WO1994012025A1

WO1994012025A1 - An insect trap, particularly for indoor ants

Info

Publication number: WO1994012025A1
Application number: PCT/DK1993/000405
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lars Ingerslev Storper
Original assignee: Lars Ingerslev Storper
Priority date: 1992-12-03
Filing date: 1993-12-03
Publication date: 1994-06-09
Also published as: DK145292D0

Abstract

An ant trap for cooperation with a standard bottle has a spout portion (2) for insertion into the bottleneck and a ramp portion (4), which, in a lying position of the bottle, reaches down to the support surface. When the bottle is partially filled with a bait liquid (12), preferably a strong sugar solution, the system acts as an effective ant trap, mainly by the ants touching the bait liquid with their backs, when they crawl down on the exterior lower side of the spout portion (2).

Description

AN INSECT TRAP, PARTICULARLY FOR INDOOR ANTS.

It is well known that there may be considerable indoor problems with respect to migrating ants or simi¬ lar insects, and it is also well known that conventional combating methods have failed or have had unacceptable side effects, e.g. in using poison.

This invention has for its purpose to provide an insect trap which, with a simple design, can attract the relevant insects and cause them to get in touch with a bait liquid, in which they are caught.

The invention is based on the observation that it is possible to catch insects of more species by means of a fish trap like device, if inside the trap chamber there is placed a bait liquid up to a level so close to the underside the trap tube projecting into the chamber that on this underside there will hardly be space for an insect. The trap tube itself has no catching effect, as the insects may well crawl inwardly through the tube and out on the outer side thereof and then crawl back again, when only they hold them clear of the liquid, which may be e.g. a strong sugar solution. It has been observed, however, that at least ants very very typically practice a pattern of movement whereby they crawl inwardly through the tube and, from a back-turned position, round the tube mouthing at the top side thereof, whereafter they crawl around on the outside of the tube and thereby - again in a back-turned position - get in touch with the surface of the liquid. This is not necessarily fatal for a single ant, and it has even been observed that such a single ant can leave the trap and appearently inform its fellows of the location of the bait, a trace of which it carries, or perhaps guide the fellows to the bait. Anyway, quite a number of ants may soon arrive, and as the crowd increases, more and more ants will get so close to the sticky bait liquid that they will be caught therein. Thereby the trap may be effective with a surprisingly high capacity, also when it is placed where an "ant lane" is experienced from time to time, optio¬ nally even at the outside of a building if the lane continues into the building.

It has been found that the easiest and cheapest arrangement is to establish the trap in connection with an ordinary bottle, preferably a transparent lemonade bottle, as it is then sufficient to add an inlet unit mounted in the mouthing of the lying bottle. Such a unit may be a one piece plastic element shaped with a conical tube portion for tight fitting insertion into the bottle mouthing and with an access ramp formed by a plate por¬ tion reaching down to the surface supporting the lying bottle. Thereby the trap element of the invention can be reduced to an inexpensive and compact inlet unit for use in connection with an already existing bottle to form a complete trap according to the invention.

In the following the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an inlet unit ac¬ cording to the invention, while

Fig. 2 and 3 are respective top and side views thereof, and

Fig. 4 is a side view of the unit in its operative position inserted into a lying standard bottle.

The unit or element according to Figs. 1-3 has a conically pointed tube portion 2 occurring as an exten¬ sion of a forwardly and upwardly extending plate ramp portion 4 having upstanding side walls 6 along its side edges. At the transition between the tube and the ramp portion is provided an upstanding transverse plate por¬ tion 8.

The tube portion 2 is shaped with an oval cross section as seen by a comparison of the Figures 2 and 3, such that this portion when inserted into a bottle mouthing according go Fig. 4 will be deformed into a tightening circular cross section while at the same time a substantial holding pressure will occur between the bottle neck and the tube portion 2. The upstanding and forwardly conversing side walls 6 are relevant in cases where the trap is placed along a wall, as the adjacent side wall 6 will then constitute a horizontal ramp for accessing the ants to the conical tube 2.

As apparent from Fig. 4 the conical tube 2 will seal against the mouthing area of a standard bottle 10, which is pre-filled with a concentrated sugar brine such that the latter goes up almost to the underside of the tube 2.

The ants caught in the brine beneath the tube 2 will be displaced rearwardly in the bottle as the func¬ tion of further ants being caught, whereby an ordinary lemonade bottle will exhibit a rather big catching capa¬ city.

In principle the invention will comprise the entire system shown in Fig. 4, in which the bottle part 10 could be replaced by a container in fixed connection with the insert part according to Gigs. 1-3 and provided with an openable bottom end. However, inasfar as an ordinary bottle is a very well applicable container part, the subject of the invention typically will be just the said insert part. This part, of course, may be sharpened otherwise and be made of material other than plastics, e.g. of cardboard. Is is important that the part seals tightly at the bottle mouthing, while it may be tolerable that the inwardly projecting tube portion be reduced to e.g. a half-cylindrical, lower shell por¬ tion.

Claims

C L A I M S:

1. A trap device for crawling insects, in particu¬ lar indoor ants, characterized in consisting of a con¬ tainer to be partically filled with a bait liquid and having an admission opening, from which there extends into the container a plate or tube portion, the undersi¬ de of which is placeable, by said partial filling, at a short distance above the liquid.

2. A device according to claim 1, where the contai¬ ner, in use, is an available bottle, characterized in that device consists of an insert part for mounting in a bottle mouthing, with a ramp portion for engaging a support surface in a lying position of the bottle and with a forwardly protruding plate or tube portion for mounting so as to protrude into the bottle.

3. A device according to claim 2, in which the protruding portion is a conically narrowing tube, which, at its broad end, is broader than an ordinary bottle opening.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which the tube is made of a semi stiff plastics and has an oval cross sectional shape.

5. A device according to claim 2, in which the ramp portion is a forwardly conversing plate portion, which, at its broad front edge, has a width considerably larger than that of the bottle opening.

6. A device according to claim 5, in which the ramp portion has an upstanding wall portion along at least one side edge thereof.

7. A device according to claim 2, in which the plate or tube portion, when used in a bottle of a pre¬ scribed type, has its underside extending obliquely forwardly and upwardly when the ramp edge engages the supporting surface.

8. A device according to claim 2 and designed as a unitary, injection moulded plastic member.