Pest control devices, systems, and methods

• US 7,262,702 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dow Agrosciences LLC (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Agrosciences LLC (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Black, Don, Barber, Daniel T.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIEU, JULIE BICHNGOC
• Application Number:
  US09/925,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20010054962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.2, 340/652, 340/654, 340/693.5, 340/572.1, 431/321, 431/21
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/026 combined with devices for monitoring insect presence, e.g. termites bait stations A01M1/2005; detecting other animals in a given area A01M31/002
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/2011 for crawling insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/24 Arrangements connected with buildings, doors, windows, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 2200/011 Crawling insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area

Abstract

Among the embodiments of the present invention is a pest control device that includes a bait operable to be consumed by one or more species of pest, a pest sensing circuit, and a communication circuit coupled to the pest sensing circuit. The communication circuit includes an activation device to trigger interrogation of the pest sensing circuit with the communication circuit and an indicating device to provide information about the pest sensing circuit determined in response to the interrogation. A structure can also be included that is operable to position the bait, the pest sensing circuit, and the communication circuit in a predetermined spatial relationship relative to one another.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

installing a plurality of pest control devices each including a respective bait for one or more species of pest, a respective pest sensor, and respective communication circuitry coupled to the respective pest sensor;

providing a stimulus to one of the pest control devices to cause the respective communication circuitry to output information about the respective pest sensor, the respective communication circuitry including a passive RF transponder and the stimulus being in the form of a RF signal; and

receiving information from the one of the pest control devices in response to the stimulus.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes providing another stimulus to trigger operation of the respective communication circuitry of another of the pest control devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information quantitizes an amount of consumption or displacement of the respective bait by the one or more species of pest.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective bait for the one of the pest control devices includes a pesticide.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective bait is of a monitoring type selected for one or more varieties of termites.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective pest sensor includes a corresponding one of a plurality of pest sensing circuits, the corresponding one of the pest sensing circuits for the one of the pest control devices includes an electrically conductive loop arranged to be altered during consumption or displacement of the respective bait for the one of the pest control devices, the loop is coupled to the respective communication circuitry to provide a two-state signal, a first state of the signal corresponds to an electrically open condition of the loop, a second state of the signal corresponds to an electrically closed condition of the loop, and the information corresponds to the two-state signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said installing includes placing one or more of the pest control devices at least partially below ground.

8. A pest control system, comprising:

a first pest control device including a first bait operable to be consumed or displaced by one or more species of pest, a first pest sensing member, a first electrical monitoring circuit to monitor status of said first pest sensing member, a first activation device operable to trigger operation of said first electrical monitoring circuit, and a first indicating device responsive to an output from said first electrical monitoring circuit to provide information about said first pest sensing member; and

a second pest control device including a second bait operable to be consumed or displaced by the one or more species of pest, a second pest sensing member, a second electrical monitoring circuit to monitor status of said second pest sensing member, a second activation device operable to trigger operation of said second electrical monitoring circuit, and a second indicating device responsive to an output from said second electrical monitoring circuit to provide information about said second pest sensing member.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

said first pest control device further includes an enclosure at least partially enclosing said first bait, said first pest sensing member, and said first electrical monitoring circuit; and

said first activation device and said first indicating device are each mounted to said enclosure.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said first activation device includes a switch and said first indicating device includes a visual indicator.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said first sensing member includes a substrate with an electrically conductive loop configured to be altered by consumption or displacement by the one or more species of pest, said first electrical monitoring circuit is operable to determine electrical continuity of said loop, and said information about said first sensing member corresponds to a two-state signal provided to said visual indicator by said first electrical monitoring circuit, a first state of said signal representing an electrically closed condition of said loop and a second state of said signal representing an electrically open condition of said loop.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said first bait includes a pesticide.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said first bait is of a monitoring type selected for one or more varieties of termites.

14. A pest control device, comprising:

a bait operable to be consumed or displaced by one or more species of pest;

a pest sensing circuit;

a communication circuit coupled to said pest sensing circuit, said communication circuit including an activation device to trigger interrogation of the pest sensing circuit with said communication circuit and an indicating device to provide information about said pest sensing circuit determined in response to the interrogation; and

a structure operable to position said bait, said pest sensing circuit, and said communication circuit in a predetermined spatial relationship relative to one another.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said activation device includes a switch operable to activate said communication circuit.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein said indicating device includes a visual indicator.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said visual indicator includes a light emitting component.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein said pest sensing circuit includes an electrically conductive loop on a substrate configured to be altered by consumption or displacement by the one or more species of pest, said communication circuit is operable to determine electrical continuity of said loop and provide a two-state signal to said indicating device, a first state of said signal corresponding to an electrically open condition of said loop and a second state of said signal corresponding to an electrically closed condition of said loop.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein said activation device is a switch, said indicating device is a light emitting diode, and said communication circuit further includes a transistor and a power source selectively coupled together by said switch.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein said device structure includes a housing at least partially enclosing said support structure, said bait, said pest sensing circuit, and said communication circuit, said activation device and said indicating device being mounted to said housing.

21. The device of claim 14, wherein said bait includes a pesticide.

22. The device of claim 14, wherein said bait is of a monitoring type selected for one or more varieties of termites.

23. A system, comprising:

a plurality of pest control devices each including;

a bait operable to be consumed or displaced by one or more species of pest; and

monitoring circuitry including a pest sensing circuit, an activation device and an indicating device, said activation device being operable to selectively activate said monitoring circuitry as directed by an operator and said indicating device being operable to provide the operator information about said pest sensing circuit in response to activation of said monitoring circuitry with said activation device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said activation device includes a switch operable to activate said monitoring circuitry.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said indicating device includes a visual indicator.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said pest sensing circuit includes an electrically conductive loop altered by consumption or displacement by the one or more species of pest, said monitoring circuitry is operable to determine electrical continuity of said loop and provide a corresponding two-state signal to said indicating device, a first state of said signal corresponding to an electrically open condition of said loop and a second state of said signal corresponding to an electrically closed condition of said loop.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said activation device is a switch, said indicating device is a light emitting diode, and said monitoring circuitry further includes a transistor and a power source selectively coupled together by said switch.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising a housing at least partially enclosing said bait and said monitoring circuitry.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said activation device and said indicating device are mounted to said housing.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein said bait includes a pesticide.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein said bait is of a monitoring type selected for one or more varieties of termites.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein said pest sensing circuit is carried on a substrate operable to be selectively connected and disconnected from said monitoring circuitry.