AU1893899A

AU1893899A - Pest repellents

Info

Publication number: AU1893899A
Application number: AU18938/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Alexander Michael Doig
Original assignee: RAKICH ANDREW
Current assignee: RAKICH ANDREW
Priority date: 1997-12-24
Filing date: 1998-12-24
Publication date: 1999-07-19
Also published as: WO1999033339A2; WO1999033339A3

Description

WO 99/33339 PCT/NZ98/00191 PEST REPELLENTS This is invention is directed to pest repelling compositions and methods of using 5 them. In particular, it is directed to repelling pests such as cats and dogs away from protected areas and refuse containers. BACKGROUND 10 Cats and dogs when unrestrained in the urban environment have the capacity to make a serious nuisance of themselves. Such nuisance includes but is not limited to defecation on neighbourhood lawns, digging up gardens and flower beds to bury bones and the like and the destruction of rubbish bags to gain 15 access to their contents. One approach to preventing these problems is to provide compositions which ward pests away from protected areas and articles. By way of example, compositions containing the compound methyl nonyl ketone are commonly 20 employed. However, the success of such compositions is variable and there are drawbacks in terms of toxicity. It is an object of the present invention to provide compositions which repel pests which are both effective and substantially non-toxic, or which at least provide the 25 public with a useful choice. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 30 Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a pest repelling composition which comprises, as active agent, at least one non-toxic compound which is malodorous in use, said compound(s) being encapsulated within or dispersed throughout a sustained release carrier. 1 WO 99/33339 PCT/NZ98/00191 The phrase "non-toxic compound which is malodorous in use" means any compound which is substantially non-toxic to the pest when ingested in small amounts and which functions as a repellent by virtue of its unpleasant odour 5 only without an attendant association on the part of the pest with toxicity being necessary. The sustained release carrier can be a sustained release polymeric matrix, or a gel. 10 It is however presently preferred that the sustained release carrier be petroleum jelly. Preferably, the active agent is at least one thiol compound. 15 More preferably, the active agent comprises at least two thiol compounds. Most preferably, the thiol compounds are selected from isoamyl mercaptan, butyl mercaptan and crotyl mercaptan. 20 In a further aspect, the invention provides a pest repelling composition which comprises, as active agent, at least one non-toxic compound which, when exposed to environmental conditions such as moisture, converts from substantially odour neutral to malodorous. 25 Conveniently, the composition of this aspect will further include a sustained release carrier. It is presently preferred that said active agent is at least one precursor 30 compound, which upon hydrolysis releases malodorous thiol compounds. 2 WO 99/33339 PCT/NZ98/00191 It is presently most preferred that the active agent be at least one acetate precursor hydrolysable to release isoamyl mercaptan, butyl mnercaptan and/or crotyl mercaptan. 5 In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of repelling a pest away from a protected area which comprises the step of applying a composition as defined above to or around said area. Conveniently, the protected area is a lawn or garden. 10 In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of repelling a pest away from an article, which comprises the step of applying to said article a composition as defined above. 15 Preferably, said article is a refuse container such as rubbish bag. In still a further aspect, the invention provides a dispensing device containing a composition as defined above. 20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURE The accompanying figure shows a preferred form arrangement for containing the malodorous dispensing composition of the invention, by way of example and without intending to be limiting. 25 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As broadly outlined above, the present invention is directed to malodorous compositions. The compositions are for use in repelling pests. 30 The particular focus of the invention to date has been on repelling pests such as cats and dogs in the urban environment and in particular keeping cats and dogs from defecating on lawns, out of gardens and away from rubbish bags. However, 3 WO 99/33339 PCT/NZ98/00191 it is by no means restricted to such applications. It will also have utility in keeping other pests such as stoats and ferrets away from domestic fowls eg chickens and out of bird sanctuaries. Yet further applications will be apparent to those persons skilled in this art. 5 In a first form of the invention, the composition comprises a non-toxic active agent which is malodorous. The active agent is reliant for its effect simply upon olfactory impact and does not require the animal to associate the odour with toxicity. In this manner, it is distinct from other repellent compositions. 10 The presently preferred active agent will be a thiol compound, and more preferably, a combination of thiol compounds. Most preferred at present are the compounds isoamyl mercaptan, butyl mercaptan and crotyl mercaptan, although this list is not to be interpreted as limiting. These compounds are readily 15 commercially available. The other component of the composition is a sustained release carrier. This encapsulates the active agent or has the active agent dispersed in it. The latter is preferred. 20 The inclusion of a sustained release carrier reflects the application to which the composition is to be put. A transitory repellent effect is not sufficient to deter pests in any practical fashion away from areas or articles to be protected. Instead, a longer term effect is required so that the pest will encounter the 25 malodour at any time the protected area or article is approached, whether day or night. Any substantially non-toxic sustained release carrier can be employed. Examples include polymeric matrices such as those based on cellulose. Other 30 examples include gels or gel-like substances which gradually break down upon exposure to the environment to release the malodorous substance dispersed therein. 4 WO 99/33339 PCT/NZ98/00191 It is however presently preferred that the sustained release carrier be a petroleum jelly. This has been found by the applicants to be both particularly suitable and economic to use. 5 In another form, the composition of the invention can be provided with an active agent which converts from a first (precursor) state to a second (malodorous) state upon exposure to environmental conditions. In particular, the active agent may be any precursor compound which is able to be hydrolysed to release malodorous substances upon encountering environmental moisture. 10 Once again, the preferred malodorous active agent will be at least one tlhiol compound. The preferred precursor compounds will therefore be any form of thiol precursor hydrolysable to release the thiol compounds in use. For example, acetate precursors hydrolysable to release isoamyl mercaptan, butyl mercaptan 15 and/or crotyl mercaptan can be readily employed. Desirably, the composition of this aspect will also include a sustained release carrier. 20 The presently preferred pest repelling compositions are as follows: Formulation 1: 4% by volume isoamyl mercaptan 4% by volume butyl mercaptan 92% by volume petroleum jelly 25 Formulation 2: 4% by volume crotyl mercaptan 4% by volume butyl mercaptan 92% by volume petroleum jelly 30 These preferred formulations can be readily prepared as follows: 5 WO 99/33339 PCT/NZ98/00191 The petroleum jelly is heated until it is in a substantially liquid state, at which time the appropriate amounts of the mercaptan compounds -are added. The composition is then thoroughly mixed before being allowed to cool. 5 Once prepared, the compositions of the invention can be packaged for use. This will normally involve providing the composition in a dispensing device. Any suitable dispensing device can be employed. Tubes (similar in construction to toothpaste tubes) can be conveniently employed. 10 Where the composition comprises, as active agent, the preferred tihiol compounds, it is also possible to dispense the active agent by encapsulating the composition in a plastics material. The thiol compounds have the ability to leach through plastics materials and therefore can be released gradually into the 15 environment. It is therefore contemplated for some applications that plastic dispensing devices in the form of (optionally perforated) plastics balls can be used. The present invention therefore provides compositions which in use release 20 malodorous compounds which repel pests. This makes them suitable for a number of applications. Trials to date have tested the ability of the preferred formulations 1 and 2 detailed above to repel dogs and cats in the urban environment. Formulation 1 25 has been trialed as a pest repellent to ward cats and dogs away from lawns and gardens where they have habitually created problems. Very small amounts of the formulation have been applied both on and at the boundaries of the lawns and gardens to be protected (coverage being, for example, two or three dabs of the formulation per square meter of lawn). 30 Application of the formulation has been effective to deter cats and dogs from the protected areas. Further, the malodour remains detectable for an extended period (in excess of one month) without the need for reapplication. 6 WO 99/33339 PCT/NZ98/00191 Formulation 2 has been trialed to measure its repellent effect on-cats and dogs in terms of warding them away from refuse containers (in particular, rubbish bags). The trials were conducted in areas where rubbish bags left out for collection have 5 habitually been attacked and ripped open to gain access to their contents. In use, formulation 2 is applied to the refuse containers such as a rubbish bag prior to the bag being put out for collection. The result has been that the rubbish bags as treated are not being attacked, whereas other (untreated) rubbish bags in 10 the vicinity are. The accompanying figure shows one preferred arrangement for containing and dispensing the malodorous composition of the invention. The composition is contained within a first container, which may take the form of a metal tube 1 15 having an outlet closed by a cap 2 from which the composition may be dispensed by squeezing the tube. The tube is in turn contained within a second container 3 having a lid 4. Within the container 3 is also provided an odour neutralising means 5, such as an amount of activated charcoal or any other suitable odour neutralising material. The odour neutralising material is shown within a sachet 5 20 but may alternatively be contained within a lining within the interior of the container 3 or in any other suitable arrangement. After the tube 1 has been opened and some of the composition dispensed, even when the cap 2 is replaced malodour may still escape. With the arrangement shown, the composition can be reused because the tube 1 is contained within the second container 3 also 25 containing an odour neutralising means. Having provided the above description of the invention, it will be appreciated by those persons skilled in the art that the description is exemplary and intended to illustrate the invention only without limiting its scope. For example, other 30 malodorous compounds including thiol compounds other than those specifically identified can be employed. Similarly, sustained release carriers other than petroleum jelly as exemplified above be used without departing from the scope of this invention. 7

Claims

1. A pest repelling composition which comprises, as an active agent, at least one non-toxic compound which is malodorous in use, said compound(s) being 5 encapsulated within or dispersed throughout a sustained release carrier.

2. A pest repelling composition according to claim 1 wherein said sustained release carrier comprises a sustained release polymeric matrix, a gel, or a petroleum jelly.

3. A pest repelling composition according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the 10 active agent is at least one thiol compound.

4. A pest repelling composition according to claim 3 wherein the active agent comprises at least two thiol compounds.

5. A pest repelling composition according to either one of claims 3 and 4 wherein the thiol compounds are selected from isoamyl mercaptan, butyl 15 mercaptan, and crotyl mercaptan.

6. A pest repelling composition according to claim 3 wherein said at least one thiol compound is crotyl mecaptan.

7. A pest repelling composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the active agent comprises at least one non-toxic compound which, 20 when exposed to environmental conditions such as moisture, converts from substantially odour neutral to malodorous.

8. A pest repelling composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7 contained within a first container from which the composition can be dispensed which is in turn contained within a second container including a detachable lid 25 enabling the first container to be removed for dispensing of the composition and which second container also contains an odour neutralising means, so that the second container and the odour neutralising means are effective to prevent the escape of malodour. 8 WO 99/33339 PCT/NZ98/00191

9. A pest repelling composition according to claim 8 wherein the first container is a metal tube with an outlet from which the composition can be dispensed by squeezing the tube.

10. A pest repelling composition according to either one of claims 8 and 9 5 wherein the odour neutralising composition is activated charcoal.

11. A method of repelling a pest away from a protected area which comprises the step of applying a composition according to any one of claims .. to .. to or around said area.

12. A method of repelling a pest away from an article, which comprises the 10 step of applying to said article a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein the area is a lawn or garden.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the article is a refuse container such as rubbish bag.

15 15. A pest repelling composition according to claim 8 and substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing. 9