the sidelines of the company. Back in 1993, when I began producing dung flies and parasitic wasps, she was very young, but she thought it was fun that I worked with flies. As she grew older, she earned pocket money during summer holidays by packing bags of dung flies. Later, she had a gap year where she helped with administrative tasks, but she wanted to build her own career path and trained as a librarian with a Master’s in Information Technology. She worked at Aalborg University Library for eight years as an academic employee before I asked her if she was interested in joining the company.”
“I am certainly not about to retire, but it takes time to build up experience in biological fly control, and I wanted to future-proof Miljøfluen. Tina was the obvious choice, as she already knew so much about the company. Especially since I had hired Søren several years earlier. In addition, she brings valuable expertise in IT and communication, which we truly benefit from.”
— Tannie Andersen, Owner of Miljøfluen
A Strong Trio for the Future
“Producing dung flies and parasitic wasps as a biological control method is a niche industry, and Tannie has nearly 30 years of experience in this field,” says daughter Tina Andersen. “She is incredibly skilled at what she does, so I listen carefully to her explanations and try to learn everything I can from her. In turn, she is also good at listening to input, and the three of us—Søren, Tannie, and I—discuss things together.”
“Some of my former colleagues from the university library asked me if I wasn’t worried about changing to such a different industry, and whether I was sure I wanted to work so closely with my family. But that has never crossed my mind. There are many similarities between my previous job and this one. The difference is that now I get to go to work every day with my mother and my husband. And that is truly a gift.”
Facts about Miljøfluen®
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Founded in 1993
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Offers subscription-based solutions for biological fly control to agriculture in the form of live dung flies and parasitic wasps
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Dung flies and parasitic wasps are natural enemies of houseflies and biting flies. Miljøfluen breeds them, prepares them at the right stage of their life cycle, and delivers them at regular intervals directly to the barns where fly control is needed
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Provides biological fly control across all of Denmark as well as large parts of Scandinavia and Europe
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Website: www.miljofluen.dk
