GB2258599A

GB2258599A - Adhesive traps for pests.

Info

Publication number: GB2258599A
Application number: GB9215754A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Roy Davies
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-08-08
Filing date: 1992-07-24
Publication date: 1993-02-17
Also published as: GB9215754D0

Abstract

A pest trap (1) comprising a strip of flexible material (2) defining a surface of which at least part is sticky to a pest and which, in the preferred embodiment is folded in concertina fashion, is provided with irregularities, such as apertures (4), spaced along the length thereof. The irregularities which may be in other forms, such as, corrugations, protrusions, colour variations, wide slits or creases, provide "depth" to the trapping surface at which pests tend to congregate. <IMAGE>

Description

PEST TRAP DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a pest trap of the type comprising a sticky surface to which a pest can become stuck when coming into contact therewith.

The surface may be in the form of a sticky layer of material on a substrate or may be a surface of a body of generally solid but tacky material.

In any event, such a surface is generally regular inform, in that it is substantially flat or smooth or booth.

The invention is especially, but not exclusively, related to such a pest trap comprising an elongate flexible piece of material which acts as a substrate for a sticky layer of material coated on at least one side thereof.

The trap may be provided with an attractant in the form of, say, pheromone, or it may be of a certain colour which is attractive to and acts as a lure to the particular pest to be trapped. For instance, yellow sticky traps have been used for many years for monitoring aphid, whitefly, leafminder and sciarid.

With these types of trap, it has been noted that the catch of trapped insects, although sometimes large, tends to be fairly random in the manner in which the trapped insects re distributed over the area of the sticky layer, when it is though that catches could be increased by providing an additional attraction to lure more insects on to the trap.

Accordingly, one aspect of the invention provides a pest trap comprising an otherwise regular trapping surface of which at least part is sticky to a pest to be trapped thereby and whidh is provided with one or more irregularities at or in the region of the said sticky part thereof.

It has been found that the so-called "irregularities" can take any suitable form but are preferably preformed prior to use of the trap.

Preferred forms of irregularity include apertures, wide slits, creases and corrugations or colour variations, rather than tears which may tend to form during use of, say, a sticky material-coated flexible substrate strip which may be of a colour particularly attractive to a pest to be trapped thereon.

Alternatively, the trap may be in the form of a body of generally solid material which is sticky or tacky to a pest to be trapped thereby, in which case, the irregularity may be a recess or aperture in or a protrusion upon the trapping surface. In this form of inventive trap, the solid but tacky material may be of a certain colour or may be impregnated with a pest attractant, say, a pheromone attractant. Again, the trapping surface may be of a colour which is particularly attractive to a pest to be trapped thereon.

Another aspect of the invention provides a pest trap comprising a strip of flexible material defining an otherwise regular trapping surface of which at least part is sticky to a pest to be trapped thereon and which is folded in concertina fashion with irregularities spaced therealong, wherein the strip can be hung up in its folded condition and then unfolded into its open condition to present the trapping surface.

It is to be appreciated that the inventive trap may have a trapping surface provided with a combination of any of the irregularities described above.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred embodiment of insect trap in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is an elevational view of a trap for monitoring such insects as aphid, whitefly, leafminder, leafhopper, phorids and sciarid.

Referring now to the drawing, an insect trap indicated generally at 1, comprises a strip 2 of a flexible material, preferably, plastics or paper, which, in this particular case,is coloured yellow because the flying insects to be trapped by the trap 1 are attracted to that colour more than any other.

A perforated tear line extends along the centre of the strip 2 at 3, so that, if necessary only half the width of the trap may be used. This is of particular use in winter when the full width of the strip may reduce light levels in the environment, such as, a greenhouse, in which the trap 1 is used, by an unacceptable amount.

At least one side of the strip 2 is coated with so-called "sticky" to which insects become stuck when coming into contact therewith.

Spaced apertures 4 are provided in the strip as irregularities in an otherwise regular, generally flat surface.

As can be seen from the drawing, elliptical apertures are preferred but other shapes may, of course, be used.

Alternatively, it has been found that creases or small corrugations of the strip 2 are suitable.

In use of the trap 1, which is folded in concertina fashion with the sticky side facing inwardly for storage and transportation purposes, the strip 2 is firstly hung up in the folded condition by means of twine 5 being threaded through holes 6 spaced along the top edge of the strip 2 and being secured between spaced supports in, say, a greenhouse. Then the sticky strip 2 has one end thereof pulled along the twine 5 so that the strip unfolds to present a generally flat, sticky surface with irregularities in the form of the elliptical apertures 4 therein, to the environment in which the trap 1 is located., It has been found that the insects monitored with the inventive trap 1, tend to congregate at and around -the apertures 4 as if the apertures provided the strip 1 with what might be termed as "depth".In any event, it is to be said that the provision of the apertures 4, as well as other irregularities in the form of creases and/or corrugations and other shapes of aperture, increases the catch of insects on the trap.

A modified form of the embodiment of trap described above in relation to the drawing involves providing sticky material only in the region of the apertures or other irregularities, so that such material need not be used on other areas of the strip 2.

If a solid but tacky body is used as the vehicle for providing the trapping surface, then recesses or apertures may be provided therein. Alternatively, protrusions on the surface may suffice in providing to so-called "depth" to attract additional insects on to the trapping surface.

It is to be appreciated that the terms "sticky" and "tacky" refer to a non-setting adhesive for trapping an insect coming into contact therewith.

Also, the term "irregularity" can include a colour variation in the overall background colour of the trap.

For instance, dark, such as black, colour bars or other shapes, such as, different leaf shapes, can be used on the yellow strips 2 of the embodiment described above.

Claims

1. A pest trap comprising an otherwise regular trapping surface of which at least part is sticky to a pest to be trapped thereby and which is provided with one or more irregularities at or in the region of said sticky part thereof.

2. A pest trap according to claim 1, wherein the one or more irregularities are preformed prior to use of the trap.

3. A pest trap according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more irregularities are in the form of apertures, wide slits, creases, corrugations, protrusions, colour combinations or any combination thereof.

4. A pest trap according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the trapping surface is of a colour which is attractive to a pest to be trapped thereon.

5. A pest trap according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more irregularities are provided in or on, as the case may be, a flexible substrate strip.

6. A pest trap according to any of claims 1 to 4 in the form of a body of generally solid material which is sticky or tacky to a pest to be trapped thereby.

7. A pest trap according to claim 6, wherein the generally solid body material is impregnated with a pest attractant.

8. A pest trap according to claim 7, wherein the pest attractant is a pheromone attractant.

9. A pest trap comprising a strip of flexible material defining an otherwise regular trapping surface of which at least part is sticky to a pest to be trapped thereon and which is folded in concertina fashion with irregularities spaced therealong, wherein the strip can be hung up in its folded condition and then unfolded into its open condition to present the trapping surface.

10. A pest trap according to claim 9, wherein the concertina-folded strip can be hung up by a plurality of holes spaced along an edge thereof.

11. A pest trap according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the irregularities comprises apertures spaced along the length of the strip.

12. A pest trap according to claim 11, wherein the apertures are elliptical.

13. A pest trap according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the irregularities are in the form of creases or corrugations.

14. A pest trap according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the irregularities comprise dark bars of colour on another, lighter background colour.

15. A pest trap according to claim 14, wherein the background colour is yellow.

16. A pest trap according to any of claims 9 to 14, wherein the parts of the trapping surface which are sticky to a pest to be trapped thereon, are in the regions of the irregularities.

17. A pest trap according to any of claims 9 to 16, wherein the flexible material strip is of a plastics or paper material.

18. A pest trap according to any of claims 9 to 17, wherein the flexible strip has a perforated tear line extending longitudinally along the centre thereof.

19. A pest trap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.