Method and apparatus for controlling pests

• US 7,299,587 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Energy Investment Group Holding Co., Limited, University of Southampton
• Original Assignee: I.D.A. Limited
• Inventors: Metcalfe, Colin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ark; Darren W.
• Application Number:
  US09/736,023
• Time in Patent Office: 3,071 Days
• Field of Search: 431/07, 431/21, 431/321, 431/20, 431/31, 424/405, 424/421, 206/350, 206/818
• US Class Current: 43/121
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/02 with devices or substances, e.g. food, pheronones attracting the insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/103 for crawling insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/106 for flying insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/14 Catching by adhesive surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 2200/011 Crawling insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 2200/012 Flying insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/08 containing solids as carriers or diluents
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 59/16 Heavy metals; Compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

A method of controlling pests, such as insects, by trapping and/or killing them wherein at least a part of a pest to be trapped or killed is exposed a composition comprising particles containing or consisting of at least one magnetic material.

Claims

1. An insect trap comprises a housing having an entrance open to the ambient and allowing access to an interior of the housing, a zone of the housing or a zone within the housing comprising a magnetically polarized material and the zone being coated with a composition suitable for adhering to insects including particles comprising a magnetic material of opposite polarity to that of the magnetically polarized material;

wherein the particles have an average particle size diameter in the range of 2 to 100 μ

m.

2. An insect trap as claimed in claim 1 wherein the zone of the magnetically polarized material is formed by a portion of at least one wall of the housing.

3. An insect trap as claimed in claim 1 wherein the zone of the magnetically polarized material comprises a removable insert placed within the housing.

4. An insect trap as claimed in claim 1 wherein the zone has a surface which is inclined to the horizontal.

5. An insect trap as claimed in claim 1 wherein the magnetic material is a ferromagnetic oxide.

6. An insect trap as claimed in claim 1 wherein the particles further comprise a pesticidal composition.

7. An insect trap according to claim 1, wherein the composition consists of the magnetic particles.

8. A method of trapping insects with an insect trap having a housing defining an entrance open to the ambient and allowing access to an interior of the housing and a trapping area disposed below the entrance, the method comprising the step of:

coating a zone of or within the housing with a composition including particles comprising a magnetic material, inducing an insect in contact with the composition to become at least partially coated with the composition and destabilized, thereby falling into the trapping area;

wherein the particles have an average particle size diameter in the range of 2 to 100 μ

m.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the magnetic material is a ferromagnetic oxide.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the particles are applied to a surface in an area of the zone of or within the housing in which pests are present.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said surface is inclined to the horizontal.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the composition comprises at least 10% by weight of magnetic particles.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein a pesticide or behavior modifying chemical is admixed with the particles of the magnetic material.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein a pesticide or behavior modifying chemical is coated onto the particles of the magnetic material.

15. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the particles are composite particles which each comprise a core of an inert substrate which is impregnated with and/or coated with the magnetic material.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the core comprises silicon dioxide, magnesium silicate, diatomaceous earth, cellulose or a natural or synthetic polymer.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the inert substrate has a pesticide or behavior modifying chemical impregnated thereon or associated therewith.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the pesticide is an insecticide, fungicide, acaricide, insect growth regulator or chemosterilant.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the pesticide is a bacterium, virus or fungus.

20. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the behavior modifying chemical is a pheromone.

21. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the pesticide or behavior modifying chemical comprises at least 0.1% by weight of the cores of the particles.

22. The method according to claim 8, wherein the composition consists of the magnetic particles.