GB2487610A

GB2487610A - Insect control device.

Info

Publication number: GB2487610A
Application number: GB1111147.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Constanze Winkler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-07-29
Filing date: 2011-06-30
Publication date: 2012-08-01
Also published as: FR2963205A1; GB201111147D0; DE102010032785A1

Abstract

An insect control device comprising a 3D spherical structure. The structure is formed by unfolding a flat pack version of the device. The constructed sphere is provided with a number of separate chambers. The device is water resistant and can be provided in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. The device is supplemented with tacky agents, food attractants, pheromones, fragrances and aromas, insecticides and/or repellents. The structure simulates comparable shape, size and colour structures occurring in nature and has significant effects on the instincts of the target insects.

Description

Nature-identical insect controlling device

DESCRIPTION

(0001] 1. Background of the invention

(0002] Disclosed invention comprises an efficient insect controlling device, which expands from a flat set-up into a nature-identical1 three dimensional, stable design (FIG.

A). Surprisingly1 it became technically possible to manufacture complex structures with water resistant, biological degradable materials and in doing so offering an effective device for trapping and controlling flying insects.

(0003] Insect pests, nuisance insects and beneficial arthropods of the orders Apterygota, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Homoptera and Heteroptera have been known to man for a long time. Individual species of those orders pose problems when they multiply significantly and thus occur in vast numbers, massively accumulating in a location used or cultivated by man; for example this can even be true for beneficials like ladybugs. An unlimited population increase of flying insects -supported by biotic or biotic parameters -triggers insect control counter measures especially when insect species are causing painful bites, are transmitting diseases or if loss of harvests are likely.

Surveying the development of insect population dynamics -commonly described as monitoring -is important for control measures in the direct or indirect reduction of insect population densities. In many cases the use of pesticides is however often problematic for its adverse side effects on consumers and because of possible residues in soil, water and air. The global weakness of bee populations and their increased loss of orientation is also believed to be linked to excessive use of chemical insecticides and their residues in host plants. Therefore it was a priority to develop and produce a device able to control flying insects effectively without causing any risks to experienced or inexperienced users of such systems and to the environment.

[0004] 2. Prior Art

[0005] Systems for controlling flying insects have been known for long. In eatlier times, for instance fruit juice or food baited traps were used to allow mass trapping of pest populations, later on more modem traps were baited with e.g. synthetic sex or aggregation pheromones to mass trap insects or to monitor population dynamics of the targeted insect pest species. Light traps however, were used in both, indoor and outdoor conditions making use of the emitted UV-spectrum, which insects generally need for orientation and to navigate in the dark. It was observed that insects prefer round-shaped light sources rather than elongated Ught tubes, which was explained by their natural behavior and their instincts by following the sun or the moon. For instance Silvandersson made limited use of this effect as described in US 6438694 BI and W09842186 (Al) -proposing to print 3D pattems (circular-shaped objects like sun, moon etc.), applying shadow and luminescent effects onto flat sticky surfaces. The purpose of his invention was to link cost effective, convenient printed traps with increased efficacy and distinction aiming to deceive the insects in their natural behavior however his invention remains to be a two-dimensional structure. Inventions like the one of Cook et al. (Pat. No. 5,713,153) and Us 442624 A are describing the link of a specific attractant with an adequate housing. However his housings do not at all reflect the insect's instinctive needs including important visual three-dimensional stimuli. A cylindrical trap as disclosed in EP 475 665 (Agrisense) is directed at the effects of light and dark stripes having a positive effect on moths but the design of the trap body follows more practical characteristics rather than natural ones. The same for a trap to capture flies as described in EP 446 464 (Bayer) -a practical cubus with lines of a specific red colour.

Houseflies in homes however gather at the window rather than around the window sill and in front of it. They also prefer roundish, sun-shaped fly bait images positioned directly at the window. Patent IDE 6020287912 describes three-dimensional structures but the state-of-the-art is not able to sufficiently imitate shape, size and colour of fruit or blossoms or other shapes attractive for flying insects. The system is purely for killing insects and thus lacks any type of grid allowing monitoring of captured insects. Patent WO 01/78502 (ECS Environment Care Systems) indeed describes innovative colour systems, but here again only flat two-dimensional monitoring-and mass trapping insect systems are being claimed.

INVENTION

[0006] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of insect controlling systems described in the prior art, the present invention provides nature identical 3-dimensional water-resistant shapes which can easily be combined with the below described elements.

[0007] It was the objective of the invention to make use of the extended instinctive needs of adult insects. Their main visual stimuli are known to be based on natural shapes and colours for navigation (e.g. yellow sun or a bright moon) or for detection of host plants, their flowers and fruits (e.g. green apple, a yellow cherry, a red tulip blossom) which insects visit for egg-laying, pollen collecting or harborage. This invention overcomes the inefficiencies of known systems by adding a true 3rd spherical dimension resembling the natural habitat of the insects and by presenting a comparatively large contact surface.

[0008] Disclosed device presents chambers and dividers whereas the chambers are presenting functional surfaces, which can hold substances addressing the various targets such as attracting or repelling or capturing the flying insects etc.. The chambers either being closed at the center end and reaching into the device inner structure (FIG.

B) or having flat depressions with openings of different shape (FIG. C) located in the outer area of the device. Dividers, presenting partition walls which are pointing vertically towards the outer structure of the device, at the same time avoiding unwanted contact by users, children, pets and wildlife.

[0009] Polymer materials (film-like carrier materials) to form the device can be any polymer known in the field of plastics including Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Polyacrylonitrile (PAN), Polyacrylates (PC), Polyesters (PES), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), Nylon/Polyamide (PA), Ethylene-Vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) etc., blends of the above and others. By adding specialty additives to the polymers known to the expert skilled in the art of polymer chemistry, they are rendered substantially biodegradable, bio-erodable or compostable. However, as long as the film is water resistant it can also be of waxed or siliconised paper or any other water resistant flat material.

(0010] Described polymer materials may come in colours of various nuances. For example, specific blue colour tones are known to attract thrips whereas yellow colouring in different shades is known to be attractive to for instance white flies, fungus gnats, cherry fruit flies, some leaf miners and many aphids species. Beneficial insects such as honey bees, bumble bees, lace wings or lady bugs are attracted by colours as naturally presented by flowering plants. Mosquitoes are attracted by dark or black colours in round-elongated structures in which they hide before they emerge to suck blood. Other colour triggered attraction effects are possible and repellent effects of colours are known as well. The expert skilled in the art of pigments knows that coloured pigments can be part of the granular polymer in the process of making the films or even before. The films can be painted or dyed later on with the target colour or the adhesive layers are loaded with colour pigments. Colours include the whole known spectrum of nuances including fluorescent and phosphorescent pigments. To support monitoring, coloured or uncoloured surfaces can comprise tines to form grids, facilitating counting of insects captured in the chambers of described device.

[0011] The chambers of described insect device capable of additionally being treated with attractant chemical ingredients based on insect sex pheromones. These currently being chemically synthesized and generally showing a very specific reaction in the targeted insect species -for instance in imitating a calling female. Examples for those semiochemicals -as used in this invention -can be Z-9-TRICOSENE for the target insect species housefly (Musca domestica); Z,E9,12TETRADECADlEN1OL for indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella); OCTENOL (unspecific) for mosquitoes; E,E-6,10-DODECADIEN-1-YL ACETATE for codling moth (Cydia pomonella); Z-8-DODECENYL ACETATE for red plum maggot (Grapholita funebrana); E,Z-7,9-DODECEN 1-YL ACETATE for european grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana); E,Z-8,10 -TETRADECA- 8,10-DIENAL for the horse chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella). However, there is still a significant number of species for which pheromones have not been discovered and/or which are too expensive or complicated to be synthesized or play a minor role in the communication between the sexes of insect species. In those cases food attractants based on fragrances, flavors and aromas such as sucrose or fructose based carbohydrates, molasses, honey and formulations thereof, 9-DECENAL; 8-UNDECEN-1- AL; cis-7-DECEN-1 -AL; 2,6DlMETHYL-5-HEPTEN-1 -AL; trans-4-DECEN-1 -AL; cis-6-NONEN-1 -AL; cis-3-HEXEN-1 -AL; ETHYL cls-3-HEXENOATE; 3,7-DIMETHYL-2,6 OCTADIEN-1 -OL; 2,4-DODECADIEN-1 -AL; 2,4-UNDECADIEN-1 -AL; trans-2-HEPTEN- 1-AL; trans-2-OCTEN-1 -AL; E,Z2,6DODECADlEN1 -AL; 3,6-NONADIEN-1 -IL ACETATE and others are being used. They are used to attract nuisance or pest insect species such as fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), common wasps (Vespula vulgaris) and others. As already mentioned earlier, diptera like white flies (TrialeurodeS vaporariorum) or cherry fruit flies (Rhagoletis cerasi) and some coleoptera species (beetles) are primarily attracted by coloured devices to which attractive fragrance can be added. The expert skilled in the art of chemical attractants knows that most of the known and listed compounds can be extracted from plants or organic sources as occurring in nature. Often extraction processes are less economical but qualities (for example documented by the same GAS number) can be entirely identical for both chemical and natural substances.

[0012] The chambers of described insect device are capable of additionally being treated with insect repelling agents which are time released from the device over an extended period. Repellent substances are known to experts in the art of this chemistry. Among others those can be oils of Citronella, Peppermint, Cedar1 Lemongrass, Soybean or substances like I,8-cineol (l,3,3trimethyl-2-oxabicyclO[2.2.2]octane); Para-menthane- 3,8-diol (PMD); Gitronellol (3,7-dimethyl-oct-6-en-l-ol) Citronellyl acetate (acetic acid 3,7-dimethyl-oct-6-enyl ester); Linalool (3,7dimethyl-octa-l,6-dien-3-ol); [beta]-pinene (6,6dimethyl-2-methylene-bicYcl0[3. 1. 1]heptane); [alpha]-terpinol (2-(4-methyl-cyclOhex- 3-enyl)-propan-2-ol); d-limonene (4-isopropenyl-l-methyl-cyclohexene); citronellal (3,7- dimethyloct-6-en-l-al) Geranial (3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal) or Geraniol (3,7-dimethyl- 2,6-octadien-l-ol). Unsaturated alcohols including l-octen-4-ol and l-nonen-3-ol are known to be useful in repelling the housefly Musca domestica and the mosquito species Aedes aegypti.

(001 3]The insect device subject to this invention may also contain insecticides known to the person skilled in the art for killing insects. The used insecticides can be of chemical or natural origin, acting on contact or by ingestion and can be anywhere in the described device accessible by the target insect except for near the edges of the dividers. In the given device, insecticide use only applies to noxious insects or insect pests as targets.

[0014] The chambers of described insect device capable of additionally being treated with a glue or adhesion agent for tacking the insect to the device. It is important to note that this aspect is not to be confused with the permanent adhesive used to form the final shape and design of the structure of the device. What is meant here are the functional properties of an adhesive to capture and hold the flying insects once they have visited and contacted the chambers of the controlling device. The tack properties are of a non-permanent type; such adhesives are popularly known as Wet or cold glues'3. Adhesives of this type can for instance be resin-based with additives to reduce or increase the tack, be completely natural and are known and designed to keep their wet-type features. The experts of this art know that these types of adhesives do not age or dry out as a function of time. As long as the tack is maintained, adhesives or wet glues can also be replaced by any oily, greasy substances able to form a layer. Those substances are ideally natural or nature identical and can be based on vegetable sources like peanut, soybean, olive, canola, rape, coconut or any other organic source. The tacky adhesion agents are ideally forming a thick enough layer into which the insect sinks in so they are permanently captured. Described device can be pre-equipped with the Wet glue" located inside the chambers or is offered in a set of controlling device plus glue spray (aerosol or pump). Again, the sticky agent is applied only inside the chambers of the device and not near the edges of the dividers. Like this, unintended contact with glue or insecticide by users, children, pets or wildlife can be avoided. The treated chambers can be coated with the glue in a continuous layer or they may present as gaps in the layer being free of adhesive.

S

[0015] The present invention is such that this spherical 3D insect device may be equipped in the following combinations (examples): a) adequate body shape plus adequate attractive colour plus adhesive, no additional attractant -example: to attract & capture white flies in greenhouses or pot plants b) adequate body shape plus adequate attractive colour, plus sucrose based food attractant -example: to attract & feed beneficial insects to gardens or greenhouses c) adequate body shape plus adequate attractive colour plus attractant plus adhesive -example: to attract & capture codling moths in apple orchards and gardens d) adequate body shape plus adequate repulsive colour plus repellent -example: to repel mosquitoes from rooms or around homes e) adequate body shape plus adequate attractive colour plus attractant plus insecticide -example: to attract & kill horse chestnut leaf miners in parks and gardens (0016] The invention is described in the following as a number of preferred embodiments, wherein is referred to the drawings in which FIG. A showing the process of unfolding the body, folded together (left), half way/I 80 degrees unfolded/opened (center) and extended at 360 degrees (right). (1) being the backbone of the body, (2) body sheets being attached to each other, (3) side forming the center piece when folded out.

FIG B. showing a roundish extended insect device with the dividers (I) and the rhombus type chambers (2) reaching into the center of the structure being treated or coated with one or more of the agents described.

FIG. C showing a round structure of the extended device with the dividers (I) and the deepest point of flat chambers (2). Entries to reach the center of the structure in 3 different shapes (3).

However, the invention is not limited to the shown and described embodiments, but may be varied with the scope of the claims without departing from the inventive concept.

Claims

Claims of the invention 1. Insect controlling devices comprising 3-dimensional spherical structures as occuning in nature, tharacterized in that the bodies are of a water-resistant type and are transformed by folding out from a flat structure presenting functional chambers reaching into the center of the structure and having controlling effects on flying insects.
2. Devices according to claim 1, characterized in that the thambers are opened towards the center of the spherical body allowing flying insects to enter the inner structure.
3. Devices according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body materials are pigmented in colours as occurring in nature and thus influencing and stimulating the behavior pattems of flying insects.
4. Devices according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body materials present a grid in order to facilitate monitoring of flying insects intended to be captured.
5. Devices according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the agents applied in the chambers or anywhere inside the structure contain tacky or adhesive substances able to permanently capture flying insects.
6. Devices according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the agents applied in the chambers or anywhere inside the structure contain attractants able to lure flying insects.
7. Devices according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the agents applied in the chambers or anywhere inside the structure contain insecticide compounds able to kill flying insects.
8. Devices according to claims I and 2, characterized in that the agents applied in the chambers or anywhere inside the structure contain repelling compounds able to keep away and repell noxious flying insects.
9. Devices according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the used materials and agents being biodegradable and device to be composted after use.
10. Devices according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that they are used to control flying insects of the orders Apterygota, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Homoptera and Heteroptera.