Method and apparatus for controlling pests

• US 7,343,710 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Energy Investment Group Holding Co., Limited
• Original Assignee: I.D.A. Limited
• Inventors: Metcalfe, Colin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ark; Darren W.
• Application Number:
  US10/821,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20040200128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 431/07, 431/21, 431/321, 431/20, 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 1/2055 Holders or dispensers for solid, gelified or impregnated insecticide, e.g. volatile blocks or impregnated pads
• 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 part of a pest to be trapped or killed is exposed to a composition comprising particles containing or consisting of at least one magnetic material.

Claims

1. An insect-controlling composition in particulate form, comprising:

an effective insect-adhering amount of a magnetized magnetic material, combined with at least one of a pesticide and an insect behaviour modifying chemical, and

wherein the at least one of a pesticide and insect behaviour modifying chemical includes a pheromone.

2. An insect-controlling composition in particulate form, comprising:

an effective insect-adhering amount of a magnetized magnetic material, combined with at least one of a pesticide and an insect behaviour modifying chemical to form an insect controlling composition in particulate form having an average particle diameter size in the range of 2 to 100 μ

m, and wherein the at least one of a pesticide and an insect behaviour modifying chemical includes at least one of a pesticide and an insect behaviour modifying chemical other than a food odor chemical.

3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the magnetized magnetic material includes a hard magnetic material.

4. The composition of claim 3 wherein the magnetized magnetic material includes a soft magnetic material.

5. The composition of claim 4 wherein the soft magnetic material includes ferrosilicate.

6. The composition of claim 4 wherein the ratio of hard material to soft material is approximately 1 to 9, by weight.

7. The composition of claim 3 wherein the magnetic material includes strontium ferrite.

8. A system for controlling insects including the composition of claim 2 and including a surface and wherein the magnetized magnetic material adheres to the surface by a magnetic force.

9. A system for controlling insects including the composition of claim 2 and including a trap, and wherein the magnetized magnetic material is situated proximate the trap.

10. The composition of claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the magnetic material includes a ferrite.

11. The composition of claim 2 wherein the at least one of a pesticide and an insect behaviour modifying chemical includes a pheromone.

12. An insect trap which comprises a housing, a zone of the housing or a zone within the housing having a composition comprising electromagnetically sensitive particles, the improvement comprising including, in the composition having an average particle diameter size of 2 to 100 μ

m, a magnetic material and at least one of a pesticide, pheromone, allomone, kairomone and parapheromone.

13. An insect trap as claimed in claim 12 wherein the zone of the housing includes a magnetically polarizable material.

14. An insect trap as claimed in claim 13 wherein the zone of the magnetically polarizable material comprises a removable insert placed within the housing.

15. An insect trap as claimed in claims 12 or 13 wherein the zone has a surface which is inclined to the horizontal.

16. An insect trap as claimed in claim 12 wherein the magnetic material includes a hard ferromagnetic oxide.

17. An insect trap as claimed in claim 12 wherein the magnetic material includes strontium ferrite.

18. An insect trap as claimed in claim 17 wherein the magnetic material includes at least 10% by weight of strontium ferrite.

19. An insect trap as claimed in claim 12 structured to trap cockroaches.

20. A method of controlling insects, wherein at least a part of an insect to be controlled is exposed to an insect-adhering particulate composition, comprising:

including in the particulate composition at least one pesticide or insect behaviour modifying chemical and at least one magnetized magnetic material;

locating the composition proximate a path of the insect; and

wherein the at least one pesticide or insect behavior modifying chemical includes a pheromone.

21. A method of controlling insects, wherein at least a part of an insect to be controlled is exposed to an insect-adhering particulate composition, comprising:

including, in the particulate composition having an average particle size diameter in the range of from 2 to 100 μ

m, at least one pesticide or insect behaviour modifying chemical and at least one magnetized magnetic material.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the at least one magnetized magnetic material includes a ferromagnetic oxide.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the particles adhere by a magnetic force to a surface.

24. A method as claimed in claims 21, 22, or 23 wherein the at least one magnetized magnetic material in the composition comprises at least 10% by weight of hard magnetic material.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the at least one magnetized magnetic material includes strontium ferrite.

26. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the insect includes a cockroach.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one magnetized magnetic material in the composition comprises approximately 10% by weight of strontium ferrite and approximately 90% by weight of a ferrosilicate.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one pesticide or insect behavior modifying chemical includes a pheromone.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one pesticide or insect behaviour modifying chemical includes at least one pesticide or insect behaviour modifying chemical other than a food odor chemical.