PH12015000439A1 - Digital pest controller - Google Patents

Abstract

An audio and light-based pest controller is presented comprising an audio emitter, light source, blower, collector, solar panel, energy storage device, and electronic control system. Insects attracted by the audio emitter and/or light source are directed by a blower to a collector where they are trapped. A solar panel collects solar energy by day and store it in an energy storage device for use by the pest controller day or night, thus enabling the said pest controller to operate off-grid. A stand designed to support the pest controller permits outdoor applications, in particular, in farm lands.

Description

TITLE: AN AUDIO- AND LIGHT-BASED PEST CONTROLLER a ) 5 . 16 R25 Mss

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention A

The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling pe more particularly, to a system and method which employs sound and light tg-attr. and capture insects which are rice pests. (b) Description of the Prior Art

Throughout the years, farmers have been using various devices and chemicals to reduce pests that attack and destroy rice crops. Rice pests are present from germination to the final stage in the life of rice plants, although rice is most attractive to pests at its panicle initiation stage.

Recommended technology packages for controlling rice pests usually included insecticides. However, these insecticides killed not only insect pests but their predators as well. In addition, resistance to insecticides grew. Farmers responded by increasing dosages or combining chemicals in toxic mixtures. As a result, even more natural predators of rice pests were killed, insecticide resistance increased further, and human health and the environment were threatened. It became clear that alternative ; approaches to rice pest management were needed.

Insects are known to respond to sound and vibration. It was found that different frequencies attracted different insects. Sound at 108 Hz attracted black bugs while sound at 84 and 59 Hz drew a small number of black bugs and a big number of rice stink bugs. This suggests that sound and vibration may be used to lure insects into a ; trap.

WO02005022991 discloses a system and method for sound-based capture of insects of at least one desired species. The system employs gender-specific sounds of an insect species, in particular, fruit flies.

AU20140223364 discloses an insect trap for indoor applications that employs a sound transmitter wherein the insect-attracting sound comprises frequencies in the range of 0.2 Hz to 240 Hz.

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US20150020437 discloses an insect control device for attracting and controlling insects using a resonating column that resonates and sends off sounds as a result of natural movements of insects captured in the said column.

Light has also been found to be effective in attracting insects. Light traps have been successfully used against household pests but this technology has not been widely tried in farmlands. Studies have shown that insects are attracted to different colors of light. It was found that insects are most attracted to ultraviolet (UV) light and least attracted to red light. In addition, it was found that insects from the orders

Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera were commonly attracted by light. Further, it was established experimentally that insects were attracted more by short-wave, high- frequency light. Finally, it was found that light intensity had an important influence on the ability of light to attract insects.

AU20140223364, which was previously cited, discloses an insect trap comprising a lighting element which is configured to provide light to a trap.

US6,397,515 discloses an electronic fly trap which employs at least one light source to attract flying insects.

From this survey of the patent and non-patent literature, it is clear that little or no technologies exists for controlling insects that attack rice in farm lands. It is this technological gap which this inventions proposes to address.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method of controlling pests in farmlands using an audio emitter and a light source to attract insects and then employing a blower to send the insects into a collector.

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, selectors permit the selection of light intensity and color and sound frequency and intensity, thus allowing operation at different permutations of these parameters.

According to a further aspect, the audio emitter is activated by a light-activated

Sensor.

An aspect of the invention to permit off-grid operation, in particular in farm lands, by collecting solar energy to provide power for the said audio emitter, light source and blower.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the description and the : accompanying sheets of drawings incorporating the principles of the present invention as shown.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the system according to the invention will in any case be more evident from the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments of the same, given by way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the digital pest controller system indicating its major components.

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5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

With reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, the preferred embodiment comprises a solar panel (1) on top of a roof (2), said solar panel being connected to an energy storage device in a compartment (8). The energy storage device is itself connected to a circuit which provides power to and activates the audio emitter (3), blower (4), and light source (5). As seen in Figure 1, the said audio emitter and light source are disposed between the blower and a collector (6,7) of insects at the bottom of the system. As can be further seen in Figure 1, all the aforementioned parts of the system are arranged and supported by a stand comprising a plurality of leg supports (9) and a central column (10) which can be driven into the ground to provide stability to the system.

In the preferred embodiment, the insect collector comprises a collecting funnel (6) and a collecting chamber (7) where captured insects are kept. For research purposes, the collecting chamber may contain a chemical for killing and preserving captured insects.

A control panel is preferably mounted on the compartment (8). Said control panel preferably comprises selectors for audio frequency, audio intensity, light color and light intensity.

Preferably, the audio emitter can emit sound at frequencies selected from a range of 60 Hz to 120 Hz and intensity selected from the range 20 decibels (dB) to 80 dB. This is suggested by the data below:

Table 1. Typical Count of Insects Collected at Various Frequencies and Intensities of Sound

Intensity (dB 20 [50 TT 80 | : 60 |r es 7 80 [0 76 | 39

In the most preferred embodiment, the audio emitter sends out sound at the dominant frequency of 80 Hz and intensity 50 dB. Experimental data above suggest ]

Page | 7 i that light having this parameters attract the greatest number of insects in a rice field. ; In the next preferred embodiment, the dominant frequency is 80 Hz and the intensity is 80 dB.

Preferably, the audio emitter is activated by a light-activated switch so that it operates during the day when the light source is not in use.

Preferably, the light source can deliver light at intensity selected from the range lux to 80 lux and having a color selected from white, yellow, blue and ultraviolet.

The experimental data which support this are shown in the table below:

Table 2. Typical Count of Insects Collected at Various Intensities and Colors 10 of Light ] Light intensities (lux 1,671 4,831 8,504 1,198 2,577 22,505

Blue | 1,900 3,002 8,426

Ultraviolet 34,873 99,546 124,940

In the most preferred embodiment, the light transmitted has an intensity of 80 lux and is ultraviolet.

Classification of the rice-harmful insects that were captured revealed that they were of the following orders: Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Homoptera,

Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, and Orthoptera. ;

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Claims (16)

6 APR 25 AIT 5S WE CLAIM:

1. A pest controller system comprising (a) an audio emitter for attracting insects with sound, (b) a light source for attracting insects with light, (c) a blower for blowing insects from the said sound emitter or said light source into a collector which further comprises a collecting funnel and a collecting chamber characterized in that said system further comprises a solar panel for collecting solar energy and transmitting said energy to an energy storage device, and a compartment containing an energy storage device and circuitry for activating said system

2. The pest controller system according to Claim 1 wherein the audio emitter emits sound having a dominant frequency within 80 Hz and an intensity of 50 dB.

3. The pest controller system according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the audio emitter is activated by a light-activated sensor.

4. The pest controller system according to Claim 1 wherein the audio emitter emits sound having a frequency selected from the range 60 Hz to 120 Hz and an intensity selected from the range 20 dB to 80 dB.

3. The pest controller system according to Claim 1 wherein the light source emits ultraviolet light with an intensity of 80 lux. !

6. The pest controller system according to Claim 1 wherein the light source emits : light of a color selected from white, yellow, blue or ultraviolet (UV) and having an intensity selected from the range of 10 lux to 80 lux. 40

7. The pest controller system according to Claim 1 wherein said audio emitter, light source, blower, solar panel and compartment for energy storage device and circuitry are supported by a stand a plurality of legs and a central pillar inserted into the ground. : Page | 9

8. The pest controller system according to Claim 1 wherein the collector of captured insects comprise a funnel and a collecting chamber.

9. The pest controller system according to Claim 1 wherein said insects include one insect from the group Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Homoptera, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, and Orthoptera.

10.A method of controlling pests comprising the following steps: (a) disposing a blower in the vicinity of an audio emitter or a light source (b) providing power to the audio emitter, light source or blower (c) employing said audio emitter to produce an insect-attracting sound (d) employing said light source to produce an insect-attracting light (e) blowing a stream of air over the audio emitter or light source to convey attracted insects into a collector

11. The method of controlling pests according to Claim 10 wherein the audio emitter emits sound having a dominant frequency within 80 Hz and an intensity of 50 dB.

12. The method of controlling pests according to Claim 10 wherein the audio emitter emits sound having a frequency selected from the range 60 Hz to 120 Hz and an intensity selected from the range 20 dB to 80 dB.

13. The method of controlling pests according to Claims 10, 11 or 12, wherein the audio emitter is activated by a light-activated sensor.

14. The method of controlling pests according to Claim 10 wherein the light source emits ultraviolet light with an intensity of 80 lux. ]

15. The method of controlling pests according to Claim 10 wherein the light source : emits light of a color selected from white, yellow, blue or ultraviolet (UV) and 4 having an intensity selected from the range of 10 lux to 80 lux.

16. The method of controlling pests according to Claim 10 wherein said insects include one insect from the group Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, ] Homoptera, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, and Orthoptera. : 40 i Page | 10