Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01N—PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF; BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES; PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS
  • A01N25/00—Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators, characterised by their forms, or by their non-active ingredients or by their methods of application, e.g. seed treatment or sequential application; Substances for reducing the noxious effect of the active ingredients to organisms other than pests
  • A01N25/002—Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators, characterised by their forms, or by their non-active ingredients or by their methods of application, e.g. seed treatment or sequential application; Substances for reducing the noxious effect of the active ingredients to organisms other than pests containing a foodstuff as carrier or diluent, i.e. baits
  • A01N25/006—Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators, characterised by their forms, or by their non-active ingredients or by their methods of application, e.g. seed treatment or sequential application; Substances for reducing the noxious effect of the active ingredients to organisms other than pests containing a foodstuff as carrier or diluent, i.e. baits insecticidal
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01N—PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF; BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES; PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS
  • A01N59/00—Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing elements or inorganic compounds
  • A01N59/14—Boron; Compounds thereof

Definitions

• the present invention relates to compositions and methods utilizing borax toxicants, such as borax, to control fruit fly populations of the Tephritidae family.
• Boric acid is known as a killing agent in roach, fruit fly and ant-killing compositions.
• Australian patent 22,579 (Fenwicke, 1935) teaches the use of boric acid as a "germicidal antiseptic" m combination with castor oil and turpentine as "cleaning agents" to be applied to sheep for killing maggots.
• Japanese patents J5-8052-205 (Nakamoto, 1981), J6-1030- 506-A (Watkayama, 1984) and J6-1078-705-A (Amachir, 1984) teach the use of boric acid as the killing agent m vanous complex compositions for killing roaches (Nakamoto and Amachir) and white ants (Wakayama).
• French patent 2,491 ,296 shows a 50/50 by weight composition of bone acid or one of its salts plus sweetened condensed milk which was placed, without spreading, in a ship's hold to control cockroaches.
• Japanese document JA-72-23198-R (Sankyo Co. Ltd. 47-
• a toxic roach bait comprising msecticidal compositions, e.g. dieldrm, BHC (Lmdane), DDT, Sumithic, and boric acid mixed with more than 4 weight percent glycerol in earners, such as cereal, fish meal, nee bran, starch paste, sugar, maltose, fatty acids, faulty acid esters and fatty alcohols.
• Japanese patent J5-4017-120 shows a cockroach bait of 1.5-10 weight percent boric acid, 10-50 weight percent starch and an extract of fish or animal bones prepared by boiling the bones in water for not over 2 hours.
• boric acid has been used previously, the art teaches that it must be kept dry, as wet bone acid will not work; Wellness Letter, University of Calif, at Berkeley, September 1991, page 7. Thus, use of boric acid with aqueous liquef ⁇ ers, such as water, is not expected to be effective.
• U.S. Patent No. 4,205,066 discloses a bait composition for anthropophilic flies which utilizes boric acid, for example, as the msecticidal material m such bait compositions.
• U.S. Patent No 4,440,746 is concerned with a granular pesticide composition which relies upon borax as a source of borate ions to effect gelation of polyvmyl alcohol.
• U.S. Patent No. 4,617,188 (Page) relates to natural insecticides employing borax and carob to control cockroaches.
• Mullens, B.A. et al.: J. Econ. Entomol .. 85(1): 137-143 (1992) is concerned with the effects of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (polybor) on the survival, behavior and egg viability of adult Muscoid flies (Diptera: Muscidae), i.e., house flies.
• U.S. Patent No. 4,049,460 (Broadbent, 1977), teaches a composition of brown sugar, a binder material (paraffin or wax), dry dog food, maltose ad Dursban (a commercially available insecticide) in pellet form. Roaches are attracted to the dog food, maltose and sugar mixture. The pellets are coated with paraffin or wax to protect them from disintegrating upon exposure to environmental factors. The Dursban is ingested by the roaches, along with the attractant.
• Japanese patent J53091-140 (Kao Soap KK) teaches the use of pure concentrated sesame oil, preferably mixed with an extract of cockroaches faeces as an attractant for cockroaches.
• U.S Patent No. 4,332,792 (Kohn et al., 1982) teaches a process for preparing a pyrolyzate solution of corn syrup and N-methylmcotmic acid for attracting insects, particularly roaches.
• U.S. Patent No.4,369,176 (Ott, 1983) teaches a sugar, bactena and earner matenal (such as ground corncobs, sawdust or sand) for use as an insect attractant.
• the sugar is degraded by the bacteria, causing fermentation by-products which are the attractant.
• the attractant is combined with an insecticide to kill insects. The insects ingest the insecticide along with the composition.
• U.S. Patent No. 4627,981 (Shimano et al., 1986) discloses the use of various alcohols dissolved m an organic solvent and impregnated on a earner (such as cardboard or cloth) for use in attracting and killing insects in pellet form. Notwithstanding the above, there is still a need m the art for improved toxicants that are effective against fruit flies of the family Tephritidae and that are specific and powerful attractants, that have features for direct and easy application, and that are not environmental pollutants or potential carcinogens.
• the present invention overcomes and alleviates certain of the above-mentioned drawbacks and shortcomings of the pnor art and is directed to novel methods and compositions for attracting and either killing or controlling reproduction of fruit flies of the family Tephritidae.
• the present invention is premised upon the realization that borax or borate compounds in effective amounts will not only attract fruit flies, but will either kill fruit flies or cause female fruit flies to stop producing eggs for at least about seven days, depending upon the amount formulated into the bait or lure and ingested by the fruit flies.
• borax sodium borate decahydrate- 10 mol Na 2 B 4 O 7 « 10H 2 O or sodium borate pentahydrate-5 mol Na 2 B 4 0 7 »5H 2 0
• other suitable borate compounds may be utilized in effective amounts as substitutes for borax or may be utilized in effective amounts m combination with borax or one another.
• borax- type compounds envisioned by the present invention include anhydrous borax Na 2 B 4 0 7 , ammonium tetraborate (NH 4 ) 2 B 4 0 7 »4H 2 0, ammonium pentaborate (NH 4 ) 2 B 10 O, 6 »8H 2 O, potassium pentaborate K 2 B, 0 O, 6 « 8H 2 O, potassium tetraborate K 2 B 4 0 7 »4H 2 0, sodium metaborate (8 mol) Na 2 B 2 0 4 »8H 2 0, sodium metaborate (4 mol) Na 2 B 2 0 4 »4H 2 0, disodium tetraborate decahydrate Na 2 B 4 O 7 »10H 2 O, disodium tetraborate pentahydrate Na 2 B 4 0 7 »5H 2 0 and disodium octaborate tetrahydrate Na 2 B 8 0 I3 »4H 2 0.
• the term "borax tox ⁇ cant(s)" is used here
• the borax toxicants may be utilized alone or in combination with baits, insecticides, other toxicants, agars, hquefiers, sweeteners, carriers and the like.
• the borax toxicants may be utilized in the anhydrous and hydrous forms; however, when the anhydrous forms are selected, it should be appreciated by those versed m this art that such compounds are typically more expensive and will generally convert to a hydrated form m water or moisture environments. It should also be appreciated by those versed m this art that mixtures of borax toxicants may be utilized, as long as the borax toxicant available m such mixtures achieves the proper molanty to ensure that the objectives of the present invention are not defeated.
• an effective molanty for a borax toxicant is believed to be m the range of between about 0.02 M and about 0.12 M or higher.
• the amount of a borax toxicant that is believed that should be ingested by a fruit fly is between about 5 micromoles and about 10 micromoles during about a 24 hour period of time.
• the borax toxicant concentrate may be adjusted, so that the amount ingested by a female fruit fly is believe to be between about 2.5 micromoles and about 5.0 micromoles during about a 24 hour period of time.
• the fruit flies of the Tephntidae family include the Caribbean fruit flies, the Mediterranean fruit flies, the Mexican fruit flies, the Oriental fruit flies and any other fruit flies which may be controlled by the methods and compositions of the present invention.
• the methods and compositions are believed to be safe and effective and, therefore, can be used on any surface or at any location, such as paper, cardboard, concrete, plastic, metal, glass, plants, in kitchens of homes and restaurants, trees, utility poles, fences, signs, etc.
• the compositions of the present invention can be easily applied directly to areas of infestation and will remain active for extended periods of time. Therefore, the borax toxicants of the present invention may be used in residential preparations, commercial crop production, eradication programs and suppression programs for
• the compositions include a mixture of a borax toxicant in an effective amount and, for example, protein hydrolysate bait or any synthetic bait to generate a bait or lure in the form of a patty, heavy cream, pellet, gel, foam, paste, liquid or spray.
• a patty in accordance with the present invention includes borax in an amount of between about 0.01M and about 0.1M or more, agar, yeast hydrosylate, sugar and water.
• the bait or lure may be in the free form or, alternatively, in a form, such as granules or tablets, agglomerated with or without the aid of a binder.
• the bait or lure can be fixed or impregnated on a support or absorbed therein, and this support may include, for instance, agar, paper, cardboard, plastic such as polystyrene, polyvmyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate and cellulose acetate, glass, pumice, crushed marble, silica or silica minerals.
• agar, paper, cardboard, plastic such as polystyrene, polyvmyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate and cellulose acetate, glass, pumice, crushed marble, silica or silica minerals.
• other toxicants such as Malathion, Dibrom® and Naled®
• attractants such as Male Lure 1 l®and methyl eugenol, sweeteners, carriers and/or liquefiers may be used as indicated hereinbefore.
• the bait or lure may then be placed in selected locations such that the fruit flies are likely to encounter and ingest the borax toxicant to assure the desired effect, but preferably out
• novel methods and compositions of the present invention provide a simple, yet unique solution to controlling fruit fly populations by providing an attractant and a food arrestant for fruit flies. More particularly, it has been surprisingly discovered that the methods and compositions of the present invention uniquely attract the fruit flies and cause the fruit flies to stay and engorge, so that the objectives of the present invention are accomplished, i.e., controlling the population of fruit flies by either killing the fruit flies or preventing the female fruit flies from producing eggs for at least about a seven day period.
• controlling the population of fruit flies by either killing the fruit flies or preventing the female fruit flies from producing eggs for at least about a seven day period.
• the protein hydrolysates are usually corn-based. Instead of the hard pesticide, one of the borates detailed above, and especially borax, may be substituted m one of the concentrations previously described. This substitution results in a pH change from about 5.0 to 8.5. A precipitate will form. This is filtered to prevent clogging the spray nozzles of either ground or air application equipment.
• the protein hydrolysate may be used full-strength or diluted to about 10% with water before the borate compound is added.
• the final protemaceous bait spray may be used over wide inhabited areas, as the borates described above are exempt from tolerances for fire ant control (Fed. Reg. 58(124):34972 (June 30, 1993)).
• a second innovative method for use m accordance with this invention is to formulate the borax toxicant with an extender or gel, such as Mm-U-Gel®, Thixcin E®, Myverol® and CAB-O-SIL®. These are commercially available. In this case, the precipitate is believed not to be important as gels are sprayed in a solid stream to adhere to tree trunks, telephones poles, buildings and so forth.
• the gels are formulated with synthetic bait and or natural protemaceous baits. This method of application reduces worker and public inconvenience of aerial spraying of large areas. For the homeowner, either the gel formulation or the liquid formulation may be applied to individual host trees for Teph ⁇ tid fly control.
• a borax toxicant of the present invention should be applied once per week for at least six weeks (7 days per week).
• a weekly application schedule for six weeks (7 days per week) is also believed to be necessary. These schedules are based on a life-span of about 40 days for Tephritidae fruit flies in the field and egg production suppression of at least 7 days. In a limited geographical area, these schedules are believed to be capable of suppressing fly populations below economic levels. With wide geographical use, it is also believed that Tephritidae fruit flies will be eradicated.
• compositions of the present invention may be applied by any suitable means, such as by pressunzed applications, hydraulic oil squirt cans and aenal sprays.
• weather conditions should be taken into account. For instance, treatment or retreatment should not be considered if weather reports indicate a 50% or greater chance of precipitation within 48 hours.
• the more telling effects of use of the present invention are suppression of egg production which breaks the life cycle of the Tephntidae fruit flies, the lack of environmental effects of the treatment, and worker safety.
• the present invention is adaptable to integrated pest management programs, and it is believed that the components and methods of the present invention do not attract honeybees.
• Agar is made as indicated below. Some difficulty, however, is encountered with about 0.25N and saturated agars. The agar makes a thick scum layer which rises to the top, but the agar is heated and stirred repeatedly until this layer seems to melt and be dispersed. Upon pounng these 2 agars, there appears to be some precipitation of either the agar or borax or both, but none can be seen upon gelling, unless the precipitate rises to the top with the foam. Each cage is set up with food and one cage is supplied with a "water only" agar patty and an agar patty with borax (control had 2 "water only” agar patties). Each cage contained 50? and 50 ⁇
• Borax sodium tetraborate Na 2 B 4 O»10H 2 O F.W. 381.37. About 1 g dissolves in about 16 ml water (0.164M).
• the agars, as prepared below, are used m the following five (5) Mortality and Egg Production Studies.
• each formulation should be maintained, i.e., the surface of a spot application is thick enough to hold indentations, to avoid splashback, runoff and possible ineffective treatments on new porous surfaces.
• Mm-U-Gel® Flo ⁇ dm Co.
• additional or lesser amounts may be necessary to achieve desired results.
• formulations e.g., formulations 3-5
• formulations 3-5 may be squirted on tree trunks, fences, utility poles, signs, etc. in areas thereon which are out of reach of children at a rate of about 0.1 oz to about 0.2 oz (about 3 to about 5 ml) per station
• the area of full coverage spray should extend a minimum of about 1.5 miles beyond known fruit fly infestation. It, of course, may be expanded to about 2.5 miles from any kind if the infestation is heavy. Weather conditions may also dictate change in spray schedules. After an estimated two off generations of negative trapping, spray operations may be discontinued.
• the present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the spirit and scope of the appended claims are intended to be embraced herein.

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22261646

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1997
  • 1997-09-16 AU AU44208/97A patent/AU744876B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1997-09-16 EP EP97942530A patent/EP1017282A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1997-09-16 WO PCT/US1997/016475 patent/WO1999013724A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1997-09-16 CA CA002304074A patent/CA2304074A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events