CA1164658A

CA1164658A - Insect feeding station

Info

Publication number: CA1164658A
Application number: CA000398654A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Edward Morris
Original assignee: American Cyanamid Co
Current assignee: Wyeth Holdings LLC
Priority date: 1981-04-06
Filing date: 1982-03-17
Publication date: 1984-04-03

Abstract

28,108 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An insect feeding station having inner walls spaced from outer walls to form a poison compartment, offset openings in said walls and transparent means in the cover to view said Poison compartment. The poison compartment may have a contrasting and luminous color under the poison to make removal of poison easily detectable.

Description

The invention relates to a device for destroying insects. It more particularly relates to an insect feeding station whereby poison may be administered to insects without endangering children or domestic animals.
Various types of devices have been known in the prior art for destroying insects. In some devices, the insects are trapped in the device after entering, either by mechanical construction, or by sticking to a gummy substance. In either instance, the device is soon full and useless. In devices which contained a poison, it was easy to shake out loose poison, or probe through openings to reach the poison, thus making them a danger to children or small domestic animals. In addition, prior devices are generally of a construction that the interior of the device is difficult to view so that it is not readily ascertainable whether insects are using the device or how much poison has been used.
The invention provides an insect feeding station for administering poison to insects comprising a base portion and a cover, said base portion comprising a floor, outer vertical walls having at least one opening therein, and an inner wall spaced from said outer walls and containing at least one opening offset from said opening in said outer wall, said inner wall forming an inner compartment for said poison.
The outer case may be of any configuration, e.g., round, square, or rectangular and the inner compartment may have a corresponding configuration. The outer case walls has at least one and preferably three or more openings. Since the inner compartment openings are o~fset, a probe stuck into an outer wall opening, will not enter the opening of the inner compartment and contact the ~.
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poison therein. The cover of the device is preferably permanently affixed to the base and may have at least a part which is trans-parent so that the poison is visible through the cover.
The poison is preferably of the type known as bai-t, i.e., it is a mixture of slow acting poison and some food material attractive to insects, such as flour, molasses, peanut butter or the like. The bait is preferably of a paste like or solid con-sistancy. Thus, insects are attracted to the devic~, eat the bait and leave the device to die elsewhere. The bait may be a molded shape, e.g., a flat wafer affixed to the floor of the inner com-partment.
It is also a part of this invention to coat the floor of the compartment with a contrasting color before putting down the bait, and more desirably the contrasting color may be luminous so that it is readily visible in darkened areas. ~s bait, is removed by insects, the contrasting color underneath becomes visible and provides an indication whether insects are using the station and how much bait has been used.
The invention may be better understood by reference to the drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective of the base portion with cover removed Figure 2 is a top plan view, and Figure 3 is a view in elevation.
Referring to ~igure 1, the insect feeding station of the present invention comprises a base portion 10 and , .. . .

~ 3 ~
c~er 12. The base p~rtion may be o~ any suitable material such as metal or pla~ic, and may be transpare~t plastic but need no~ be txansparen~. Ba~e portion 10 ha~ ou~er casiAg wall 14 with opening~ 16, a ~loor 18, innex compartment wall 20 with opening~ 22. I~ner compartment wall 20 ~o~ms an inner compartmen~ 2~. Bait 26 is affixed to floor 18 in inner compartment 24. The floor of inner compar~ment may be coated with a contra~ing color layer 28 be~ore affixing the bait. Color layer 28 is preferably a lumlnescent material.
This may be a coating o~ luminescent pain~, or a luminescent dyed paper or the like. If the bait contains an oleagenous ingredient, it is de irable to coat color layer 28 with a protective material, e.g., a resin, be~ore affixing the bait so that the color layer is not soaked wlth oil or grease and lS discolored or inacti~ated.
Cover 12 extends to the periphery of outer casing walls 14 to close the base portion 10 and may also be of any suitable material. ~owever, cover 12 should have at least a portion which is transparent so that b~it 26 may be readily seen. Although the cover has been illustrated as a flat disc, it will be readily apparent that it could also have an outer wall extending downwardly over outer base wall 14 so long as the openings 16 are not obstructed. Cover 12 is permanently affixed to base 10 as by adhesive or any suitable means.
In a preferred embodiment, the base portion 10 and co~er 12 are both of transparent plas~ic.
As illu trated, the insect feeding station may be flat on a ~loor or other desired area. Insec~s may enter tha de~ice thxough openings 16 and offset openings 22 to reach bait 26 i~ the inner compar~ment and leave the same opening~. The con umption o~ bait 26 may be viewed through transparent cover 12, and be readily ~isible due to con~rasting background 2~ u~der the bai~.

~ 4 -Although insecks may easily reach the bait, it will be readily apparent in Figure 2 that a probe placed in a~y opening 16 in the outer casing wall 14 will not enter - the inner compartment wall 20 due to offset of openings 22 in wall 20. Thus, the device is safe from inquisitive children.
The de~ice could also be mounted on ~ertical surfac s by means of double sided adhesiva tape, not shown, on the lower surace 30 o~ base portion 10. Since bait 26 0 i5 affixed to tha floox of th~ inner compartment, it will n~t be disturbed and will remain in the same position wi~hin the device.
It will be ~een that the present inven~io~
provides an insect feedi~g station for administering poison lS to ~nsects, paxticularly crawling insects, whereby a signal is pro~ided allowing ths ready detection of the removal of poisonous bait, even in dimly lit areas and without removing the device and which has an off-set entry baffle system so that children cannot probe the bait containing compartment.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. An insect feeding station for administering poison to insects comprising a base portion and a cover, said base portion comprising a floor, outer vertical walls having at least one open-ing therein, and an inner wall spaced from said outer walls and containing at least one opening offset from said opening in said outer wall, said inner wall forming an inner compartment for said poison.

2. The insect feeding station of claim 1 having a plurality of openings in said outer and inner walls, said openings in said inner wall being offset from said openings in said outer wall.

3. The insect feeding station of claim 1 wherein said poison is a bait mixture of food and poison.

4. The insect feeding station of claim 3 wherein said bait mixture is a solid mixture affixed to the floor of said inner com-partment.

5. The insect feeding station of claim 4 comprising color beneath said bait.

6. The insect feeding station of claim 5 wherein said con-trasting color is luminescent.

7. The insect feeding station of claim 1 comprising means to affix said station to a vertical surface.

8. The insect feeding station of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said cover has at least a part transparent whereby said poison may be visible.

9. The insect feeding station of claim 4, 5 or 6 wherein said cover has at least a part transparent whereby said poison may he visible.