WO2015081390A2

WO2015081390A2 - Method for controlling ant colonies

Info

Publication number: WO2015081390A2
Application number: PCT/BE2014/000066
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bert LAGRAIN; Johan Martens; Ivo Roelants; Tom WENSELEERS
Original assignee: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Priority date: 2013-12-03
Filing date: 2014-12-03
Publication date: 2015-06-11
Also published as: WO2015081390A3

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to an ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant formulation comprising the ant attractant bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound, geosmin (1,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) and ant repellent formulation comprising the ant repelling bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound, 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB). It furthermore relates to a system and method for attracting ants by geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) and/or repelling ants by 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB).

Description

METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ANT COLONIES

Background and Summary BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to terpenoid alcohols which volatile organic compounds to control ants, at on hand the methylated monoterpene alcohol or methylated monoterpene, 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), which is a secondary alcohol of the bicyclic terpene group, and on the other had the bicyclic alcohol, l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol or trans- l,10-Dimethyl-trans-9-decalol (geosmin). Both products by humans are known to cause an earthy-musty taint and they by present invention they were found to modulate or control the behaviour of ants on very different ways.

The present invention is thus based on these two natural terpenoids 1) geosmin, (-)-geosmin [(-)-(4S,4aS,8aR)-4,8a-dimethyloctahydronaphthalen-4a-ol], and 2) (-)-2-methylisoborneol, {(lR-exo)-l,2,7,7-tetramethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol}, which are volatile organic alcohols. 2-MIB is described as a methylated monoterpene and geosmin as a sesquiterpene that has lost an isopropyl group.

(lR-exo)-l,2,7,7-tetramethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol (2-methylisoborneol or 2-MIB) is a methylated monoterpene alcohol. It has a molecular weight of 154.3 g/mol, density of 0.93 g/mL at 20 °C, water solubility of 7.3 x 10^"5 mg/L and Henry's Law constant of 0.0027 at 25°C (Lalezary, S., Pirbazari, M., McGuire, M.J., and Krasner, S.W. 1984. Air Stripping of Taste and Odor Compounds from Water. JAWWA, 76:3:83-87.; Pirbazari, M., Borrow, H.S., Craig, S., Ravindran, V., and McGuire, M.J. 1992. Physical Chemical Characterization of Five Earfhy-Musty-Smelling Compounds. Water Science and Technology, 25:2:81-88). The chemical formula of 2-MIB is CnH₂oO and the molecular structure is

Chemical name of geosmin is trans- l,10-Dimethyl-trans-9-decalol. It has a molecular weight of 182.3 g/mol, density of 0.95 g/mL at 20°C, water solubility of 5.5 x 10^"5 mg/L and Henry's Law constant of 0.0023 at 25°C (Lalezary, S., Pirbazari, M., McGuire, M J., and Krasner, S.W. 1984. Air Stripping of Taste and Odor Compounds from Water. JAWWA, 76:3:83-87.; Pirbazari, M., Borrow, H.S., Craig, S., Ravindran, V., and McGuire, M.J. 1992. Physical Chemical Characterization of Five Earthy-Musty- Smelling Compounds. Water Science and Technology, 25:2:81-88). Its chemical formula is C12H22O. The CAS number for geosmin is 19700-21 - 1. And it has the molecular structure :

The present invention is thus based on the surprising demonstration that although both terpenoid alcoholic volatile compounds, have a similar taint that the terpenoid alcohol, geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol), acts as an attractant, aggregant, homing factor for ants while on the other hand the terpenoid alcohol, 2-methylisoborneol acts as an ant repellent.

We surprisingly observed that, although both terpenoid alcohols have a similar taint, comparative molecular weight density ( g/mL at 20 °C), similar water solubility ( mg/L at 25°C) and similar Henry's Law constant at 25°C that ants percept or sense geosmin as pleasant and ants percept or sense 2-methylisoborneol as unpleasant.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ant an ant attractant, aggregant, homing factor or attestant formulation. In a first aspect of the present invention is provided a product, formulation or arrangement comprising the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound geosmm (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) and to a system and method for attracting ants by geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol). In a second aspect of the present invention is provided a product, formulation or arrangement comprising an ant repellent compound 2- methylisoborneol (2-MIB) that can be used a system and method for repelling ants by 2- methylisoborneol (2-MIB).

A method proposed according to the present invention particularly comprises the use of geosmin in an ant attractant, aggregant, homing factor or arrestant formulation and, in particular, to an ant attractant, aggregant, homing factor or arrestant formulation comprising which can be used to lure or home the ants to traps or lure location or other devices for the purpose of controlling such ants or harvesting such ants and to a system and method for attracting ants by geosmin. The method proposed according to the present invention particularly comprises the use of 2-methylisoborneol in a system and method for repelling ants.

Both natural terpenoid alcoholic volatile compounds are non-toxic components in our food chain. Geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol can be combined a save method to control the behaviour, for instance the nesting behaviour of ants. The arrangement proposed according to the present invention particularly comprises the combination of the 2-methylisoborneol ant-repellent and the geosmin ant attractant, aggregant, homing factor or arrestant, for instance on different local areas of a zone, to steer the ants away from places where one does want them to be and to guide the ants guide ants to places where one desires them to be, for instance in a trap. This arrangement according to the present invention can be used in various modes, in particular for instance attracting or repelling spots of either respectively geosmin or 2-methylisoborneol or for instance trails or repelling barrier line or lanes of either respectively geosmin or 2- methylisoborneol.

According to another embodiment the present inventive concerns the use of geosmin as ant- attractant concentrations and the use of 2-methylisoborneol at ant-repellent concentrations. For instance both terpenoid alcoholic volatiles can be each separately in an aerosol compositions and used for ant control. For instance aerosol compositions wherein the active terpenoid alcoholic volatile, either 2-methylisoborneol or geosmin is provided in a pressurized pack with a suitable propellant. An embodiment of present invention is the use of such geosmin aerosol or the use of such 2-methylisoborneol aerosol separately or together to modulate the behaviour of an ant or an ant population. In particular the 2-methylisoborneol aerosol is to repel the ant or ant population and the geosmin aerosol is to attract or home the ant or ant population or to aggregate the ants. With these aerosol spots or lanes of terpenoid alcoholic volatile repellent or attractant can be placed on a surface or in an ant environment. As mentioned above the arrangement according to the present invention can be used in various modes, in particular the sparing of terpenoid alcoholic volatile repellent or attractant can be structured to control the ant behaviour.

According to still another embodiment present invention also concerns method of for moving and position ants or ant colonies in space with scent cues of terpenoid alcoholic volatile compounds of the group consisting of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol.

According to another alternative embodiment the present invention concerns a guiding system comprising at least one repellant guiding device comprising 2-methylisoborneol to guide ants away from locoregions of a space and further comprising at least one attractant guiding device comprising geosmin for guiding in the space toward a certain locoregion. This attractant guiding device can be on certain locoregional spots or may form paths in the space. The guiding system sole the problem of easy and human save evacuating ants and/or ant colonies from an unwanted location towards a desired location for instance a trap.

Several documents are cited throughout the text of this specification. Each of the documents herein (including any manufacturer's specifications, instructions etc.) are hereby incorporated by reference; however, there is no admission that any document cited is indeed prior art of the present invention.

B. Description of the Related Art

The semi-volatile terpenoid compounds (-)-geosmin and (-)-2-methylisoborneol (for instance such which are natural substances produced by selected cyanobacteria strains) are known to be an insect repellent for instance for the cabbage fly (Delia radicum) which is a common pest occurring all over Europe, affecting most brassicas including cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, swedes and turnips (BIOSKIVA - A Carrier for Cyanobacteria and Cabbage Fly Repellents" from Svein Lilleengen, 3rd Symposium on microalgae and Seaweed Products in Agriculture, 21-23 June 2006).

According to the present invention (-) - geosmin or (-)-2-methylisoborneol or a mixture thereof are used as an attractant for ants (Formicidae) in order to monitor or directly reduce ant populations (e.g. pest ants) or to harvest ants that have a feed, food, therapeutic or nutritional value. According to the present invention (-) - geosmin or (-)-2-methylisoborneol or a mixture thereof are to manufacture an ant attractant or to manufacture an ant trap which comprises said attractant.

It was surprisingly found that invention (-) - geosmin or (-)-2-methylisoborneol or a mixture thereof can without additional bait attract ants towards a confined environment or trap.

Generally, we consider ants to be pests when found inside the confined environments of human such as building construction. Some ants will undermine or demolish the building constructions itself.

It has been estimated that there are over 20 thousand ant species (Hoelldobler and Wilson, The Ants. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1990; Smith et al., Cold Spring Harb. Protoc. 4: 1, 2009), of which over 12,500 are currently described (antbase.org, 15 Jan. 2010), some of which play a large role in either destroying (Lessard et al., Ecology 90:2664, 2009; Porter and Savignano, Ecology 71 :2095, 1990) or maintaining the structure of ecological communities (Hoelldobler and Wilson, 1990), some of high nutritional value and some with pest control value.

Thus, there is a need in the art for an efficient attractant to lure ants towards a location and/or to enhance homing of said ants on such location for harvest or for biocontrol. Present invention provides such attractant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the problems of the related art of ant infestation, of monitoring of ants colonies and of ant harvesting An embodiment of present invention concerns the use of a composition containing 1,2,7,7- tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin) whereby geosmin acts as an ant attractant, aggregant, and arrestant of homing factor for ants. This composition can be a molecular sieve carrier comprising the geosmin that acts as an attractant, aggregant, arrestant or homing agent for ants. An advantage of molecular sieve with physico-sorptive properties (such has non heated diatomaceous earth preferably as fine powder absorbs and preferably with a size (diameter) of less than 25 μηι, more preferably less than 20 μηι, yet more preferably less than 15 μηι and most preferably less than 12 μηι is that it is a human save antacid which we surprisingly found that kills ants eventually by absorbing lipids from the waxy outer layer of the exoskeletons and eventually by dehydration.

Another preferred embodiment concerns the use of a composition containing (lr-exo)-l,2,7,7- tetramethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol (2-methylisoborneol or 2-MIB) whereby 2-MIB acts as an ant repellent.

Another embodiment of present invention is the use of a composition, containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer - geosmin, (+) enantiomer—geosmin or a mixture thereof and a molecular sieve carrier as an attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants.

Another embodiment of present invention is the use of a composition , containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer 2- methylisoborneol, and (+) enantiomer 2-methylisoborneol or a mixture thereof and a molecular sieve carrier as a repellent for ants.

Another embodiment of present invention concerns the use of a composition, containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer -geosmin, (+) enantiomer -geosmin or a mixture thereof and at least one molecular sieve carrier selected of the group consisting of a zeolite, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica, organoclays, and porous cyclodextrin polymer as an attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants.

Another embodiment of present invention concerns the use of a composition, containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer 2-methylisoborneol and (+) enantiomer 2-methylisoborneol or a mixture thereof and at least one molecular sieve carrier selected of the group consisting of a zeolite, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica, organoclays, and porous cyclodextrin polymer as repellent for ants.

It further concerns the use of containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer -geosmin, (+) enantiomer -geosmin and or a mixture thereof absorbed or loaded in or on the molecular sieve carrier as an attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants and the use a composition, containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer -geosmin and (+) enantiomer -geosmin or a mixture thereof absorbed or loaded in or on at least one molecular sieve carrier selected of the group consisting of a zeolite, organoclay, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica and porous cyclodextrin polymer as an attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants. Such use can be characterised in that a trap comprises the above mentioned composition, it can be characterised in that the trap is designed as a funnel trap. Such trap can be furthermore baited.

A further aspect of the present invention concerns a method for repelling ants concerns the use of a composition, containing the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds 2-methylisoborneol (2- MIB) absorbed or loaded in or on the molecular sieve carrier as a repellent agent for ants or it concerns the use of a composition containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer 2-methylisoborneol (+) enantiomer 2- methylisoborneol or a mixture thereof absorbed or loaded in or on the molecular sieve carrier as an ant repellent. Yet a further aspect of the present invention concerns a method for repelling ants concerns the use of a composition, containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer 2-methylisoborneol and (+) enantiomer 2-methylisoborneol or a mixture thereof absorbed or loaded in or on at least one molecular sieve carrier selected of the group consisting of a zeolite, organoclay, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica and porous cyclodextrin polymer as an attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants. These compositions can be used in combination with attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants. To direct ants towards a desired location such as for instance a trap, for instance a funal trap It is an object of the present invention to provide a composition for controlling ants containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant selected from the group of bicyclic tertiary alcohol consisting of l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin), (-) enantiomer -geosmin and (+) enantiomer -geosmin and at least one ant pheromone of the group consisting of methyl 6-methylsalicylate, 3-ethyl-4-methylpentanol, N-[2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxyhexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-3- methylpentanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N- [2- (4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-oxohexanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -3 -methyl -2- oxopentanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxyhexanamide, N- [2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-3-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2- hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-oxohexanamide, N- [2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-3-methyl-2-oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-4-methyl- 2-oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]hexanamide, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, butyric acid ester of 1-butanol, butyric acid ester of isobutyl alcohol, 2 -methyl- 1-butanol, heptadecadiene; (Z)8-heptadecene; n-heptadecane; (Z)9-nonadecene; (Z)9-heneicosene; n- heneicosane; n-docosane; n-tricosane; 7-,9-,11-methyltricosane; 3-methyltricosane; n- tetracosane; 11-methyltetracosane; n-pentacosane; 9-,11-methylpentacosane; 5- methylpentacosane ; n-heptacosane ; 9-,l 1-,13-methylheptacosane ; nonacosene ; 4-,5-,6- octacosanone, n-pentadecane; 9-hexadecene; n-hexadecane; octadecene; nonadecadiene; n- nonadecane; octadecenal; tricosene; pentacosene; 3-methylpentacosane; hexacosene; n- hexacosane; 11-,13-methylhexacosane; 5-methylhexacosane; heptacosene; 7- methylheptacosane; 5-methylheptacosane; 3-methylheptacosane; octacosene; 5, 9-, 5, 15-, 5, 17-dimethylheptacosane; n-octacosane; 9-,l 1-,13-methyloctacosane; n-nonacosane; 9-,l l-,13- ,15-methylnonacosane; n-triacontane and 9-,l 1-methyltriacontane. This composition can be characterised in that the bicyclic tertiary alcohol is selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer -geosmin, (+) enantiomer -geosmin and or a mixture thereof. It can be further be characterised in bicyclic tertiary said alcohol compound is comprised in or on a molecular sieve carrier, for instance molecular sieve of the group selected of zeolite, organoclay, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica and porous cyclodextrin polymer or for instance a zeolite which is a high silica zeolite or a zeolite is an hydrophobic zeolite.

The composition can be characterised in that it comprises a molecular sieve carrier comprising said pheromone. The above described compositions can further comprise an anticide. An interesting surprising observation is that some of the molecular sieves where on or wherein the ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant is loaded act as an antacid. According to a further aspect of the present invention a method for attracting an killing ants using the above mentioned compositions whereby the molecular sieve porous organophilic porous silica molecular sieve, preferably of the group consisting of a non- fumed or not heated or uncalcinated diatomite, a superhydrophobic diatomaceous earth (e.g. 1,1,1-trimethyl-N-trimethylsilane-modified, highly hydrophobic diatomaceous earth), a hydrophobic zeolite and a dealuminated zeolite. Preferably such loaded carrier has a particle size of less than 25 μιη, more preferably less than 20 μιη, yet more preferably less than 15 μ m and most preferably between 5 and 10 μπι. These organophilic porous silica have the advantage that they are not toxic for mammalians, including human. According to still another embodiment such composition is further , characterised that the poison or anticide is a compound of the group consisting of bifenthrin, fipronil and cyfluthrin or an anticide of the group consisting of anticides: abamectin, AC 303 630, acephate, acrinathrin, alanycarb, aldicarb, alphamethrin, amitraz, avermectin, AZ 60541, azadirachtin, azinphos A, azinphos M, azocyclotin, Bacillus thuringiensis, bendiocarb, benfuracarb, bensultap, betacyfluthrin, bifenthrin, bioresmethrin, BPMC, brofenprox, bromophos A, bufencarb, buprofezin, butocarboxin, butylpyridaben, cadusafos, carbaryl, carbofuran, carbophenothion, carbosulfan, cartap, CGA 157 419, CGA 184699, chloethocarb, chlorethoxyfos, chlorfenvinphos, chlorfluazuron, chlormephos, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos M, cis-Resmethrin, clocythrin, clofentezine, cyanophos, cycloprothrin, cyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, cyhexatin, cypermethrin, cyromazine, deltamethrin, demeton M, demeton S, demeton-S- methyl, diafenthiuron, diazinon, dichlofenthion, dichlorvos, dicliphos, dicrotophos, diethion, diflubenzuron, dimethoate, dimethylvinphos, dioxathion, disulfoton, edifenphos, emamectin, esfenvalerate, ethiofencarb, ethion, ethofenprox, ethoprophos, etrimphos, fenamiphos, fenazaquin, fenbutatin oxide, fenitrothion, fenobucarb, fenothiocarb, fenoxycarb, fenpropathrin, fenpyrad, fenpyroximate, fenthion, fenvalerate, fipronil, fluazinam, flucycloxuron, flucythrinate, flufenoxuron, flufenprox, fluvalinate, fonophos, formothion, fosthiazate, fubfenprox, furathiocarb, HCH, heptenophos, hexaflumuron, hexythiazox, imidacloprid, iprobenfos, isazophos, isofenphos, isoprocarb, isoxathion, ivermectin, lambda- cyhalothrin, lufenuron, malathion, mecarbam, mervinphos, mesulfenphos, metaldehyde, methacrifos, methamidophos, methidathion, methiocarb, methomyl, metolcarb, milbemectin, monocrotophos, moxidectin, naled, NC 184, NI 25, nitenpyram omethoat, oxamyl, oxydemethon M, oxydeprofos, parathion A, parathion M, permethrin, phenothrin, phenthoate, phorate, phosalone, phosmet, phosphamidon, phoxim, pirimicarb, pirimiphos M, pirimiphos A, profenofos, promecarb, propaphos, propoxur, prothiofos, prothoate, pymetrozin, pyrachlophos, pyridaphenthion, pyresmethrin, pyrethrum, pyridaben, pyrimidifen, pyriproxifen, quinalphos, resmethrin, RH 5992, salithion, sebufos, silafluofen, sulfotep, sulprofos, tebufenozid, tebufenpyrad, tebupirimiphos, teflubenzuron, tefluthrin, temephos, terbam, terbufos, tetrachlorvinphos, thiafenox, thiodicarb, thiofanox, thiomethon, thionazin, thuringiensin, tralocytrin, tralomethrin, triarathen, triazophos, triazuron, trichlorfon, triflumuron, trimethacarb, transfluthrin vamidothion, XMC, xylylcarb, zetamethrin. These poisons can be comprised in or on a molecular sieve. It is an object of the present invention to use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants, characterised in that said compound is bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin) and said ants are of a group comprising species the subfamily of the Myrmicinae, the tribe Solenopsidini, the genus of the Monomorium

According to a further preferred embodiment a compound is used to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants, characterised in that said compound is bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin) and said ants characterised in that the ants are of the group consisting of red fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), black fire ant (Solenopsis richteri), fire ant (Solenopsis germinata), fire ant (Solenopsis xyloni), carpenter ant (Camponotus modoc), argentine ant (Linepithema humile), pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis), whitefooted ants (Technomyrex albipes), little black ants (Monomorium minimum), ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum), odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile) and pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum).

According to a further preferred embodiment a compound is used to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants, characterised in that said compound is bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin) and said ants characterised in that the ants are of the genus Oecophylla (e.g. Oecophylla smaragdina).

According to a further preferred embodiment a compound is used to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants, characterised in that said compound is bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin) and said ants characterised in that the ants characterised in that the ants are or leaf-cutting ants of the Atta genus (e.g. Atta mexicana and A. cephalotus).

According to a further preferred embodiment a compound is used to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants, characterised in that said compound is bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin) and said ants characterised in that the ants characterised in that the ants are mountain ants (Polyrhachis vicina Roger.

According to a further aspect of the present invention for the above described use the compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants is characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with an ant pheromone, for instance an ant sex pheromone or it is characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with a pheromone of the group consisting of methyl 6-methylsalicylate, 3-ethyl-4-methylpentanol, N-[2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxyhexanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxy-3 - methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N-[2- (4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-oxohexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-3-methyl-2- oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxyhexanamide, N-[2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxy-3 -methylpentanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2- hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-oxohexanamide, N- [2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -3 -methyl-2-oxopentanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -4-methyl- 2-oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]hexanamide, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, butyric acid ester of 1-butanol, butyric acid ester of isobutyl alcohol, 2 -methyl- 1-butanol, heptadecadiene; (Z)8-heptadecene; n-heptadecane; (Z)9-nonadecene; (Z)9-heneicosene; n- heneicosane; n-docosane; n-tricosane; 7-,9-,l 1-methyltricosane; 3-methyltricosane; n- tetracosane; 11 -methyltetracosane; n-pentacosane; 9-,l 1-methylpentacosane; 5- methylpentacosane ; n-heptacosane ; 9-,l 1-,13-methylheptacosane ; nonacosene ; 4-,5-,6- octacosanone, n-pentadecane; 9-hexadecene; n-hexadecane; octadecene; nonadecadiene; n- nonadecane; octadecenal; tricosene; pentacosene; 3-methylpentacosane; hexacosene; n- hexacosane; 11-,13-methylhexacosane; 5-methylhexacosane; heptacosene; 7- methylheptacosane; 5-methylheptacosane; 3-methylheptacosane; octacosene; 5, 9-, 5, 15-, 5, 17-dimethylheptacosane; n-octacosane; 9-,11-,13-methyloctacosane; n-nonacosane; 9-,l l-,13- ,15-methylnonacosane; n-triacontane and 9-,l 1-methyltriacontane.

According to still another embodiment the compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous described here above is characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with uric acid.

In an advantageous embodiment this compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants is characterised in that said compound is comprised in or on a molecular sieve. Such molecular sieve can be of the group consisting of zeolite, organoclay, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica and porous cyclodextrin polymer. These compositions can further comprise octopamine and/or gamma-amino butyric acid. They can further comprise a compound of the group comprising quaternary amine is acetyl choline chloride, tertiary amine, triethanolamine, ethyl 4-aminobutyrate, tryptamine.

According to still another embodiment the above described use the compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants is characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with an ant toxin.

According to still another embodiment the above described use the compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants is characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with hydrolysed protein

According to still another embodiment the above described use the compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants is characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with cross-linked olive oil gel

According to still another embodiment the above described use the compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants is characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with a carbohydrate phagostimulants (e.g. sucrose)

According to still another embodiment the above described use the compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants is characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with a toxin of the group consisting of Oxymatrine, Psoralen, Azadirachtin or a combination hereof

It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier with porous organophilic porous silica or with porous organophilic silica-rich surfaces loaded with an insect attractant in a portion sufficient to attract said insect and to kill said insect. According to a preferred embodiment it is an attractant anticide to attract and kill ants with a porous organophilic porous silica or with porous organophilic silica-rich surfaces loaded with the volatile organic terpenoid alcohol, geosmin.

The present invention is in this embodiment thus based on the combination of an insect attractant, preferably an attractant volatile organic terpenoid alcohols loaded a porous organophilic porous silica carrier, preferably of the group consisting of a non- fumed or not heated or uncalcinated diatomite, a superhydrophobic diatomaceous earth (e.g. 1,1,1-trimethyl- N-trimethylsilane-modified, highly hydrophobic diatomaceous earth), a hydrophobic zeolite and a dealuminated zeolite. Preferably such loaded carrier has a particle size of less than 25 μηι, more preferably less than 20 μιτι, yet more preferably less than 15 μ m and most preferably between 5 and 10 μιη.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention

An embodiment of present invention concerns a formulation for controlling and monitoring ant infestation or for disrupting the mating of ants characterised in that it comprises 2- methylisoborneol (2-MIB) as ant repellent. Such formulation can be especially formulated so that it does not contain the ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant geosmin (1,2,7,7-tetramethyl- 2-norborneol). On the other had a kit can comprise this 2-methylisoborneol formulation and repellent and separately a formulation with the geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant geosmin. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention these formulations are in the form of a spray, powder, granule, tablet, gel, cream or these formulations are a spray or an aerosol. According to an embodiment of the present invention this 2-methylisoborneol repellent can furthermore be loaded into a molecular sieve, it can be comprised into a bait, comprised onto or into a lure. Alternatively the 2- methylisoborneol repellent is in a matrix which matrix can comprise a water based medium or such matrix can comprises wax matrix, a gellable matrix or a gelatinous bait matrix or the matrix comprises water in oil emulsion. According to an embodiment of the present invention this 2-methylisoborneol repellent can furthermore be in or on a molecular sieve for instance in or on a hydrophobic molecular sieve or in or on a hydrophobic molecular sieve of the group consisting of a non- fumed or not heated or uncalcinated diatomite, a superhydrophobic diatomaceous earth (e.g. 1,1,1-trimethyl-N-trimethylsilane-modified, highly hydrophobic diatomaceous earth), a hydrophobic zeolite and a dealuminated zeolite.

According to the present invention the formulation can comprise 2-methylisoborneol repellent in the form of the bicyclic alcohol compound is an (-) enantiomer, for instance (-)-2- mefhylisoborneol, the bicyclic alcohol compound is an (+) enantiomer or a racemic (+/-) mix These repellent formulations to any one of the previous embodiments are used for repelling pest ants, for repelling pest ants whereby the pest ants are of the group consisting of pest ants such as the red fire ant {Solenopsis invicta), black fire ant {Solenopsis richteri), fire ant {Solenopsis germinata), fire ant {Solenopsis xylo i), carpenter ant (Camponotus modoc), argentine ant {Linepithema humile), pharaoh ants {Monomorium pharaonis), whitefooted ants {Technomyrex albipes), little black ants {Monomorium minimum), ghost ants {Tapinoma melanocephalum), odorous house ant {Tapinoma sessile) and pavement ants {Tetramorium caespitum), for delocalizing Myrmicinae ants, for delocalizing Solenopsidini ants or for delocalizing Monomorium ants

A particular embodiment of present invention is method of delocalizing ants, said method involving treating an object or area with an effective amount of bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile compound, 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), which can be under the forms here above described. This method is suitable to delocalize myrmicinae ants or Solenopsidini ants or any ant selected from the group consisting of Monomorium antarcticum, Monomorium bidentatum, Monomorium chinense, Monomorium delabiei, Monomorium dentatum, Monomorium denticulatum, Monomorium destructor, Monomorium effractor, Monomorium fieldi, Monomorium floricola, Monomorium hospitum, Monomorium inquilinum, Monomorium inusuale, Monomorium kondratieffi, Monomorium minimum, Monomorium monomorium, Monomorium noualhieri, Monomorium pergandei, Monomorium pharaonis, Monomorium rubriceps, Monomorium santschii, Monomorium smithi, Monomorium talbotae. A particumar method is to apply this 2-methylisoborneol repellent to delocalise the pharaoh ants.

According to the invention there is also a formulation for controlling and monitoring ant infestation or for disrupting the mating of ants characterised in that it comprises the ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol). Such formulation can be particularly be prepared such that it is characterised in that it essentially consist of geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) as ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant but does not comprise the ant repellent 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB). This formulation can be comprised in a spray, powder, granule, tablet, gel, cream or aerosol.

According to a specific embodiment, the formulation is characterised in that the attractant, aggregant or arrestant or the repellent is loaded into a molecular sieve or into a bait or onto or into a lure. According to a specific embodiment, the formulation is characterised in that the bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile compound of the group of geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2- norborneol) in a matrix and this matrix can be characterised in that the matrix comprises water based medium or the matrix comprises wax matrix or the matrix is a gellable matrix or the matrix is a gelatinous bait matrix or that the matrix comprises water in oil emulsion.

This formulation can also be characterised in that the bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile compound, geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) is in or on a molecular sieve for instance in or on hydrophobic molecular sieve or in or on hydrophobic molecular sieve of the group consisting of a non- fumed or not heated or uncalcinated diatomite, a super hydrophobic diatomaceous earth (e.g. 1,1,1-trimethyl-N-trimethylsilane-modified, highly hydrophobic diatomaceous earth), a hydrophobic zeolite and a dealuminated zeolite.

These ant attractant, aggregant or attestant geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) based ant attractant formulations in a particular embodiment of present invention can further comprise sex pheromones or they even may comprise ant poison or an ant compound that affects the colony for instance a compound that disrupts reproduction or for instance bifenthrin, fipronil or cyfluthrin.

According to the present invention in these geosmin based attractant, aggregant or arrestant formulations geosmin can have the form of an (-) enantiomer of an (+) enantiomer or of a racemic (+/-) mix. For instance in this formulation the bicyclic alcohol compound can be (- )-geosmin.

Any such geosmin based ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant formulation of present invention can in an alternative embodiment additionally comprising an anticide or pheromone or an anticide and a pheromone mixture, wherein the pheromone is selected from the group consisting of methyl 6-methylsalicylate, 3-ethyl-4-methylpentanol, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2- hydroxyhexanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxy-3 -methylpentanamide, N- [2- (4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2- oxohexanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -3 -methyl -2-oxopentanamide, N- [2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxyhexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-3- methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N-[2- (4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-oxohexanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -3 -methyl-2- oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-4-methyl -2-oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4- hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]hexanamide, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, butyric acid ester of 1-butanol, butyric acid ester of isobutyl alcohol, 2-methyl- 1-butanol, heptadecadiene; (Z)8-heptadecene; n- heptadecane; (Z)9-nonadecene; (Z)9-heneicosene; n-heneicosane; n-docosane; n-tricosane; 7- ,9-,11-methyltricosane; 3-methyltricosane; n-tetracosane; 11-methyltetracosane; n- pentacosane; 9-,l 1-methylpentacosane; 5-methylpentacosane ; n-heptacosane ; 9-,l l-,13- methylheptacosane ; nonacosene ; 4-,5-,6-octacosanone, n-pentadecane; 9-hexadecene; n- hexadecane; octadecene; nonadecadiene; n-nonadecane; octadecenal; tricosene; pentacosene; 3-methylpentacosane; hexacosene; n-hexacosane; 1 1-,13-methylhexacosane; 5- methylhexacosane; heptacosene; 7-methylheptacosane; 5-methylheptacosane; 3- methylheptacosane; octacosene; 5, 9-, 5, 15-, 5, 17-dimethylheptacosane; n-octacosane; 9-,l l- ,13-methyloctacosane; n-nonacosane; 9-,11-,13-,15-methylnonacosane; n-triacontane; and 9- ,11 -methyltriacontane.

According to the invention is also a confined environment that comprising the formulation according to the previous embodiments, either the ant repellent formulation or the ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant formulation. This confined environment can be characterised in that the bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile is a geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) and the confined environment is a trap. Such confined environment can further comprises a humidity control system for instance a spray assembly in thermal communication with the chamber and a sensor in thermal communication with at least one chamber of the confined environment whereby the sensor is sensing at least relative humidity and air temperature.

In a particular embodiment of present invention the confined environment according tis characterised in that it comprises spots or lanes of the bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile repellent or the bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile attractant placed on a surface or in an ant environment to control the ant behaviour, it can for instance comprise scent cues of terpenoid alcoholic volatile compounds of the group consisting of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol for moving and position ants or ant colonies in said environoment as desired. This can be in the form of a guiding system comprising at least one 2-methylisoborneol repellant guiding device to guide ants away from locoregions of a space and further comprising at least one geosmin attractant guiding device comprising for guiding in said environment toward a certain locoregion or of an attractant guiding device comprises locoregional spots or paths in the environment for evacuating ants and/or ant colonies from an unwanted location towards a desired location, for instance a trap. Such confined environment according to present invention can be characterised in that it repellant guiding device comprises locoregional spots or barrier lines in the environment for evacuating ants and/or ant colonies from an unwanted location towards a desired location, for instance a trap. According to the invention is also the use of the formulation or the confined environment with geosmin for attracting pest ants for instance pest ants are of the group consisting of pest ants such as the red fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), black fire ant (Solenopsis richteri), fire ant (Solenopsis germinatd), fire ant (Solenopsis xyloni), carpenter ant (Camponotus modoc), argentine ant (Linepithema humile), pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis), whitefooted ants (Technomyrex albipes), little black ants (Monomorium minimum), ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum), odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile) and pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum).

According to an embodiment of present invention is also the use of the formulation or the confined environment with geosmin, but free of the poison or the sex hormone, for attracting ants of high nutritional or nutraceutical value such as weaver ant of the genus Oecophylla (e.g. Oecophylla smaragdina) or leaf-cutting ants of the Atta genus (such as Atta mexicana and A. cephalotus) or mountain ants (Polyrhachis vicina Roger).

According to an embodiment of present invention is also the use of the formulation or the confined environment with geosmin for delocalizing Myrmicinae ants or for delocalizing Solenopsidini ants or for delocalizing Monomorium ants.

Another embodiment of present invention is a method of attracting ants, which involves treating an object or area with an effective amount of the bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile compound, geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol). This method of delocalizing ants, can also involves treating an object or area with an effective amount of a repellent bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile compound, 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) or both bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatiles on separate objects.

A particular embodiment of present invention concerns a method delocalizing ants, said method involving an object or area with an effective amount of bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile compound, geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) attractant, aggregant or arrestant and in the same environment an object or area with an effective amount of bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile compound, 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB). This is suitable to delocalize myrmicinae ants or to delocalize Solenopsidini ants or to delocalize ants are selected from the group consisting of Monomorium antarcticum, Monomorium bidentatum, Monomorium chinense, Monomorium delabiei, Monomorium dentatum, Monomorium denticulatum, Monomorium destructor, Monomorium effractor, Monomorium fieldi, Monomorium floricola, Monomorium hospitum, Monomorium inquilinum, Monomorium inusuale, Monomorium kondratieffi, Monomorium minimum, Monomorium monomorium, Monomorium noualhieri, Monomorium pergandei, Monomorium pharaonis, Monomorium rubriceps, Monomorium santschii, Monomorium smithi, and Monomorium talbotae. This methods are particularly suitable to delocalize pharaoh ants.

These methods may be used for inducing homing of said ants in an object or on an area.

A further embodiment of the invention concerns a kit that comprises formulations according to any of the previous embodiments, characterised in that the kit comprises the formulation comprising ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2- norborneol) and that it further comprises a separate formulation comprising the ant repellent 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB).

Yet a further embodiment of the invention concerns a kit that comprises formulations according to any of the previous embodiments, characterised in that the kit comprises a formulation consisting essentially of an ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant geosmin

(l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) and that it further comprises a separate formulation consisting essentially of the ant repellent, 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB).

According to the present invention formulation for controlling and monitoring ant infestation or for disrupting the mating of ants has been shown that consists essentially of a bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound and that this bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is the ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant, geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol).This formulation for attracting, aggregating or arresting ants can be characterised in that it consists essentially of geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) and that it is essentially free of the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB).

Some embodiments of the invention are set forth in embodiment format directly below:

1. A formulation for controlling and monitoring ant infestation or for disrupting the mating of ants characterised in that it consists essentially of a bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound and that this bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is the ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant, geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol).

2. A formulation for attracting, aggregating or arresting ants, characterised in that it consists essentially of geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol). The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 2, characterised in that it is essentially free of the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB)

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 3, whereby the formulation is a spray, powder, granule, tablet, gel, cream.

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 3 , characterised in that the attractant, aggregant or arrestant is loaded into a molecular sieve.

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 3, characterised in that the attractant, aggregant or arrestant is comprised into a bait.

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 3, characterised in that the attractant, aggregant or arrestant is comprised onto or into a lure.

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 3, characterised in that the attractant, aggregant or arrestant is comprised in a matrix.

The formulation according to embodiment 8, characterised in that said matrix comprises water based medium.

The formulation according to embodiment 8, characterised in that said matrix comprises wax matrix.

The formulation according to embodiment 8, characterised in that said matrix is a gellable matrix.

The formulation according to embodiment 8, characterised in that said matrix is a gelatinous bait matrix.

The formulation according to embodiment 8, characterised in that said matrix comprises water in oil emulsion.

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 13, characterised in that it further comprises sex pheromones.

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 13, characterised in that it further comprises ant poison or an ant compound that affects the colony for instance a compound that disrupts reproduction or for instance bifenthrin, fipronil or cyfluthrin.

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 15, whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is an (-) enantiomer.

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 15, whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is an (+) enantiomer. The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 15, whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound (-)-geosmin and (-)-2-methylisoborneol.

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 15, whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is in a racemic (+/-) mix.

The formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 19, said formulation additionally comprising an anticide or pheromone or an anticide and a pheromone mixture, wherein the pheromone is selected from the group consisting of methyl 6-methylsalicylate, 3-ethyl-4-methylpentanol, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]- 2-hydroxyhexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-3- methylpentanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-oxohexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-3- methyl-2-oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxyhexanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxy-3 -methylpentanamide, N- [2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N- [2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-oxohexanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -3 -methyl-2- oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-4-methyl-2-oxopentanamide, N-[2- (4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]hexanamide, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, butyric acid ester of 1- butanol, butyric acid ester of isobutyl alcohol, 2 -methyl- 1-butanol, heptadecadiene; (Z)8-heptadecene; n-heptadecane; (Z)9-nonadecene; (Z)9-heneicosene; n-heneicosane; n-docosane; n-tricosane; 7-,9-,11-methyltricosane; 3-methyltricosane; n-tetracosane; 11-methyltetracosane; n-pentacosane; 9-,l 1-methylpentacosane; 5-methylpentacosane ; n-heptacosane ; 9-,11-,13-methylheptacosane ; nonacosene ; 4-,5-,6-octacosanone, n- pentadecane; 9-hexadecene; n-hexadecane; octadecene; nonadecadiene; n-nonadecane; octadecenal; tricosene; pentacosene; 3-methylpentacosane; hexacosene; n-hexacosane; 11-,13-methylhexacosane; 5-methylhexacosane; heptacosene; 7-methylheptacosane; 5- methylheptacosane; 3-methylheptacosane; octacosene; 5, 9-, 5, 15-, 5, 17- dimethylheptacosane; n-octacosane; 9-,l 1-,13-methyloctacosane; n-nonacosane; 9-,l 1- ,13-,15-methylnonacosane; n-triacontane; and 9-,l 1-methyltriacontane

A confined environment comprising the formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 20.

The confined environment according to embodiment 21 , characterised in that it a trap. The confined environment according to any one of the previous embodiments 21 to 22, characterised in that confined environment comprises humidity control system. 24. The confined environment according to any one of the previous embodiments 21 to 23 characterised in that it comprises a spray assembly in thermal communication with the chamber and a sensor in thermal communication with at least one chamber of the confined environment whereby the sensor is sensing at least relative humidity and air temperature.

25. The use of the formulation or the confined environment according to any one of the previous embodiments for attracting pest ants.

26. The use of the formulation according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 24, for attracting pest ants whereby the pest ants are of the group consisting of pest ants such as the red fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), black fire ant (Solenopsis richteri), fire ant

(Solenopsis germinata), fire ant (Solenopsis xyloni), carpenter ant (Camponotus modoc), argentine ant (Linepithema humile), pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis), whitefooted ants (Technomyrex albipes), little black ants (Monomorium minimum), ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum), odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile) and pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum).

27. The use of the formulation or the confined environment according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 24 except the poison or the sex hormone, for attracting ants of high nutritional or nutraceutical value such as weaver ant of the genus Oecophylla (e.g. Oecophylla smaragdina) or leaf-cutting ants of the Atta genus (such as Atta mexicana and A. cephalotus) or mountain ants (Polyrhachis vicina Roger.

28. The use of the formulation or the confined environment according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 24, for attracting Myrmicinae ants.

29. The use of the formulation or the confined environment according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 24, for attracting Solenopsidini ants.

30. The use of the formulation or the confined environment according to any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 24, for attracting Monomorium ants

31. The use of the formulation of any one of the previous embodiments 1 to 30, for controlling and monitoring ant infestation or for disrupting the mating of ants

32. A method of attracting ants, said method involving treating an object or area with an effective amount of attractant, aggregant or arrestant according to the embodiments 1 to

24.

33. The method according to embodiment 32 to attract myrmicinae ants.

34. The method according to embodiment 32 to attract Solenopsidini ants. 35. The method according to embodiment 32, wherein said ants are selected from the group consisting of Monomorium antarcticum, Monomorium bidentatum, Monomorium chinense, Monomorium delabiei, Monomorium dentatum, Monomorium denticulatum, Monomorium destructor, Monomorium effractor, Monomorium fieldi, Monomorium floricola, Monomorium hospitum, Monomorium inquilinum, Monomorium inusuale,

Monomorium kondratieffi, Monomorium minimum, Monomorium monomorium, Monomorium noualhieri, Monomorium pergandei, Monomorium pharaonis, Monomorium rubriceps, Monomorium santschii, Monomorium smithi, Monomorium talbotae, and mixtures thereof.

36. The method according to embodiment 32, wherein said ants are pharaoh ants.

37. The method according to any one of the embodiments 32 to 36 for inducing homing of said ants in the object or on the area.

Some additional embodiments of the invention are set forth in embodiment format directly below:

The use of a composition for controlling ants containing the bicyclic tertiary alcohol ant attractant, aggregant or attestant l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin) or the ant repellent (lR-exo)-l ,2,7,7-tetramethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol (2- methylisoborneol or 2-MIB)

The use of the composition of embodiment 1, characterised in that the ant attractant, aggregant or attestant 1 ,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin) is selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer -geosmin and (+) enantiomer -geosmin or a mixture thereof and that the repellent (lR-exo)-l,2,7,7-tetramethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol (2- methylisoborneol or 2-MIB) is of the group consisting of (-) enantiomer 2- methylisoborneol, and (+) enantiomer 2-methylisoborneol or a mixture thereof.

The use of a composition according to any one of the embodiments 1 to 2, characterised in said bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is comprised in or on a molecular sieve carrier.

The use of a composition according to embodiment 3, whereby the molecular sieve of the group selected of zeolite, organoclay, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica and porous cyclodextrin polymer

The use of a composition according to anyone of the embodiments 3 or 4, characterised in that the zeolite is a high silica zeolite 6. The use of a composition according to embodiment 5, characterised in that the zeolite is an hydrophobic zeolite

Detailed Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements. Also, the following detailed description does not limit the invention. Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention. Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein. Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

It is to be noticed that the term "comprising", used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression "a device comprising means A and B" should not be limited to the devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments. Similarly it should be appreciated that in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention. Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein.

It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only.

Each and every claim is incorporated into the specification as an embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the claims are part of the description and are a further description and are in addition to the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Each of the claims set out a particular embodiment of the invention.

The following terms are provided solely to aid in the understanding of the invention.

It should be noted that the phrase "cross-linked gel," as utilized herein with reference to the present invention, refers to a gel that is non-polymeric and is derived from an oil composition comprising molecules covalently cross-linked into a three-dimensional network by one or more of ester, ether, peroxide, and carbon-carbon bonds in a substantially random configuration that can reversibly convert into oil compounds. In various preferred embodiments, the oil composition comprises a fatty acid molecule, a glyceride, and combinations thereof. When such bait comprised such cross-linked gel prepared according to the methods described herein it is demonstrable that such has a prolonged release of the attractant of present invention. The oil component of the non-polymeric bio-absorbable cross-linked gel present invention can be either oil, or an oil composition. The oil component can be naturally occurring oil, such as olive oil, fish oil, cod liver oil, cranberry oil, or other oils having desired characteristics. The present invention is not limited to the use of olive oil as the naturally occurring oil for the non-polymeric bio-absorbable cross-linked gel. However, the description herein makes reference to the use of olive oil as one example embodiment. Other naturally occurring oils can be utilized in accordance with the present invention as described herein.

"Oily substances" encompass a single substance or mixtures of substances having a hydrophobic character, e.g. oils, fats, fatty acids, tensio-active substances etc. A "watery substance" is any watery compound or compound with a hydrophilic character.

"Powder" is used for the mixture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica having oil, fat, fatty acid, tensio-active substance, emulsion or any combination of these absorbed thereon.

"Binding agent" encompasses every agent encapsulating the powder. The powder is added to a solution of the binding agent after which the solution is gelled. Thus, the "premix gel" or "gel" is obtained.

The term "homing" refers to an evoked behaviour that worker ants carry or spread a message (for instance by chemiochemicals) that a certain environment is suitable for the colony, for the survival of the colony and eventually housing the colony. Homing can also mean staying or housing in the particular environment it refers to.

The term "molecular sieve" as used herein refers to a solid with pores the size of molecules. It includes but is not limited to microporous and mesoporous materials, ALPOs and (synthetic) zeolites, pillared or non-pillared clays, clathrasils, clathrates, carbon molecular sieves, mesoporous silica, silica-alumina (for example, of the M41S-type, with an ordered pore system), microporous titanosilicates such as ETS-10, urea and related host substances, porous metal oxides. Molecular sieves can have multimodal pore size distribution, also referred to as ordered ultramicropores (typically less than 0.7 nm), supermicropores (typically in the range of about 0.7-2 nm) or mesopores (typically in the range of about 2 nm-50 nm). A particular type of molecular sieve envisaged within the present invention are the silica molecular sieves, more particularly silica zeogrids, zeolites, and/or amorphous microporous silica materials.

A "zeogrid" is a silica superstructure with a combination of super- and ultra-micropores and with an X-ray diffraction pattern typical of a layered structure, such as in FIG. 1 (see also Kremer et al. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2002, 12:286). Supermicropores have free diameters in the range of typically 7 to 20 A, ultramicropores have free diameters of less than 7 A, identifiable by Nitrogen-adsorption ( ouquerol & Rouquerol, Adsorption by powders and porous solids, 1999, Sing, Academic Press).

A "zeolite" can be defined as a crystalline material of which the chemical composition includes essentially aluminium, silicon and oxygen. Typically, zeolites are described as aluminosilicates with a three dimensional framework and molecular sized pores.

High silica zeolites have hydrophobic properties. High silica zeolite absorbs 2- methylisoborneol and geosmin directly from a water phase. For instance high silica mordenite (MOR) with a 200 Si02/A1203 molar ratio (code HSZ-690HOA of Zeolyst (USA)), synthetic high silica zeolite Y (HSZ-Y) with a Si02/A1203 ratio of 200 (Tosoh Corporation (Japan) or Tosoh Ltd) , high-silica Y-type zeolite, HSZ-385, surface area 600 m2/g, mean particle size 4 μπι, Si02/A1203 = 100, (Tosoh Corporation (Japan) or Tosoh Ltd), hydrophobic, high-silica zeolite NaY80 (Si/Al 80, K-F = 31.8) from Zeolyst Int., Valley Forge, PA and the high silica zeolite (HS Series) has high Si02/A1203 mol ratios of Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd absorb 2-methylisoborneol and/or geosmin and can thereafter been loaded into the ant bait or ant trap for use of present invention.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a chalk-like, soft, friable, earthy, very fine-grained, siliceous sedimentary rock usually light in colour, although white when pure. It is very finely porous and is very low in density, such that it floats on water until is surface is wetted, and is chemically inert to most liquids and gases. It also displays low thermal conductivity and a high fusion point. Many sediments and sedimentary rocks are somewhat diatomaceous. The deposits result from an accumulation in oceans or fresh waters of the amorphous silica (opal, Si02.nH20) cell walls of dead diatoms that are microscopic single-cell aquatic plants (algae). The fossilized skeletal remains— a pair of symmetrical shells (frustules)— vary in size from less than 1 micron to more than 1 millimetre but are typically 10 to 200 microns across. The frustules have a broad variety of delicate, lacy, perforated shapes from discs and balls to ladders, feathers, and needles, which provide the partitioned surface of the DE that provides the surface topography conducive to the achievement of superhydrophobic properties of the present invention when the surface is properly treated in a manner that retains the surface topography but renders the surface hydrophobic. The typical chemical composition of diatomaceous earth is about 86% silica, 5% sodium, 3% magnesium and 2% iron. DE is generally processed into two different products: natural-grade (or uncalcined) and calcined. The processing of natural-grade diatomite consists of crushing and drying. Crude diatomite commonly contains up to 40 percent moisture and can include more that 60 percent water. Typically a primary crushing is carried out to the material as mined to yield a desired aggregate size. The crushed DE is subsequently milled and dried simultaneously where suspended particles of diatomite are carried in a stream of hot gases. Flash and rotary dryers are used to dry the material to a powder of approximately 15 percent moisture. Typical flash dryer operating temperatures range from 70 to 430 deg. C. The suspended particles exiting the dryer pass through a series of fans, cyclones, and separators. These sequential operations separate the powder into various sizes, remove waste impurities, and expel the absorbed water. These natural-milled diatomite products are then bagged or handled in bulk without additional processing. Natural-grade DE is preferred for the practice of the invention. ]For filtration uses, natural grade diatomite is calcined by heat treatment in gas- or fuel oil-fired rotary calciners, with or without a fluxing agent. Straight calcining is used for adjusting the particle size distribution for use as a medium flow rate Filter aid. The product of straight calcining has a pink color from the oxidation of iron in the raw material, which is more intense with increasing iron oxide content of the DE. Typical calciner operating temperatures range from 650 to 1,200 deg. C. For straight-calcined grades, the powder is heated in large rotary calciners to the point of incipient fusion, and thus, in the strict technical sense, the process is one of sintering rather than calcining. DE treated in excess of 650 deg. C. undergoes material and structural changes which is deleterious to the silicate surface functionality to which the hydrophobic coating of the present invention is ultimately bound and at slightly higher temperatures is deleterious to the highly partitioned surface topography that enables superhydrophobic character when coated with a hydrophobic material. The surface of uncalcined DE is that of amorphous silica, more similar in composition to that of precipitated silica rather than pyrogenic silica. There is a reasonably high silanol content to the DE surface that can be characterized as having strong hydrogen bonded silanols, moderate strength hydrogen bonded silanols and weak hydrogen bonded silanols. Upon warming nearly all strongly hydrogen bonded silanols are lost when 650 deg. C. is reached, moderate strength hydrogen bonded silanols are lost when 1,000 deg. C. is achieved and above 1,000 deg. C. the weak hydrogen bonded silanols are lost. For the practice of the invention it is desirable that although surface bound water is reduced to a low level or completely removed, the presence of at least some moderate strength hydrogen bonded silanols is intended to provide sufficient sites for bonding of the coating layer and thereby stabilizing the hydrophobic self-assembly monolayer coating. For this reason calcined DE is generally avoided for the practice of the invention as most calcined DE has been treated in excess of 800 deg. C. The desired surface topography formed by the diatoms and a sufficient amount of silanol functionality on the silicate surface to achieve the continuous SAM of the present invention is generally unavailable with DE that is heat treated in excess of 800 deg. C. These diatomaceous earths are suitable as carrier of the volatile organic terpenoid alcohols of present invention and have anticide properties.

Organoclays are obtainable from for instance bentonite and laterite clay minerals by treatment (Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, vol. 305, no. 1, pp. 17-24, 2007) with tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (C17H38N-Br, Merck, purity > 98%) and hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (C19H42N-C1, Merck, purity > 98%). Such Torganoclay materials are used to prepare hybrid materials with hydrophobic surfaces (Compos. Part B Eng., 45 (1) (2013), pp. 232-238, Purceno et al., 2011 and J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 128 (2) (2013), pp. 1304- 1312) . These organoclays and hybrid materials thereof absorb MIB and geosmin. An "amorphous microporous silica (AMS)" can be defined as an amorphous and continuous material with narrow pore size distribution similar to zeolites. It is typically synthesized from tetraethoxysilane via a sol-gel process under strongly acidic conditions (W.F. Maier, I.-C. Tilgner, M. Wiedorn, H.-C. Ko, Preparation and characterization of microporous metal oxides, Adv. Mater. 5 (10) (1993) 726-730). Its micropore diameter can be subtly varied by altering the synthesis parameters (M. Hunnius, A. Rufinska, W.F. Maier, Selective surface adsorption versus imprinting in amorphous microporous silicas, Microporous Mesoporous Mater. 29 (3) (1999) 389-403).

Insoluble nanoporous cyclodextrin polymers are obtainable by various processes for instance 1) reacting (Filtration Separation 36:26-28 (1999) and Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology Volume 82, Issue 4, pages 382-388, 2007 ) a dimethylformamide (DMF) solution with cylcodextrin (Wacker Chemie (Munich, Germany)), 2) The cross-linked β- cyclodextrin polymer (β-CD-MDI) is synthesized by the modification of β-cyclodextrin (β- CD) with crosslinking reagent diphenyl methane diisocyanate (MDI) or 2) β-Cyclodextrin polymer powder (C2485 Sigma beta-cyclodextrin polymer (pbCD) is obtainable by reacting b- cyclodextrin (b-CD) with epichlorohydrin (EP) under strong alkaline conditions (J Control Release 2006;1 11 :316-324 and Eur Polym J 1997;33: 49-57)). These insoluble nanoporous cyclodextrin polymers absorb 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin. A column packed with a solid- phase extraction (SPE) cartridge packed with homogenised air-dried polymers granular powders ( grain sizes between 1mm and 40μιη (typically 50% of the particles larger than 300 μιη, and 15% smaller than 75 μιτι, averaging 320 μιη) will absorb 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin from a water phase with high absorption efficiency (amounts of μg / liter water ). The 2-methylisoborneol and/or geosmin loaded product can thereafter been loaded into the ant bait or ant trap for use of present invention.

Table I

Nomenclature of molecular

Molecular sieves

Pore size Microporous <20 A Mesoporous

20-500 A

Composition Al & Si Al & P A1 & Si Al & P

aluminosilicate aluminophosphate

Name zeolites, AMS AlPOs Mesoporous

The term 'matrix', "coating" or "layer" as used herein refers to a material suitable for the coating or surrounding of a molecule or of a particle for instance a molecular sieve particle or a granule of a bioactive molecule or of a device or object.

The present invention is based on the observation that molecular sieves such as supermicroporous or ultramicroporous silicate material can be used to comprise the ant attractants of present invention even they are volatile and that when the molecular sieves comprising the volatile attractant can be further processed in the coating.

Molecular sieves such as zeolites when loaded with the volatile ant attractants such as geosmin when used to attract ants do not provide a significant reduction of the attractant action and to the contrary the use of molecular sieves, more particularly the use of zeolites resulted provides a prolonged action. Moreover the molecular sieves can be loaded with ant-preferred nutrient flavours and uric acid (dry weight 0.1% - 1% by weight) as a bait-enhancing agent or induce a homing behaviour to the ants.

Zeolites are microporous minerals of origin natural or synthetic which consist of hydrated metal aluminosilicates alkaline or alkaline-earth, and which is commonly used as adsorbents or at ends of separation of mixtures of chemical compounds as molecular sieve. Zeolites can be broadly described as crystalline microporous molecular sieves that possess three-dimensional frameworks composed of tetrahedral units (T04/2, T=Si, Al, or other tetrahedrally coordinated atom) linked through oxygen atoms. Zeolite X (FAU) and zeolite Beta are examples of zeolites with large pores delimited by 12-membered rings wherein the pore aperture measures about 7.4 .ANG.. The pores in zeolites are often classified as small (8 T atoms), medium (10 T atoms), large (12 T atoms), or extra-large 14 T atoms) according to the number of tetrahedral atoms that surround the pore apertures. The classification of intrazeolite channels as 1-, 2-, or 3-dimensional is set forth by R. M. Barrer in Zeolites, Science and Technology, edited by F. R. Rodrigues, L. D. Rollman and C. Naccache, NATO ASI Series, 1984 which classification is incorporated in its entirety by reference (see particularly page 75). Other examples of large pore zeolites include, but are not limited to, zeolite Y, FAU, EMT, ITQ-21 , ERT, and ITQ-33. These are documented at http://topaz.ethz.ch/IZA-SC/StdAtlas.htm, and in Baerlocher, Meier, and Olson's "Atlas of Zeolite Framework Types", Elsevier, 2001. (CAS- 1318-02-1)

There are hydrophobic zeolite available such as the organophilic molecular sieves (sodiumsilicate) Abscents 1000, Abscents 2000, Abscents 2500, Abscents 3000, Abscents 3500 and Abscents 5000 (CAS Registry Number: 1318-02-1, CA Index Name: Zeolites, (synthetic)) of UOP LLC ( Honeywell Company). For instance Abscents 2000 is a hydrophobic zeolite made up at a rate of to the less 95% in weight of a hydrated sodium aluminosilicate, of which the molar report if Al lies between 5 and 15. Zeolite Abscents 3000 is also hydrophobic zeolite, whose molar report [Si]/Ai is higher than 2000. he hydrophobic zeolite (HSZ-300, silica/alumina ratio =10). These hydrophobic zeolites are suitable as carrier of the volatile organic terpenoid alcohols of present invention and they are found to have anticide properties.

Dealuminated zeolites have organophilic silica surfaces rendering them organophilic/hydrophobic properties. For instance Silicalite is a molecular sieve invented by chemists at Union Carbide Corporation. It can be as close to pure silica as the quality of the materials used for synthesis. Its three-dimensional channel system is bounded by 10-rings from a four-connected tetrahedral framework. All Si atoms are surrounded by four oxygen atoms, and the stereogeometry is such that the channels are lined by a three-connected net with the fourth Si-0 bond pointing into the silica. Hence, there are no silanol (Si-OH) species projecting into the channels. Silicalite can adsorb molecules up to 6 A across, including benzene. Silicalite has a remarkable organophilic/hydrophobic nature. "Silicalite possesses a remarkable stability for a 33% porous crystal. It is stable in air to over 1,100°C, and only slowly converts to an amorphous glass at 1,300°C. It is stable to most mineral acids but reacts with HF similarly to quartz." These dealumined zeolites are suitable as carrier of the volatile organic terpenoid alcohols of present invention and they are found to have anticide properties properties.

This provides another option to anticides as there are several organophilic molecular sieves that are not toxic for humans and warm blooded animals and some are even food additives.

"Ant" or "Ants" refer to species of the family of the formicidae, especially species the subfamily of the Myrmicinae and/or species of the tribe Solenopsidini, especially the fire ants of the genus of Solenopsis, and the Monomorium species of the genus of the Monomorium, and especially also species of the subfamily of the Myrmicinae with the leafcutter ants belonging to the two genera Atta and Acromyrmex, included herein are all biotypes, males and females as well as any developmental stage, such as eggs, larvae, pupae and adults and including red fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), black fire ant (Solenopsis richteri), fire ant (Solenopsis germinata), fire ant (Solenopsis xyloni), carpenter ant (Camponotus modoc), argentine ant (Linepithema humile), pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis), whitefooted ants (Technomyrex albipes), little black ants (Monomorium minimum), ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum), odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile) and pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum).

"Attractant" compound or composition refers to one or more compounds, which attract one or more ant species and significantly increase the number of the pest organisms in the area and/or surfaces applied, compared to the same area and/or surfaces without the attractant (measured at one or more time points after attractant application). A "significant increase" is an increase by at least 5 number%, preferably at least 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 50% 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, or more. When the attractant is applied to plant tissues or bait , the attractant effect can be measured in various ways, for example by assessing the number of ants at one or more time- points after application of the attractant, or by assessing tissue damage or other symptoms associated with ant infestation/damage or the bait replaced. When the attractant is applied to other supporting materials, such as non-biological materials/areas (traps, solid supports, etc.), the numbers of ants on the treated versus the non-treated material/areas is assessed. In the context of mammalian ant pests, for example the number of ants can be used to assess and/or quantify the effect (attraction). "Attractant" further means a compound falling within a formula of the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound Geosmin (l ,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) and/or 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is an (— ) enantiomer, whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is an (+) enantiomer, whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound (-)-geosmin and (-)-2-methylisoborneol; whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is in a racemic (+/-) mix and the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is in racemic (+/-) mix of geosmin and the (-) enantiomer of 2-MIB, that causes males and/or females of the Formicidae species to make oriented movement towards the compound.

"Aggregant" means a compound falling within a formula of the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound Geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) and/or 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is an (-) enantiomer, whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is an (+) enantiomer, whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound (-)-geosmin and (-)-2-methylisoborneol; whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is in a racemic (+/-) mix and the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is in racemic (+/-) mix of geosmin and the (-) enantiomer of 2-MIB,that causes males and/or females of the Formicidae species to aggregate or accumulate at a site containing the compound and remain there for a period.

"Arrestant" means a compound falling within a formula of the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound Geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) and/or 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is an (-) enantiomer, whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is an (+) enantiomer, whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound (-)-geosmin and (-)-2-methylisoborneol; whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is in a racemic (+/-) mix and the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is in racemic (+/— ) mix of geosmin and the (-) enantiomer of 2-MIB, that causes the males and/or females of the Formicidae species to aggregate upon contact with said compound. The arrestant typically shows the linear progression of the organism by reducing actual speed of locomotion or by increasing the turning rate.

An "effective amount" of a repellent compound or composition refers to an amount sufficient to significantly decrease the infestation and/or damage caused by ant pests (especially by one or more sap-sucking ant pests) on treated plants compared to untreated plants. In the context of mammalian ant pests, an effective amount of a repellent compound or composition refers to an amount sufficient to significantly repel the ants as defined above.

An "effective amount" of an attractant compound or composition for pest ants refers to an amount sufficient to significantly increase the number of ant pests in the treated area or on the treated surfaces compared to the untreated area or surfaces.. "Active ingredient" refers to the ingredient s in a formulation which is/are biologically active, e.g. ant attractants, Tyramide or other sex pheromone that disrupts or disturbs the reproduction of ants. "Bioactive agents" to be incorporated in one of the lure, bait or delivery forms of the invention are chemical compounds or compositions that have an effect on or create a response in living organisms, cells or tissues. "Inert ingredient" or "inactive" refers to ingredients which are not biologically active (at least regarding the target ant vectors), such as carriers of the active ingredient(s), e.g. water, oil or oil-based carriers, solvents, etc. The bioactive agents can, for example, be polypeptides, hormonally active substances, antibodies, enzymes, oligoor polynucleotides, like RNA, immuno-stimulators, (essential) nutrients, vitamins, carotenoids, therapeutics, and viral and bacterial antigens. The bioactive agent may also be (modified) micro-organisms, for example for use in vaccines. All of these are biodegradable, which means that they are susceptible of degradation by biological processes, such as bacterial or other enzymatic action. The bioactive agents may be naturally occurring, be synthetic or be derived from recombinant DNA technology. Compounds which have a specific regulatory effect on the activity of certain body organs are hormonally active. Mostly they are secreted by an endocrine gland. Compounds, which are not secreted by an endocrine gland, but exhibit a specific regulatory effect on a body organ are also classified as hormonally active compounds. According this definition synthetically prepared analogues of naturally occurring hormonally active compounds are also to be considered as hormonally active compounds. Hormonally active substances comprise a diverse group of chemical and biophysical identity but because of their functional specificity, they are conveniently grouped into discrete classifications by physiological effect. Each group generally regulates one specific physiological function by interacting only with the organ or organs directly affecting that function. Oligonucleotides are biodegradable compounds of a few nucleotides. Essential nutrients are nutrients an animal requires for proper functioning. This list is not intended to be exhaustive of bioactive, biodegradable compounds for delivery of which this invention is intended, but merely sets out examples to illustrate the type of biodegradable macromolecules that may be used.

"Solvent" is a liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution, dispersion or emulsion.

"Traps" refer to materials to which an effective amount of an attractant compound or composition is applied. Generally a trap may be a plurality of plants (trap-crop or trap plants) or a container (e.g. an ant trap) or surface or liquid to which the attractant compound or composition is applied, so that the ants are lured towards or into/onto the trap. The attractant compound or compositions may also be referred to as "bait formulation". "Anticides" or "anticidal" refers to compounds or compositions that (in contrast to repellents) kill or inactivate one or more stages of an ant (ovicides, larvicides, adulticides, etc.), i.e. they affect mortality rather than distribution of the ants.

"Crop" or "crop plants" or "cultivated plants" refer to plants which are grown by humans for various purposes, such as but not limited to obtaining food-, feed- or any other ingredient from the plants or plant parts, including plant-derived products such as oil, carbohydrates, medicinal ingredients, etc., but also including plants cultivated for ornamental purposes or for socioeconomic purposes, such as lawns (grass-grown areas) of e.g. golf courses, playgrounds or parks, or plants grown in forests or parks, etc.. Crop plants may be grown in the field, in gardens, in greenhouses or any other way, and they may be grown on a small or on a large scale.

"Terpenes" are hydrocarbons having a carbon skeleton derived from isoprene units and are subdivided into groups based on their carbon number, e.g. CIO monoterpenes, CI 5 sesquiterpenes, C20 diterpenes, C25 sesterterpenes, C30 triterpenes, C40 tetraterpenes and C5n polyterpenes. They are herein generally referred to by their trivial names, as e.g. described in Kirk-Othmer, Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4th Ed., Vol. 23, pages 833 - 882, 1997. The term "terpene(s)" as used herein also includes compounds commonly known as "terpenoids", terpene and/or terpenoid analogues, such as alcohols, esters, aldehydes and ketones, (natural or synthetic) isomers, and where applicable stereoisomers and/or tautomers of any of these. When referring to specific isomers herein (such as alpha and/or beta isomers), it is understood that other isomers are included and that the other isomers or mixtures of isomers can substitute for the isomer specifically mentioned, as long as these are functional. Monoterpenes may further be distinguished by the structure of the carbon skeleton and may be grouped into "acyclic monoterpenes" (e.g. myrcene, (Z)- and ( )-ocimene, linalool, geraniol, nerol, citronellol, myrcenol, geranial, citral a, neral, citral b, citronellal, etc.), "monocyclic monoterpenes" (e.g. limonene, alpha- and gamma- terpinene, alpha- and beta- phellandrene, terpinolene, menthol, carveol, etc.), "bicyclic monoterpenes" (e.g. alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, myrtenol, myrtenal, verbanol, verbanon, pinocarveol, etc.) and "tricyclic monoterpenes" (e.g. tricyclene). See Kirk-Othmer, Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4th Ed., Vol. 23, pages 834 - 835, 1997.

In this document and in its claims, the verb "to comprise" and its conjugations is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. In addition, reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements. The indefinite article "a" or "an" thus usually means "at least one".

Formulating Additives: Formulating additives which may optimally be added to the attractant containing formulations are all additives which are conventionally used in the production of plant treatment products and which are non-toxic to plants. The following additives are suitable to be added.

Non-ionic and anionic emulsifiers, such as polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene fatty alcohol ethers and alkylaryl surfactants. Other suitable emulsifiers can be found in McCutcheon's "Emulsifiers and Detergents" (1982), North America Edit., MC Publishing Co., Glen Rock, N J .

Antioxidants, such as sterically hindered phenols and alkyl-substituted hydroxyanisoles and hydroxytoluenes, PERMALUX®, NEOZONE® A or D, TOPANOL CA®, N,N*-diphenyl-l,4- phenylenediamine and other substituted phenylenediamines.

Thickeners, including organic polymers such as partially or fully neutralized polyacrylic acids, polyethylene glycols, polyvinyl alcohols and non-ionically or ionically modified celluloses, xanthan-based thixotropic thickeners, waxes and inorganic disperse thickeners, such as precipitated or pyrogenic silicas, kaolins, bentonites and aluminum/silicon mixed oxides. Antifreeze agents are such as urea, glycerol or propylene glycol.

Fillers, such as rock meals, calcium carbonate, quartz meal and aluminum/silicon mixed oxides or mixed hydroxide.

Solvents such as glycols, such as propylene glycol and polyethylene glycols of different molecular weight; ketones, such as methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl isopropyl ketone and cyclohexanone; amides, such as dimethylformamide or diethylformamide; N,N-dialkylated carboxamides; alkyl lactams, such as substituted pyrrolidones and caprolactams hydrocarbons; n-paraffins and isoparaffins having different boiling ranges as they are obtainable, aromatic hydrocarbons, such as xylene and aromatic distillation fractions; esters, such as propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, dibutyl adipate and di-n-butyl phthalate; ethers, such as propylene glycol methyl ether or propylene glycol butyl ether; alcohols, such as ethanol, n- and i-propanol, n- and i-butanol, n-and i-amyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, l-methoxy-2-propanol and higher alcohols, and dimethyl sulphoxide, dioxane and tetrahydrofuran. The solvents can be employed in the form of individual components or mixtures. Particularly preferred are those which are miscible with the UV stabilizers and which are not unduly volatile. The additives, in general, may be added in concentrations from 0 to about 50%, by weight, preferably between about 0 and 25% and most preferably from 0.1% to about 5%.

Additionally, ultraviolet (UV) absorbers may be added. The UV absorbers may be liquid, solid or flowable and have preferably an absorption range from 270 to 400 nm. Representative UV absorbers are 2-H-benzotriazoles, 2-hydroxy-alkoxybenzophenones, oxalanilides, cinnamic acid and derivatives thereof, and triazines and derivatives thereof. UV absorbers are present generally in concentrations from about 1 to 50%, by weight, preferably between 5 to 30%, by weight.

UV blocking agents such as carbon black, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, talc, etc., and dyestuffs, such as Sudan block, chromophthalic blue, Terasil blue and Cibacet yellow, may also be used.

Anticides: Additionally, the attractant of the invention is optionally combined with an anticide which kills the ant lured to the trap, bait, or to the other types of formulations. The anticides are generally carbamates, organophosphorous compounds, nitrophenols, nitromethylenes, phenylbenzoylureas, pyrethroids, chlorinated hydrocarbons and microbial (e.g., Bacillus thuringiensis), among others.

The following substances are examples of suitable anticides: abamectin, AC 303 630, acephate, acrinathrin, alanycarb, aldicarb, alphamethrin, amitraz, avermectin, AZ 60541, azadirachtin, azinphos A, azinphos M, azocyclotin, Bacillus thuringiensis, bendiocarb, benfuracarb, bensultap, betacyfluthrin, bifenthrin, bioresmethrin, BPMC, brofenprox, bromophos A, bufencarb, buprofezin, butocarboxin, butylpyridaben, cadusafos, carbaryl, carbofuran, carbophenothion, carbosulfan, cartap, CGA 157 419, CGA 184699, chloethocarb, chlorethoxyfos, chlorfenvinphos, chlorfluazuron, chlormephos, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos M, cis-Resmethrin, clocythrin, clofentezine, cyanophos, cycloprothrin, cyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, cyhexatin, cypermethrin, cyromazine, deltamethrin, demeton M, demeton S, demeton-S- methyl, diafenthiuron, diazinon, dichlofenthion, dichlorvos, dicliphos, dicrotophos, diethion, diflubenzuron, dimethoate, dimethylvinphos, dioxathion, disulfoton, edifenphos, emamectin, esfenvalerate, ethiofencarb, ethion, ethofenprox, ethoprophos, etrimphos, fenamiphos, fenazaquin, fenbutatin oxide, fenitrothion, fenobucarb, fenothiocarb, fenoxycarb, fenpropathrin, fenpyrad, fenpyroximate, fenthion, fenvalerate, fipronil, fluazinam, flucycloxuron, flucythrinate, flufenoxuron, flufenprox, fluvalinate, fonophos, formothion, fosthiazate, fubfenprox, furathiocarb, HCH, heptenophos, hexaflumuron, hexythiazox, imidacloprid, iprobenfos, isazophos, isofenphos, isoprocarb, isoxathion, ivermectin, lambda- cyhalothrin, lufenuron, malathion, mecarbam, mervinphos, mesulfenphos, metaldehyde, methacrifos, methamidophos, methidathion, methiocarb, methomyl, metolcarb, milbemectin, monocrotophos, moxidectin, naled, NC 184, NI 25, nitenpyram omethoat, oxamyl, oxydemethon M, oxydeprofos, parathion A, parathion M, permethrin, phenothrin, phenthoate, phorate, phosalone, phosmet, phosphamidon, phoxim, pirimicarb, pirimiphos M, pirimiphos A, profenofos, promecarb, propaphos, propoxur, prothiofos, prothoate, pymetrozin, pyrachlophos, pyridaphenthion, pyresmethrin, pyrethrum, pyridaben, pyrimidifen, pyriproxifen, quinalphos, resmethrin, RH 5992, salithion, sebufos, silafluofen, sulfotep, sulprofos, tebufenozid, tebufenpyrad, tebupirimiphos, teflubenzuron, tefluthrin, temephos, terbam, terbufos, tetrachlorvinphos, thiafenox, thiodicarb, thiofanox, thiomethon, thionazin, thuringiensin, tralocytrin, tralomethrin, triarathen, triazophos, triazuron, trichlorfon, triflumuron, trimethacarb, transfluthrin vamidothion, XMC, xylylcarb, zetamethrin.

Anticides are added to the attractant/pheromone mixture in an amount from about 0.1 to about 20. Preferred anticides are pyrethroids added in the amount from about 1 to about 15%, and more specifically in about 5-10%.

Mixtures of Attractants with Additives: In the method for attracting female and male ants, the attractants of the invention are utilized either as individual, purified compounds, or as mixtures of several synthetic or natural purified compounds, or as a partially purified or nonpurified natural or synthetic mixtures. The attractants of the invention are used and applied alone individually or in a mixture of two or more attractants or in combination with additives, such a pheromone specific to the ant species to be captured. The attractant may further be used in combination with one or more anticides for use in attract-kill baits or traps or in formulations according to the method of the invention and/or in combination with other kairomones, allomones, synomones and other additives or formulating agents.

Additives : Additives suitable for combination with the attractants of the invention are primarily the ant sex pheromones and anticides, but also include such formulating agents as emulsifiers, UV absorbers and UV blocking agents, antioxidants, viscosity regulating agents, inert solvents, buffers, diluents and other auxiliary compounds typically used in these types of formulations Sex pheromones: The sex pheromone is the semiochemical molecule produced and released by the female ant pest signalling her receptivity to mating. The sex pheromone is the cue that attracts the male ant. Because the attractant of the invention attracts both sexes, the addition of the sex pheromone to the attractant of the invention is optional. The addition of pheromone to the attractant enhances the male attraction to the attractant-containing lure and thus further assures that it is not only the egg-laying females that are attracted to the trap or bait but that also the majority of the male ants are attracted. This approach further protects the fruit and nut tree and orchards from damaging pest infestations. The following pheromones, for example, may be used within the scope of the present invention: methyl 6-methylsalicylate, 3 -ethyl -4- methylpentanol, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxyhexanamide, N- [2-(4-

Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-3-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2- hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-oxohexanamide, N-[2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-3-methyl-2-oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2- hydroxyhexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-3-methylpentanamide, N-[2- (4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2- oxohexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-3-methyl-2-oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-4-methyl-2-oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4- hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]hexanamide, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, butyric acid ester of 1-butanol, butyric acid ester of isobutyl alcohol, 2 -methyl- 1 -butanol, heptadecadiene; (Z)8-heptadecene; n- heptadecane; (Z)9-nonadecene; (Z)9-heneicosene; n-heneicosane; n-docosane; n-tricosane; 7- ,9-,l 1-methyltricosane; 3-methyltricosane; n-tetracosane; 11 -methyltetracosane; n- pentacosane; 9-,11-methylpentacosane; 5-methylpentacosane ; n-heptacosane ; 9-,l l-,13- methylheptacosane ; nonacosene ; 4-,5-,6-octacosanone, n-pentadecane; 9-hexadecene; n- hexadecane; octadecene; nonadecadiene; n-nonadecane; octadecenal; tricosene; pentacosene; 3-methylpentacosane; hexacosene; n-hexacosane; 11-,13-methylhexacosane; 5- methylhexacosane; heptacosene; 7-methylheptacosane; 5-methylheptacosane; 3- methylheptacosane; octacosene; 5, 9-, 5, 15-, 5, 17-dimethylheptacosane; n-octacosane; 9-,l l- ,13-methyloctacosane; n-nonacosane; 9-,11-,13-,15-methylnonacosane; n-triacontane; and 9- , 11 -methyltriacontane

The pheromone is added to the formulation in the amount from 0.01% to 15%, preferably from 0.1 to 2.5%.

The present invention is further based on the observation that molecular sieves, i.e. particles of porous material, more particularly (super/ultra) microporous silicate material, such as zeolites or zeogrids, can be loaded with a volatile ant attractant and can be used to ensure a controlled (i.e. sustained) release profile for these volatiles and thus act as a carrying interface

The attractants or attractant formulation of present invention can be used to attract and into a trap or a confined environment. Different traps can have differences in forms, designs or elements (such as chambers, mazes, serpentine pathways or apertures) to efficiently lure ants into it. Depending on the purpose of the trap the ants might be entrapped or eventually they might be released with a poison.

In a particular embodiment of present invention the traps or confined environments which are comprised with the attractant of present invention have a control system to control their confined internal environment. The Pharaoh Ant (Monomorium pharaonis) breeds continuously throughout the year in heated buildings and mating occurs in the nest. Mature colonies contain several queens, winged males, workers, eggs, larvae, prepupae and pupae. In order to attract a colony beside the attractant an environment can be made that lures the colony as the workers recognise the traps or the created confined environments as ideal for their survival. For instance environmental condition for the survival of ants are well known and the control and monitoring system can adapt such made or created environment in the ant trap of confined environment. A temperature of 27 °C and 80 percent relative humidity, for instance, is ideal for the hatching of eggs of Monomorium pharaonis. The traps or the created confined environments can be foreseen with variable stage humidity control system and chamber. Such variable stage humidity control system can comprise at least one heater and a spray assembly in thermal communication with the chamber and a sensor in thermal communication with the chamber whereby the sensor is sensing at least relative humidity and air temperature. Furthermore it can be foreseen with a controller in communication with the sensor and the spray assembly and whereby the controller being structured to calculate the actual dew point with a target dew point while controlling the spray assembly to maintain the actual dew point in a pre-programmed range and to thereby control conditions in the chamber. The controller can also be structured so that the controller directs fluid from a fluid reservoir to spray lines and nozzles. In a particular embodiment the attractant of present invention is stored in the fluid reservoir for humidity control or in a separate fluid reservoir system connected to a spray line and nozzle for separate dosing by the controller of said the attractant into the chamber of the ant trap or created environment.

As is well known, ants will eat just about anything (referred to as most food substances), which is one reason they're such pests inside a residence, ants, in great numbers, will carry back meat, sweets, and plant and/or animal materials to their nests. An ant trap comprising the attractant of present invention can be foreseen with a bait composition that beside food also contains an anticide. Generally, such poisoned bait is spread over a large area, e.g. over an entire yard surrounding humans confined environments such as the house or other building where such ants are observed. Worker ants of the colony collect the bait and carry it to the colony and share it with the queen and other stages of the fire ant colony. It is therefore generally an attribute of such poisoned bait that it does not result in a fast kill of the ant; otherwise the ant would die before the bait was taken into the colony. Generally poisoned bait is a slower killing mechanism that allows the ant to take the poison (for instance bifenthrin, fipronil or cyfluthrin), into the colony, to allow it or others to feed upon the bait, and at a later point in time, to effect the killing of the ants exposed to the bait. For instance NYLAR® [brand name] Bait 2759, comprising 0.05 % Pyriproxyfen NYLAR® [brand name] Bait 26291 0.50 % Pyriproxyfen of the company, McLaughlin Gormley King Company, Logic® or Award® [brand name] of Ciba- Geigy which comprises Fenoxycarb ((Ethyl [2-(4-phenoxyphenoxy ethyl] carbamate)), or TopChoice® [brand name] bait comprising sustained released of the company Bayer is a by fipronil poisoned bait that is readily carried by worker ants to the colony. To delay the killing effect such poisons as pyriproxyfen, fenoxycarb ((Ethyl [2-(4-phenoxyphenoxy ethyl] carbamate), bifenthrin, cyfluthrin or fipronil or combinations thereof can be in a controlled release coating, layer or matrix for instance a coating, layer or matrix is selected from a wax, a starch, a polymer and combinations thereof or they can be coated or coated by a (sustained release) polymer in order to provide time for foraging fire ants to take the poisoned bait into the colony before the poisoned bait operates to kill the ants of the colony. Controlled release is achievable as a response to environmental variations for instance variations of moisture, temperature, sunlight, ultraviolet light, pH or combinations thereof Such release coating of a core of ant poison of sufficient thickness so as to provide the desired release rates for instance about 0.1% to about 20%, preferably about 0.5% to about 3% by weight of a polymeric coating over coated granules which pass through an about 10 to about 20 sieve mesh provides an effective controlled release coating.

The polymer coating can be comprised of a binder, a wax and a pigment, and one or more stabilizers in an amount effective to stabilize the suspension. In a particular embodiment of present invention the attractant of present invention is directly comprised in said polymer coating.

The binder can be a polymer selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer, vinyl acetate homopolymer, vinyl acetate-acrylic copolymer, vinylacrylic, acrylic, ethylene-vinyl chloride, vinyl ether maleic anhydride, or butadiene styrene. Other similar polymers can be used. The wax can be natural wax (beeswax or lanolin), vegetable wax (Carnauba), mineral wax (montan or paraffin), synthetic wax (polyethylene (polar or nonpolar), polypropylene, Fischer-Tropsch, or polybutene), or another lubricant such as polytetrafluoroethylene. There are many other waxes that can be used. In a particular embodiment of present invention the attractant of present invention is directly comprised in said wax. The stabilizers can be one or more of the following type of ingredients: a suspending aid, a humectant. The suspending aid can be attapulgite clay, bentonite clay, smectite clay, hectorite clay, cellulosic, xanthum gum, or guar gum. In a particular embodiment of present invention the attractant of present invention is directly comprised in said stabilizer.

A humectant can be included as a stabilizer to promote the retention of water, an element that can be crucial to the viability of the seed. A typical humectant that is commonly used is propylene glycol. Many other humectants will work.

The polymer according to the present invention can be selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyolefins such as polyethylene (such as for example LDPE, HDPE) and polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester, polyether, polyacrylate, polycarbonate, polyamide and polyurethane. Optionally comprise commonly used pigments, UV stabilizers, UV absorbers, IR absorber and light diffuser to obtain resistance to outdoor exposure.

Successful methods for control of fire ants involve dissolution of the active agent in refined soybean meal mixed with corn grit. Patented baiting systems involve the use of powdered dry pet food (Purina Dog Chow) mixed with the active agent are taught by Erwin (U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,996 dated Nov. 19, 1996). Vail et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,061 dated Aug. 17, 1999) teaches the use of sugar, salt and water as a base for toxic constituents for use against fire ants. The best bait compositions and balanced concentrations in the form of proportions of protein, carbohydrate and fat are currently tested and known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,916,469 discloses a gellable ant bait matrix comprising protein, carbohydrate, fat, and sterol as ant-preferred nutrients and uric acid as a bait-enhancing agent. The gellable matrix offers the benefit of its ability to apply the bait in cracks and areas not normally accessible to ant baiting systems. Methods of making ant-preferred matrices of this reference are also provided comprising mixing the various components to form a food. U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,634 discloses liquid bait for target ants and methods of attracting or controlling ants by means of its use. This reference specifically discloses the addition of sorbitol as a humectant to retard the drying of the liquid bait. The liquid bait further includes at least one ant attractant that is selected from the group consisting of sucrose, fructose, d-maltose, the lithium salt of saccharin, lithium chloride, and vitamins. U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,061 discloses an attractant composition for the control of multiple species of pest arthropods, particularly multiple species of pest ants. The composition, which includes a sugar and a salt for base, and water, attracts both oil-loving and sweet-loving ants and is especially useful with water soluble or suspendable toxicants. And U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,780 discloses a pest-controlling composition comprising a borate compound and a compound resulting in elevated concentrations of cyclic AMP, such as a phosphodiesterase enzyme inhibitor, or a formamidine. The borate compound of the pest- controlling composition has increased toxicity as compared to a borate compound acting alone. The attractant of present invention is particularly suitable to ants to such ant bait as described herein above. The attractant can be processed into the bait or it can be co-localised with the bait for instance in a confined environment for instance in an ant trap or an ant housing. This is particularly suitable to attract all ant species belonging to the family Formicidae, preferably the pest ants such as the red imported fire ant {Solenopsis invicta), black fire ant {Solenopsis richteri), tropical fire ant {Solenopsis geminata), Southern fire ant {Solenopsis xyloni), little fire ant {Wasmannia auropuntata), Argentine ant {Linepithema humile), Pharaoh's ant {Monomorium pharaonis), little black ant {Monomorium minimum), carpenter ants {Camponotus modoc), Black garden ant {Lasius niger), Lasius neglectus, whitefooted ant {Technomyrex albipes), ghost ant {Tapinoma melanocephalum), odorous house ant {Tapinoma sessile), pavement ant {Tetramorium caespitum), yellow crazy ant {Anoplolepis gracilipes) or crazy ant {Paratrechina longicornis) or ants of high nutritional or nutraceutical value such as the mountain ants (Polyrhachis vicina Roger) of the genus of the Polyrhachis or such as the weaver ants of the genus Oecophylla (e.g. Oecophylla longinoda and Oecophylla smaragdina), which as generalist and aggressive predators are highly efficient in biocontrol for a variety of commercially important crops and have an high potential as a food, or leaf-cutting ants of the genus Atta (such as Atta mexicana and A. cephalotus).

The Myrmicinae subfamily is the largest of the 21 extant subfamilies in the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) (Bolton, Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71 :1, 2003). The Myrmicinae subfamily includes about 140 genera within the group, including species with a functional sting (such as ants in the genus Solenopsis, one of which is Solenopsis invicta, known as the "red imported fire ant," and Myrmica rubra, also known as the European fire ant or common red ant, a species of ant of the genus Myrmica), and the tribe of the Attini that include leafcutter ants (genus Atta and genus Acromyrmex) and the tribe of the Solenopsidini wherein for instance the Pharaoh's ant Monomorium pharaonis is placed, and which is well known as a pest in heated buildings, bakeries, etc. in many non-tropical countries, where they can cause havoc by carrying pathogenic bacteria, transmitting diseases and entering even highly sophisticated isolation units." See Beatson, Lancet 2: 435 (1872).

These ants are considered pests in commercial, agricultural, and residential settings, causing significant damage and injury to plants and animals alike.

Some of these pest ants are spreading. For instance, a typical pest ant, the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta, is now widely distributed over several continents such as Asia (China, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Hunan, Jiangsu, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan), North America (Mexico, USA, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia), Central America and the Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Montserrat, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands and United States Virgin Islands), South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Goias, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Sao Paulo, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay) and Oceania (Australia, Queensland and New Zealand). Damage in the United States only attributable to exotic Solenopsis invicta is now estimated to be several millions of dollars a year. The ants cause problems to urban, agricultural and wildlife areas. Since their introduction to the United States, fire ants (Solenopsis invicta), have become one of the most destructive pests in the contiguous United States. Reasons for this include their numerous 1-1.5 foot tall colonies which can contain 200,000 to 300,000 individuals, at a density of up to 30 to an acre (Vinson, S.B., 1997, Invasion of the Red Imported Fire Ant (hymenoptera: Formicidae), Am. Entomol. 23-29). The fire ant is a highly aggressive stinger and humans when stung develop a pustule at the sting site.

Carpenter ants {Camponotus modoc) are common in woody areas and will infest wood structures in the United States. Camponotus comprises the ant species that will cause the greatest damage to wooden buildings. During the spring when the larvae are growing foraging for proteinaceous foods dominate, they switch to primarily carbohydrate based foods for the summer. Late summer and onwards they switch back to primarily proteinaceous foods. They consume large amounts of food in the autumn in preparation for the winter.

Argentine ants (Linepithem humile) are a common ant throughout the south-eastern United States and are a cause of significant structural damage in California. This ant is very competitive and can out-compete the fire ant. This ant is capable of causing damage to citrus trees by protecting aphids, mealy bugs and scale ants from their natural predators.

In a particular embodiment the attractant formulation of present invention further comprises uric acid which serves to make bait which comprises the attractant of present invention or the environment that comprises the attractant of present invention more attractive to the ants as uric acid is by far the most nitrogenous constituent in the urine of insects. Uric acid is present in the malphigian tubules, the equivalent to vertebrate kidneys, branching from the hindgut and spreading inside the insect body cavity (V. B. Wigglesworth, The Principles of Insect Physiology, Seventh Edition). Loading of Ordered Mesoporous Silica Materials

A solution in solvent: 50/50 V V dichloromethane/ethanol can be prepared for bioactive species such as 1) (-)-geosmin and 2) (-)-2-methylisoborneol. Sonication can be used to speed up the dissolution process of the attractant. Such solutions which can easily have an amount of 50 mg dissolved bioactive species per ml of solvent mixture is suitable for impregnation of the mesoporous materials of present invention to have the bioactive species been loaded into the pores and molecularly dispersed in the said mesoporous material.

Another solvent that is generally suitable for dissolution compounds that are practically insoluble in water or for poorly water soluble compounds is dichloromethane (CH2C12). A solution holding 50 mg of bioactive species solved in 1 ml can be used for impregnation of the mesoporous materials of present invention to load the bioactive species into the pores. But dichloromethane can be replaced by another organic (carbon-containing) solvent such as the reaction inert solvents 1,4-dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, 2-propanol, N-methyl-pyrrolidinon, chloroform, hexafluoroisopropanol and the like.

Particularly suitable for replacing are the polar aprotic solvents selected of the group 1 ,4- Dioxane (/— CH2— CH2— O— CH2— CH2— O— \), tetrahydrofuran (/— CH2— CH2— O— CH2— CH2— \), acetone (CH3— C(=0)— CH3), acetonitrile (CH3— C≡N), dimethylformamide (H— C(=0)N(CH3 )2) or dimethyl sulfoxide (CH3— S (=0)— CH3 ) or members selected of the group of the non-polar solvents such as hexane (CH3— CH2— CH2— CH2— CH2— CH3), benzene (C6H6), toluene (C6H5— CH3), diethyl ether (CH3CH2— O— CH2— CH3) , chloroform (CHC13), ethyl acetate (CH3— C(=0)— O— CH2— CH3). Moreover appropriate organic (carbon-containing) solvent for the meaning of this invention is a solvent in which the poorly water soluble bioactive species or drug is soluble or which is an organic solvent in which a poorly water soluble drug has high solubility. For instance an organic compound such as a fluorinated alcohol for instance hexafluoroisopropanol, (HFIP — (CF3)2CHOH) exhibits strong hydrogen bonding properties can be used to dissolve substances that serve as hydrogen-bond acceptors, such as amides and ethers, which are poorly water soluble. Bioactive species or drug compounds of the amides class contain carbonyl (C=0) and ether (N— C) dipoles arising from covalent bonding between electronegative oxygen and nitrogen atoms and electro-neutral carbon atoms, whereas the primary and secondary amides also contain two- and one N— H dipoles, respectively. The presence of a C=0 dipole and, to a lesser extent a N— C dipole, allows amides to act as H-bond acceptors, which makes that HFIP is an appropriate solvent. For instance another group of organic solvent is the non-polar solvents for instance halogenated hydrocarbons (e.g. dichloromethane, chloroform, chloroethane, trichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, etc.), where under the most preferred is dichloromethane (DCM) or methylene chloride, which is an appropriate solvent for bioactive species or drugs such as diazepam, alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, phencyclidine, quinolinic acid, simvastatin, lovastatin; paclitaxel, alkaloids, cannabinoids. Files and databases are available for common solvents and drug compounds (such as COSMOfiles (Trademark) of Cosmologic Gmbh & Co, G ) to the skilled man to select an appropriate solvent to load the known poorly soluble biologically active species into the ordered mesoporous oxides. For new structures drug solubility in any solvent can be calculated using thermodynamic criteria which contain basic physical properties and phase equilibrium relationships for instance by computational chemistry and fluid dynamics expert systems (T. Bieker, K. H. Simmrock, Comput. Chem. Eng. 18 (Suppl. 1) (1993) S25-S29; K. G. Joback, G. Stephanopoulos, Adv. Chem. Eng. 21 (1995) 257-311 ; L. Constantinou, K. Bagherpour, R. Gani, J. A. Klein, D. T. Wu, Comput. Chem. Eng. 20 (1996) 685-702; J. Gmehling, C. Moellmann, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 37 (1998) 3112-3123; M. Hostrup, P. M. Harper, R. Gani, Comput. Chem. Eng. 23 (1999) 1395-1414 and R. Zhao, H. Cabezas, S. R. Nishtala, Green Chemical Syntheses and Processes, ACS Symposium Series 767, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 2000, pp. 230-243.) such as COSMOfrag/COSMOtherm (Trademark) of Cosmologic Gmbh & Co, GK, which interact with databases of multiple characterized molecules. Another opportunity is the availability to the skilled person of the automated drug solubility testers such as the Biomek® FX of Millipore to test without undue burden the water solubility of selected compound. Loading of amorphous microporous silica materials

Amorphous microporous silica materials are loaded with a biologically active ingredient by treatment with a solution of the active ingredient such as such as 1) (-)-geosmin and 2) (-)-2- methylisoborneol, particularly a solution in an organic solvent, after which the solvent is removed. The biologically active ingredient is mainly loaded into the pores. A solution of the biologically active ingredient is prepared by dissolution in an appropriate solvent in which the bioactive ingredient has sufficient solubility. Sonication can be used to speed up the dissolution process. Appropriate solvents comprise dichloromethane, methanol or ethanol, or mixtures thereof such as 50/50 V/V mixtures, 1,4-dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, 2-propanol, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate , chloroform, hexafluoroisopropanol, acetone; polar aprotic solvents such as, acetonitrile, dimethylformamide N-methyl-pyrrolidinone or dimethyl sulfoxide; non-polar solvents such as hexane, benzene, toluene. Solutions holding up to 50 mg of bioactive species solved in 1 ml can be used.

The amorphous microporous silica materials of the present invention loaded with an active ingredient can be formulated using an acceptable carrier materials, into cosmeceutical or pharmaceutical compositions. The latter may be loaded by the bioactive molecule either the attractant of present invention or a sex pheromone to disrupt the reproduction via the male ants or when carried by foraging ants into the colony. Amorphous microporous silica materials can also carry the poison so that this does not directly affect the ants. The amorphous microporous silica materials comprising the biological active compounds can be processed into the lure, bait or delivery form. The following examples are meant to illustrate the invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention thereto.

US 2006/0293327A discloses a composition comprising an extremely poorly water-soluble compound, obtained by treating, with a supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide, a mixture comprising a porous silica material and said extremely poorly water-soluble compound, wherein said porous silica material has an average pore diameter in a range of from 1 to 20 nm, pores having diameters within ±40% of said average pore size account for at least 60% of a total pore volume of said porous silica material, and in X-ray diffractometry said porous silica material has at least one peak at a position of diffraction angle (2 Θ) corresponding to a d value of at least 1 nm. Said composition may be produced by a process comprising placing a porous silica material and said extremely poorly water-soluble compound in a pressure vessel; filling said pressure vessel with carbon dioxide; treating said porous silica material and said extremely poorly water-soluble compound while controlling a temperature and pressure within said vessel such that carbon dioxide is maintained in a supercritical state; and discharging carbon dioxide to recover the resulting composition.

Bait or lure: a bait or a lure is made by a combination of a tensioactive substance polyoxyethylene sorbitan surfactant (2% (w/w) Span 85 or other alternative food emulsifier) in combination with an edible oil or was, such as olive oil preferably an oil in the form of a cross- linked gel derived from the olive oil or derived from another edible oil composition whereof the fatty acids, glycerides or combinations thereof, wherein the one or more of fatty acids, glycerides or combinations thereof are cross-linked, and a carbohydrate phagostimulants such as sucrose (saccharose) and/or starch forms an excellent bait or lure that can be enriched for instance at a at a 5% concentration with casein hydrolysate or lactalbumin hydrolysate and with and/or uric acid. Eventually tubifex, liver, anchovy or tuna protein is added...

Suitable bait or lures form may be prepared from a premix material, which is obtainable by a) preparing a first emulsion of at least one oily substance and optionally at least one watery substance; b) optionally adding a bioactive agent to the first emulsion to obtain a second emulsion; c) adding the preparation obtained so far to a solution of a colloid binding agent to obtain a liquid mixture; d) absorbing this mixture to a carrier mixture of hydrophobic and hydrophilic silica particles to obtain a cream or viscous liquid; e) gelling this cream or viscous liquid to obtain a premix gel; f) optionally drying the gel and grinding the dry substance obtained hereof to a particulate premix material. In an alternative embodiment of the invention the premix material is obtainable by a) preparing a first emulsion of at least one oily substance and optionally at least one watery substance; b) optionally adding a bioactive agent to the first emulsion to obtain a second emulsion; c) absorbing either of the emulsions to a carrier mixture of hydrophobic and hydrophilic silica particles to obtain a powder, a cream or a viscous liquid depending on the proportion of the ingredients; d) adding the preparation obtained so far to a solution of a colloid binding agent to obtain a mixture; e) gelling the mixture to obtain a premix gel; f) optionally drying the gel and grinding the dry substance obtained hereof to a particulate premix material.

To produce a bioactive compound (such as a compound that compound disrupts the reproduction or the attractant of present invention such as geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2- norborneol) and/or 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB)) directly into the bait or lure it is possible to add the bioactive agent directly to the premix before. This can be added via the emulsion of a tensio-active substance and premix oil. Or the bioactive compound can be added after the grinding. The particulate premix material may then be used in combination with known granulation additives, such as Avicel' (microcrystalline cellulose) or lactose to obtain granules. Optionally the bioactive agent can be added to the other ingredients during the granulation process instead of during the preparation of the premix. Absorption of an emulsion of the oily and watery substance on a carrier mixture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica results in a dry powder that could be used for further processing. If was found that when the silica powders having the oily and tensio-active substance absorbed thereon were incorporated in a colloid binding agent (e.g. kappa carrageenan), after gelling, drying and milling, small particles can easily be grinded (for instance by a ball mill) in to small bait or lure particles of for instance 5 μηι to 250 μιή) of which size fractions are obtainable by standard μιη test sieves (e.g. of company Heico). The kappa carrageen provides that the bait or lure particles has a soft tissue like structure that can absorb atmospheric moist and the cross-linked gel structure of the edible oils results in a prolonged release and presence of volatile attractants of present invention.

The invention in a first aspect thus resides in the provision of this unique combination of process steps that surprisingly led to a particulate premix material that could be used in standard (micro)granulation techniques. Although this aspect of the invention was made starting with the specific absorption enhancer that forms another aspect of the invention it will be clear for the skilled person that at least some steps of this particular set of steps may also be used for preparing (micro)granulation premixes from other starting materials, which do not have absorption enhancing effects but need to be (micro) granulated for some other reason. Therefore, the invention in another aspect relates to the use of carrier mixture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica as an additive for (micro)granulating oils, fats, fatty acids, tensio-active substances, or mixtures thereof, either with or without hydrophilic substances for the manufacture of bait or lure that comprises volatile bioactive agents such as volatile homing factors, attractants, aggregants, pheromone, reproduction modulators or arrestants. The silica is preferably a mixture of Sipernat D17Tm and/or Sipernat 22Tm from the Degussa company. Thus, the first and second emulsion in the above described method may also be substituted by fats, oils, fatty acids or tensio-active substances per se. Although the (bio)active substance might be a separate component that is added to the emulsion, fat, oil or fatty acid, the bioactive substance might as well be the oily or watery component itself. Step b) is therefore optional. Absorption of the emulsion, oil, fat or fatty acid to the silica mixture results in a composition referred to in this application as "powder". This powder per se is also encompassed by the present invention. The colloid binding agent is preferably a hydrocolloid material, such as those originating from terrestrial plant (galactomannans, pectins), seaweed (carrageenans, alginate), animal (gelatin) or microorganism (xantan gum), and is most preferably, for optimum results, an alcohol extracted kappa-carrageenan. The dissolution of the binding agent is in the case of kappa- carrageenan preferably effected by heating or by removing K+ from the kappa-carrageenan composition by alcohol extraction. Gelling is then effected by cooling or the addition of K+. The final form is a premix gel before drying and grinding, but may also be the particulate premix material obtained after drying and grinding.

After drying the gel and comminuting the dried gel in any way (grinding, milling, pulverizing etc.) a "particulate bait or lure material" is obtained. By standard μιη sieves particles that are too large for foraging ants to be varied may be eventually be sieves out. "Granules" are obtained after (micro)granulation of the particulate bait or lure material.

The invention further relates to a method for producing the particulate premix material of the invention, comprising a) preparing a first emulsion of at least one oily substance and optionally at least one watery substance; b) optionally adding a bioactive agent to the first emulsion to obtain a second emulsion; c) adding the preparation obtained so far to a solution of a colloid binding agent to obtain a liquid mixture; d) absorbing this mixture to a carrier mixture of hydrophobic and hydrophilic silica particles to obtain a cream or viscous liquid; e) gelling this cream or viscous liquid to obtain a premix gel; f) optionally drying the gel and grinding the dry substance obtained hereof to a particulate premix material. In an alternative embodiment of the invention the method comprises the steps of a) preparing a first emulsion of at least one oily substance and optionally at least one watery substance; b) optionally adding a bioactive agent to the first emulsion to obtain a second emulsion; c) absorbing either of the emulsions to a carrier mixture of hydrophobic and hydrophilic silica particles to obtain a powder, a cream or a viscous liquid depending on the proportion of the ingredients; d) adding the preparation obtained so far to a solution of a colloid binding agent to obtain a mixture; e) gelling the mixture to obtain a premix gel; f) optionally drying the gel and grinding the dry substance obtained hereof to a particulate premix material. To the method the same principles apply as have been explained for the premix material which was defined by its method of preparation.

The invention further relates to the use of the premix material in the preparation of granules. To achieve granulation various standard techniques may be used such as "Pharmaceutics: The Science of Dosage Form Design", Ed. Michael E. Aulton, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh London Melbourne and New York (1988), pages 616-628, and "Pharmaceutical Pelletization Technology", Ed. Isaac Ghebre-Sellassie, Marcel Dekker, Inc. , New York and Basel (1989), pages 101-122 and 187-216.

The invention further relates to method for producing the various lure, bait or delivery forms and premixes.

Sometimes, a premix may at the same time be classified as a lure, bait or delivery form. However, a premix is also always a starting or intermediate material for the preparation of the lure, bait or delivery form.

The foregoing description will be more fully understood with reference to the following examples. Such examples are, however, merely representative of methods of practicing one or more embodiments of the present invention and should not be read as limiting the scope of invention.

EXAMPLES

Example I Materials

Geosmin (100 μg/ml in methanol, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), H-Beta-30 zeolite

(Clariant, Muttenz, Switzerland), eppendorf tubes (Nijmegen, The Netherlands), Milli-Q water.

Example II Zeolite loading with geosmin

Milli-Q water and geosmin solution were mixed in equal amounts (v/v). 20 μΐ of the resulting mixture was added to 40 mg of H-Beta-30 zeolite into an eppendorf tube and homogeneously mixed (geosmin tube). In addition 40 mg of only the H-Beta-30 zeolite was weighed into an eppendorf tube to serve as a control (blank).

Example III Ant attraction to geosmin spiked baits Five blank tubes and five geosmin spiked tubes were placed alternatingly into a colony of Pharaoh ants {Monomorium pharaonis). At specific time points (10 mins, 2h, 4h, 24h, 26h and 28h) after the introduction of the vials the number of ants inside the tubes were counted. Subsequently, these numbers were compared using a Poisson mixed model in R 3.0, using packages lme4 and effects. In this analysis, we included time and treatment (presence of geosmin) as factors, as well as their interaction effect, and included replica as a random factor. Statistical significance was then assessed using Wald z tests. The results (Fig. 2, Table II) demonstrate that the geosmin spiked vials attracted ca. 5 times more ants than the control vials (significance level 1 e-5), and that this effect remained over the course of at least one day. The total number of ants visiting both types of vials decreased over time, however, since in the present experiments the vials did not contain any food source for the ants, and were also inadequate to nest into (e.g. in terms of humidity).

Example IV Manufacture of the lure or bait.

A particulate premix material lure, bait or delivery forms is prepared allow inventors to entrap bioactive volatile bioactive molecules such as attractant of present invention and/ or the sex pheromones into a rigid gel of Kappa-carrageenan (K-carrageenan). Such lure has as of tissue like structure and readily exchanges atmospheric humidity. Comprised with the cross-linked oil gel emulsion. The premix (premix A) contains a combination of a tensioactive substance polyoxyethylene sorbitan surfactant (0.7% (w/v) Span 85 in combination with 7% (dry (w/v) cross-linked olive oil gel derived, 15% (w/v) sucrose as a carbohydrate phagostimulants, a 5% (w/v) casein hydrolysate - lactalbumin hydrolysate (1 :1) and uric acid (0.5% w/v) and 5% (w/v) of a mix of fumed hydrophobic silica Aerosil R 972™ / hydrophilic Sipernat 22™ (1 : 1) of from Degussa GmbH of Germany at 6% w/v (w/v versus K-carrageenan watery solution). The gel is formed as follows. K-carrageenan is added to water (up to 5 gram per 100 ml), mixed vigorously, where after the mixture is warmed to 85°C to obtain a K-carrageenan solution in water. As commercial K-carrageenan contains potassium salts and potassium ions prevents K- carrageenan to solve in cold water. One has to heat such K-carrageenan up to 85°C in water to make a solution (Premix B). All other premix ingredients are added and vigorously mixed. This mixture is gradually cooled to 50°C and 400μ1 Milli-Q water and geosmin solution (Example I) is subsequently added for further mixing with the K-carrageenan solution. Subsequently, the bioactive compounds is added and mixed intensively by a (ultraturax) mixer. This mixture is cooled suddenly to obtain a rigid gel. Occasionally a Kcl solution (2M) is added just prior to cooling to improve gelling.

Consequent fast cooling results in immediate gelling.

After producing the gel it is further treated to obtain a particulate premix material.

From this gel the particulate premix material is made as follows. The gel is cut in small pieces which are dried by freeze drying, fluidized bed drying or tray drying. This product is ground to a powder comprising of particles of less than 70 μιτι diameter. Example V Manufacture of the lure or bait.

A particulate premix material lure, bait or delivery forms is prepared allow inventors to entrap bioactive volatile bioactive molecules such as attractant of present invention and/ or the sex pheromones into a rigid gel of Kappa-carrageenan (K-carrageenan). Such lure has as of tissue like structure and readily exchanges atmospheric humidity. Comprised with the cross-linked oil gel emulsion. The premix (premix A) contains a combination of a tensioactive substance polyoxyethylene sorbitan surfactant (0.7% (w/v) Span 85 in combination with 7% (dry (w/v) cross-linked olive oil gel derived, 15% (w/v) sucrose as a carbohydrate phagostimulants, a 5% (w/v) casein hydrolysate - lactalbumin hydrolysate (1 : 1) and uric acid (0.5% w/v) and 5% (w/v) of a mix of fumed hydrophobic silica Aerosil R 972™ (Degussa GmbH of Germany; hydrophilic Sipernat 22™ (Degussa GmbH of Germany) and geosmin loaded H-Beta-30 zeolite (example II) (3:2: 1) at 6% w/v (w/v versus K-carrageenan watery solution). The gel is formed as follows. K-carrageenan is added to water (up to 5 gram per 100 ml), mixed vigorously, where after the mixture is warmed to 85°C to obtain a K-carrageenan solution in water. As commercial K-carrageenan contains potassium salts and potassium ions prevents K-carrageenan to solve in cold water. One has to heat such K-carrageenan up to 85°C in water to make a solution (Premix B). All other premix ingredients are added and vigorously mixed. This mixture is gradually cooled to 50°C for further mixing with the K-carrageenan solution. Subsequently, the bioactive compounds is added and mixed intensively by a (ultraturax) mixer. This mixture is cooled suddenly to obtain a rigid gel. Occasionally a KC1 solution (2M) is added just prior to cooling to improve gelling.

Consequent fast cooling results in immediate gelling.

From this gel the particulate premix material is made as follows. The gel is cut in small pieces which are dried by freeze drying, fluidized bed drying or tray drying. This product is ground to a powder comprising of particles of less than 70 μηι diameter.

Example VI - cold gelling

Alternative method for preparing a particulate premix material is called gelling. This is particular suitable for some of the sex hormones. Because commercially available K- carrageenan contains potassium ions it is not soluble in cold water. In the above procedure we therefore used an elevated temperature to affect dissolution. However when using alcohol extracted K-carrageenan it is possible by a cold procedure to make a solution which gelled immediately on addition of a KC1 solution. Hence an alternative procedure is also carried out for producing the particulate premix material, as follows. Potassium chloride is shown to be removed from K-carrageenan by three alternative methods: 1) 40 gram K-carrageenan is put into 1400 ml of a hot medium of NaOH (pH 8-9) by adding 2% NaOH. This solution filtered under in a buchner filter and is treated with 10% sodium chloride to salt out the K-carrageenan upon precipitation with 1.5 volumes of 85% isopropanol. The extract is then washed with 85% isopropanol. This is dried at 50-55°C and ground to a fine powder.

2) Alternatively, 150 ml 40-6001 ethanol is used per 10 gram K-carrageenan at SOC overnight. This fluid is filtered. Then the filtrate is salted out in a saturated Nacl solution, washed, dried and ground to a powder. 3) In a water bath (500C) 10 gram K-carrageenan per 400 ml and 2 gram Nacl while stirring for 3 hours.

1000 ml ethyl alcohol is added and this is stirred at 40C for 16 hours. The liquid is filtered. The filtrate is dried and milled to a fine powder.

Subsequently the treated K-carrageenan is added to water (up to 5%), mixed with an ultraturax at room temperature to obtain complete dissolution. All other premix ingredients (tensioactive substance polyoxyethylene sorbitan surfactant (0.7% (w/v) Span 85 in combination with 7% (dry (w/v) cross-linked olive oil gel derived, 15% (w/v) sucrose as a carbohydrate phagostimulants, a 5% (w/v) casein hydrolysate - lactalbumin hydrolysate (1 : 1) and uric acid (0.5% w/v) and 5% (w/v) of a mix of fumed hydrophobic silica Aerosil R 972™ (Degussa GmbH of Germany; hydrophilic Sipernat 22™ (Degussa GmbH of Germany) and geosmin loaded H-Beta-30 zeolite (example II) (3:2: 1) at 6% w/v ) are added and vigorously mixed. To obtain a rigid gel, a KC1 solution (2M) is mixed in this liquid. The gel is cut into small pieces which are dried by freeze drying, fluidized bed drying or tray drying.

In this Beta-30 zeolite can be replaced by other molecular sieves of structured order or amorphous load with the volatile attractant of present invention and other bioactive molecules such as the sex pheromones.

Example VII - Zeolite loading with geosmin and bait preparation

Example Vila Materials

Geosmin (100 μg/ml in methanol, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), H-Beta-30 zeolite (Clariant, Muttenz, Switzerland), sucrose (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), wheat starch (Tereos Syral, Aalst, Belgium), glass vials, Milli-Q water. Example Vllb Zeolite loading with geosmin and bait preparation

Milli-Q water and geosmin solution were mixed in equal amounts (v/v). 20 μΐ of the resulting mixture was added to 40 mg of H-Beta-30 zeolite into a glass vial and homogeneously mixed with 20 mg sucrose, 20 mg starch, and 80μ1 water (2-MIB vial). In addition 40 mg of the H- Beta-30 zeolite mixed with 20 mg sucrose, 20 mg starch, and 80μ1 water was weighed into a glas vial to serve as a control (blank).

Example VIIc Ant attraction to geosmin spiked baits

Four blank vials and four geosmin spiked vials were placed altematingly into a colony of Pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis). At specific time points (15 min, 30 min, lh, 1.5h, 2h, 3h, 4h, and 5h) after the introduction of the vials the number of ants inside the tubes were counted. The results (Fig. 3) demonstrate that the geosmin spiked vials attracted on average more than 2 times more ants than the control vials, and that this effect remained over the course of at least one day. The total number of ants visiting both types first increased over time due to the food and water present and then slowly decreased, since in the present experiments the vials were also inadequate to nest into (e.g. in terms of humidity).

Example IIX- Zeolite loading with 2-MIB and bait preparation

Example IlXa Materials

2-MIB (100 μg/ml in methanol, Supelco, Bellefonte, PA), H-Beta-30 zeolite (Clariant, Muttenz, Switzerland), sucrose (Sigma- Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), wheat starch (Tereos Syral, Aalst, Belgium), glass vials, Milli-Q water.

Example IlXb Zeolite loading with 2-MIB and bait preparation

2-MIB solution (20 μΐ) was added to 40 mg of H-Beta-30 zeolite into a glass vial and homogeneously mixed with 20mg sucrose, 20 mg starch, and 80μ1 water (2-MIB vial). In addition 40 mg of the H-Beta-30 zeolite mixed with 20 mg sucrose, 20 mg starch, and 80μ1 water was weighed into a glas vial to serve as a control (blank).

Example IIXc Ant attraction to 2-MIB spiked baits

Four blank vials and four 2-MIB spiked vials were placed altematingly into a colony of Pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis). At specific time points (15 min, 30 min, lh, 2h, 3h, 4h, 5h, 6h, 23h and 24h) after the introduction of the vials the number of ants inside the tubes were counted. The results (Fig. 4) demonstrate that the 2-MIB spiked vials attracted on average 34% less ants than the control vials, and that this effect remained over the course of at least one day. The total number of ants visiting both types first increased over time due to the food and water present and then slowly decreased, since in the present experiments the vials were also inadequate to nest into (e.g. in terms of humidity).

Example IX Zeolite loading with geosmin and bait preparation Example IXa Materials

Geosmin (100 μg/ml in methanol, Sigma- Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), H-Beta-30 zeolite (Clariant, Muttenz, Switzerland), sucrose (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), wheat starch (Tereos Syral, Aalst, Belgium), glass vials, Milli-Q water. Example IXb Zeolite loading with geosmin and bait preparation

For the bait with low geosmin concentration (geosmin low) 10 μΐ of geosmin solution was mixed with 110 μΐ MilliQ water and added to 35 mg of H-Beta-30 zeolite. The zeolite-loaded geosmin was then homogeneously mixed with 20 mg sucrose and 20 mg starch. In addition 40 mg of the H-Beta-30 zeolite mixed with 20 mg sucrose, 20 mg starch, and 80μ1 water was weighed into glass vial to serve as a control (blank).

Example IXc Ant attraction to baits with low geosmin level

Four blank vials and four geosmin spiked vials were placed alternatingly into a colony of Pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis). At specific time points (15 min, 30 min, lh, 1.5h, 2h, 3h, 4h, 5h, 6h, 22h, 23h, 24h, 25h and 26h) after the introduction of the vials the number of ants inside the tubes were counted. The results (Fig. 5) demonstrate that the geosmin spiked vials did not attract ants differently the first 6h, but after 22h on average more than 5 times more ants were counted in the vials with the low geosmin concentration than in the control. Example X Zeolite loading with geosmin/2-MIB mixture and bait preparation

Example Xa Materials

Geosmin (100 μg ml in methanol, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), 2-MIB (100 μg/ml in methanol, Supelco, Bellefonte, PA), H-Beta-30 zeolite (Clariant, Muttenz, Switzerland), sucrose (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), wheat starch (Tereos Syral, Aalst, Belgium), glass vials, Milli-Q water.

Example Xb Zeolite loading with geosmin/2-MIB mixture and bait preparation

Milli-Q water and geosmin or 2-MIB solution were mixed in equal amounts (v/v). 20 μΐ of the resulting geosmin mixture and 20 μΐ of the 2-MIB mixture were added to 40 mg of H-Beta-30 zeolite into a glass vial and homogeneously mixed with 20 mg sucrose, 20 mg starch, and 80μ1 water (2-MIB/geosmin mix). In addition 40 mg of the H-Beta-30 zeolite mixed with 20 mg sucrose, 20 mg starch, and 80μ1 water was weighed into a glas vial to serve as a control (blank).

Example Xc Ant attraction to baits with slow release

Four blank vials and four 2-MIB/geosmin mix spiked vials were placed altematingly into a colony of Pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis). At specific time points (15 min, 30 min, lh, 1.5h, 2h, 3h, 4h, 5h, 6h, 24h, 25h, 26h, 27h, and 46h) after the introduction of the vials the number of ants inside the tubes were counted. The results (Fig. 6) demonstrate that the 2- MIB/geosmin mix spiked vials did not attract ants differently from the blanks. This implies that the attractive effect of geosmin is counteracted when an equal amount (w/w) of 2-MIB is present. Example XI - Zeolite loading with geosmin and bait preparation effects on colony of fire ants

Example XIa Materials

Geosmin (>97%, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), H-Beta-30 zeolite (Clariant, Muttenz, Switzerland), plastic boxes (20 mm x 20 mm x 5 mm), Milli-Q water. Geosmin was further diluted with Milli-Q water (50 μg/ml) to obtain geosmin solution.

Example Xllb Zeolite loading with eosmin and bait preparation

Milli-Q water (60 μΐ) and geosmin solution (20 μΐ) were mixed. The resulting mixture was added to 40 mg of H-Beta-30 zeolite into a plastic box. In addition 40 mg of the H-Beta-30 zeolite mixed with 80μ1 water was weighed into a glas vial to serve as a control (blank).

Example XIIc Ant attraction to geosmin spiked baits Two blank boxes or two geosmin spiked boxes were placed into a colony of fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). At specific time points (15 min, 30 min, lh, 1.5h, 2h) after the introduction of the boxes the number of ants inside the boxes were counted. The results (Fig. 7) demonstrate that the geosmin spiked boxes attracted on average more than 8 times more ants than the control boxes, and that this effect remained over the course of at least two hours.

Particular and preferred aspects of the invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features from the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims and with features of other dependent claims as appropriate and not merely as explicitly set out in the claims.

Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

Drawing Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is picture showing the geosmin treatment after lhour (la) and of the blank/control treatment after 1 hour (lb). FIG. 2 is a graphic demonstrating of the count of Pharaoh's ants as a function of time in treatment & control eppendorfs (based on 5 replicate vials/ treatment) with clear significance based on a Poisson mixed model (table I):

Table II

Estimate Std. Error z value p value

(Intercept) 2.618511 0.160825 16.282 < 2e-16

TIME -0.063259 0.005513 -11.474 < 2e-16

TREATMENT -0.702330 0.160825 -4.367 1.26e-05

TIME : TREATMENT -0.004199 0.005513 -0.762 0.446 FIG. 3 is a graphic that demonstrates the total number of ants visiting geosmin spiked vials and control vials on different time point in the experimental set up of Example Vllb

FIG. 4 is a graphic that demonstrates the total number of ants visiting 2-MIB spiked vials and control vials on different time point in the experimental set up of Example IIX

FIG. 5 is a graphic that demonstrates the total number of ants visiting geosmin spiked vials and control vials on different time point in the experimental set up of Example IX FIG. 6 is a graphic that demonstrates the total number of ants visiting -MIB/geosmin mix spiked vials and control vials on different time point in the experimental set up of Example X

FIG. 7 is a graphic that demonstrates the effect of geosmin on fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). The results demonstrate that the geosmin spiked boxes attracted on average more than 8 times more ants than the control boxes, and that this effect remained over the course of at least two hours (set up of Example XI)

Claims

Claims What is claimed is:

1. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants, characterised in that said compound is the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds and said ants.

2. The use according to claim 1 , characterised in that the ants are of a group comprising species the subfamily of the Myrmicinae, the tribe Solenopsidini, the genus of the Monomorium or that said ants are of the group consisting of red fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), black fire ant (Solenopsis richteri), fire ant (Solenopsis germinata), fire ant (Solenopsis xyloni), carpenter ant (Camponotus modoc), argentine ant (Linepithema humile), pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis), whitefooted ants (Technomyrex albipes), little black ants (Monomorium minimum), ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum), odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile) and pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum).

3. The use according to claim 1 , characterised in that the ants are of the genus Oecophylla (e.g. Oecophylla smaragdina).

4. The use according to claim 1 , characterised in that the ants are or leaf-cutting ants of the Atta genus (e.g. Atta mexicana and A. cephalotus).

5. The use according to claim 1, characterised in that the ants are mountain ants (Polyrhachis vicina Roger).

6. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 5, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with an ant pheromone.

7. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 5, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with an ant sex pheromone.

8. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 5, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with a pheromone of the group consisting of methyl 6- methylsalicylate, 3-ethyl-4-methylpentanol, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2- hydroxyhexanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxy-3 -methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-oxohexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-3-methyl-2- oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxyhexanamide, N-[2-(4-

Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-3-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-

Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-oxohexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-3-methyl-2- oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-4-methyl-2-oxopentanamide, N-[2- (4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]hexanamide, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, butyric acid ester of 1- butanol, butyric acid ester of isobutyl alcohol, 2-methyl- 1-butanol, heptadecadiene; (Z)8-heptadecene; n-heptadecane; (Z)9-nonadecene; (Z)9-heneicosene; n-heneicosane; n-docosane; n-tricosane; 7-,9-,l 1-methyltricosane; 3-methyltricosane; n-tetracosane; 11-methyltetracosane; n-pentacosane; 9-,l 1-methylpentacosane; 5-methylpentacosane ; n-heptacosane ; 9-,l 1-,13-methylheptacosane ; nonacosene ; 4-,5-,6-octacosanone, n- pentadecane; 9-hexadecene; n-hexadecane; octadecene; nonadecadiene; n-nonadecane; octadecenal; tricosene; pentacosene; 3-methylpentacosane; hexacosene; n-hexacosane; 11-,13-methylhexacosane; 5-methylhexacosane; heptacosene; 7-methylheptacosane; 5- methylheptacosane; 3-methylheptacosane; octacosene; 5, 9-, 5, 15-, 5, 17- dimethylheptacosane; n-octacosane; 9-,l 1-,13-methyloctacosane; n-nonacosane; 9-,l 1- ,13-,15-methylnonacosane; n-triacontane and 9-,11-methyltriacontane.

9. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with uric acid.

10. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is comprised in or on a molecular sieve.

11. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is comprised in or on zeolite, organoclay, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica and porous cyclodextrin polymer.

12. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with octopamine.

13. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with gamma-amino butyric acid

14. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with a compound of the group comprising quaternary amine is acetyl choline chloride, tertiary amine, triethanolamine, ethyl 4-aminobutyrate, tryptamine

15. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with an ant toxin.

16. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with hydrolysed protein.

17. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with cross-linked olive oil gel.

18. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with a carbohydrate phagostimulants (e.g. sucrose).

19. The use of a compound to attract, arrest, home or aggregate ants according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said compound is included in a composition, together with a toxin of the group consisting of Oxymatrine, Psoralen,

Azadirachtin or a combination hereof.

20. Use of a composition containing the bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds 1,2,7,7- tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin) and a molecular sieve carrier as an attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants.

21. The use of the composition of claim 20, containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer -geosmin, and (+) enantiomer -geosmin or a mixture thereof and a molecular sieve carrier as an attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants.

22. The use of the composition of claim 20, containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer -geosmin, and (+) enantiomer -geosmin or a mixture thereof and at least one molecular sieve carrier selected of the group consisting of a zeolite, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica, organoclays, and porous cyclodextrin polymer as an attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants.

23. The use of the composition of claim 20, containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, 1 ,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol (geosmin) absorbed or loaded in or on the molecular sieve carrier as an attractant, aggregant, arrestant or homing agent for ants.

24. The use of the composition of claim 20, containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer -geosmin, and (+) enantiomer -geosmin or a mixture thereof absorbed or loaded in or on the molecular sieve carrier as an attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants.

25. The use of the composition of claim 20, containing at least one bicyclic tertiary alcohol compounds, selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer -geosmin, and (+) enantiomer -geosmin or a mixture thereof absorbed or loaded in or on at least one molecular sieve carrier selected of the group consisting of a zeolite, organoclay, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica and porous cyclodextrin polymer as an attractant, aggregant , arrestant or homing agent for ants.

26. Use in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 25, characterised in that a trap comprising a composition as defined in any one of claims 1 to 25 is utilised.

27. Use in accordance with claim 26, characterised in that the trap is designed as a funnel trap.

28. Use in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein at least one trap having a composition as defined in any one of claims 1 to 25 is baited.

29. A composition for controlling ants containing the bicyclic tertiary alcohol ant attractant, aggregant or arrestant whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol is l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2- norborneol (geosmin) and at least one ant pheromone of the group consisting of methyl 6-methylsalicylate, 3 -ethyl -4-methylpentanol, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2- hydroxyhexanamide, N- [2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxy-3 -methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-oxohexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-3-methyl-2- oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxyhexanamide, N-[2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxy-3-methylpentanamide, N-[2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] -2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanamide, N- [2-(4- Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-oxohexanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-3-methyl-2- oxopentanamide, N-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-4-methyl-2-oxopentanamide, N-[2- (4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]hexanamide, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, butyric acid ester of 1- butanol, butyric acid ester of isobutyl alcohol, 2-methyl- 1-butanol, heptadecadiene; (Z)8-heptadecene; n-heptadecane; (Z)9-nonadecene; (Z)9-heneicosene; n-heneicosane; n-docosane; n-tricosane; 7-,9-,11-methyltricosane; 3-methyltricosane; n-tetracosane; 1 1-methyltetracosane; n-pentacosane; 9-,l 1-methylpentacosane; 5-methylpentacosane ; n-heptacosane ; 9-,11-,13-methylheptacosane ; nonacosene ; 4-,5-,6-octacosanone, n- pentadecane; 9-hexadecene; n-hexadecane; octadecene; nonadecadiene; n-nonadecane; octadecenal; tricosene; pentacosene; 3-methylpentacosane; exacosene; n-hexacosane; 1 1-,13-methylhexacosane; 5-methylhexacosane; heptacosene; 7-methylheptacosane; 5- methylheptacosane; 3-methylheptacosane; octacosene; 5, 9-, 5, 15-, 5, 17- dimethylheptacosane; n-octacosane; 9-,l 1-,13-methyloctacosane; n-nonacosane; 9-,l l- ,13-,15-methylnonacosane; n-triacontane and 9-,l 1-methyltriacontane.

30. The composition of claim 29, characterised in that the bicyclic tertiary alcohol is selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer -geosmin, and (+) enantiomer - geosmin or a mixture thereof.

31. The composition according to any one of the claims 1 to 30, characterised in said bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is comprised in or on a molecular sieve carrier.

32. The composition according to any one of the claims 1 to 31, further comprising a molecular sieve carrier comprising said pheromone.

33. The composition according to any one of the claims 1 to 31 , a poison or anticide.

34. The composition of claim 33, characterised that the poison or anticide is a compound of the group consisting of bifenthrin, fipronil and cyfluthrin.

35. The composition of claim 33, characterised that the poison oranticide is an agent of the group consisting of anticides: abamectin, AC 303 630, acephate, acrinathrin, alanycarb, aldicarb, alphamethrin, amitraz, avermectin, AZ 60541, azadirachtin, azinphos A, azinphos M, azocyclotin, Bacillus thuringiensis, bendiocarb, benfuracarb, bensultap, betacyfluthrin, bifenthrin, bioresmethrin, BPMC, brofenprox, bromophos A, bufencarb, buprofezin, butocarboxin, butylpyridaben, cadusafos, carbaryl, carbofuran, carbophenothion, carbosulfan, cartap, CGA 157 419, CGA 184699, chloethocarb, chlorethoxyfos, chlorfenvinphos, chlorfluazuron, chlormephos, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos M, cis-Resmethrin, clocythrin, clofentezine, cyanophos, cycloprothrin, cyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, cyhexatin, cypermethrin, cyromazine, deltamethrin, demeton M, demeton S, demeton-S-methyl, diafenthiuron, diazinon, dichlofenthion, dichlorvos, dicliphos, dicrotophos, diethion, diflubenzuron, dimethoate, dimethylvinphos, dioxathion, disulfoton, edifenphos, emamectin, esfenvalerate, ethiofencarb, ethion, ethofenprox, ethoprophos, etrimphos, fenamiphos, fenazaquin, fenbutatin oxide, fenitrothion, fenobucarb, fenothiocarb, fenoxycarb, fenpropathrin, fenpyrad, fenpyroximate, fenthion, fenvalerate, fipronil, fluazinam, flucycloxuron, flucythrinate, flufenoxuron, flufenprox, fluvalinate, fonophos, foimothion, fosthiazate, fubfenprox, furathiocarb, HCH, heptenophos, hexaflumuron, hexythiazox, imidacloprid, iprobenfos, isazophos, isofenphos, isoprocarb, isoxathion, ivermectin, lambda- cyhalothrin, lufenuron, malathion, mecarbam, mervinphos, mesulfenphos, metaldehyde, methacrifos, methamidophos, methidathion, methiocarb, methomyl, metolcarb, milbemectin, monocrotophos, moxidectin, naled, NC 184, NI 25, nitenpyram omethoat, oxamyl, oxydemethon M, oxydeprofos, parathion A, parathion M, permethrin, phenothrin, phenthoate, phorate, phosalone, phosmet, phosphamidon, phoxim, pirimicarb, pirimiphos M, pirimiphos A, profenofos, promecarb, propaphos, propoxur, prothiofos, prothoate, pymetrozin, pyrachlophos, pyridaphenthion, pyresmethrin, pyrethrum, pyridaben, pyrimidifen, pyriproxifen, quinalphos, resmethrin, RH 5992, salithion, sebufos, silafluofen, sulfotep, sulprofos, tebufenozid, tebufenpyrad, tebupirimiphos, teflubenzuron, tefluthrin, temephos, terbam, terbufos, tetrachlorvinphos, thiafenox, thiodicarb, thiofanox, thiomethon, thionazin, thuringiensin, tralocytrin, tralomethrin, triarathen, triazophos, triazuron, trichlorfon, triflumuron, trimethacarb, transfluthrin vamidothion, XMC, xylylcarb, zetamethrin

36. The composition according to any one of the claims 33 to 35, whereby the poison is comprised in or on a molecular sieve

37. The composition according to any one of the claims 31 to 36, whereby the molecular sieve of the group selected of zeolite, organoclay, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica and porous cyclodextrin polymer

38. The composition according to claim 37, characterised in that the zeolite is a high silica zeolite

39. The composition according to claim 38, characterised in that the zeolite is an hydrophobic zeolite

40. A composition for controlling ants containing the bicyclic tertiary alcohol ant repellent whereby the bicyclic tertiary alcohol is (lR-exo)-l,2,7,7-tetramethylbicyclo[2.2.1] heptan-2-ol (2-methylisoborneol or 2-MIB)

41. The composition of claim 40, characterised in that the bicyclic tertiary alcohol is selected from the group consisting of (-) enantiomer 2-methylisoborneol and (+) enantiomer 2-methylisoborneol or a mixture thereof.

42. The composition according to any one of the claims 40 to 41, characterised in said bicyclic tertiary alcohol compound is comprised in or on a molecular sieve carrier.

43. The composition according to any one of the claims 42, whereby the molecular sieve of the group selected of zeolite, organoclay, amorphous microporous silica, ordered mesoporous silica and porous cyclodextrin polymer

44. The composition according to claim 43, characterised in that the zeolite is a high silica zeolite

45. The composition according to claim 45, characterised in that the zeolite is an hydrophobic zeolite

46. A confined environment comprising a formulation or composition according to any one of the previous claims 1 to 45.

47. The confined environment according to claim 46, characterised in that the bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile is a geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) and the confined environment is a trap.

48. The confined environment according to any one of the previous claims 46 to 47, characterised in that confined environment comprises humidity control system.

49. The confined environment according to any one of the previous claims 46 to 48, characterised in that it comprises a spray assembly in thermal communication with the chamber and a sensor in thermal communication with at least one chamber of the confined environment whereby the sensor is sensing at least relative humidity and air temperature.

50. The confined environment according to any one of the previous claims 46 to 49, characterised in that it comprises spots or lanes of the bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile repellent, (lR-exo)-l,2,7,7-tetramethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol (2- methylisoborneol or 2-MIB), or the bicyclic terpenoid alcoholic volatile attractant geosmin (l,2,7,7-tetramethyl-2-norborneol) placed on a surface or in an ant environment to control the ant behaviour.

51. The confined environment according to any one of the previous claims 46 to 50, characterised in that it comprises a guiding system comprising at least one 2- methylisoborneol repellant guiding device to guide ants away from locoregions of a space and further comprising at least one geosmin attractant guiding device comprising for guiding in said environment toward a certain locoregion.

52. The confined environment according to claim 51 , characterised in that it the attractant guiding device comprises locoregional spots or paths in the environment for evacuating ants and/or ant colonies from an unwanted location towards a desired location, for instance a trap.

53. The confined environment according to claim 51, characterised in that it repellant guiding device comprises locoregional spots or barrier lines in the environment for evacuating ants and/or ant colonies from an unwanted location towards a desired location, for instance a trap.