Patent Application
20090300968
The present invention relates to in-ground termite bait stations for containing termite-edible bait material to monitor and/or control termite activity.
Termites invade houses in their search for cellulosic foodstuffs. The damage to US properties is put at about $1 billion per annum. Various methods have been used to protect buildings from being infested with termites, and many more methods used to rid the buildings of termites once infested.
The market has historically been dominated by pre-construction intensive spray application of long residual pesticides on to a foundation soil surface prior to the laying of the concrete slab over a plastic sheet such as a Damp-Proof Membrane—DPM, vapor barrier, vapor retarder or the like. Such pesticides as organo-phosphates—eg chlorpyrifos, pyrethroids (e.g. cypermethrin and lambda cyhalothrin) have been employed. More recently, products such as imidacloprid and fipronil have been employed. Other, more environmentally acceptable, methods of termite-proofing a dwelling place have also been developed such as establishing physical barriers to termite entry (e.g. stainless steel mesh underlays, thick paints, composite materials). These have usually not contained pesticides.
Some more recent methods of termite control involve baiting the termite colony with a cellulose matrix containing a termite toxicant. Known bait stations include a tubular outer housing that is implanted in the ground with an upper end of the housing substantially flush with the ground level to avoid being damaged by a lawn mower. A tubular bait cartridge containing a quantity of bait material (with or without any toxic active ingredient) is inserted into the outer housing. In one practice, bait stations are installed underground around the perimeter of a building in prime termite foraging areas as a monitoring device to get “hits” (termites and feeding damage). When termite workers are found in one or more stations, a bait material containing a toxic active ingredient is substituted for the monitoring bait. These methods rely upon individual termites feeding on the bait which contains a non-repellent termiticide, and returning to the colony to pass the poison on to other members, killing a portion of the exposed colony. A greater proportion of active stations lead to increased bait consumption so that after several weeks, the colony will start to decline and eventually be eliminated. However, termites that are not attracted to the bait stations may seek out wood in the building to feed on.
Accordingly, despite the availability of existing baiting stations, there exists a need for underground termite bait stations having an increased attractiveness to termites to improve overall bait consumption and ultimately result in faster colony elimination and thus enhanced structural protection.
The present invention is directed to a device for monitoring, detecting and/or controlling subterranean termites comprising:
The invention also relates to a termite control system, comprising: a plurality of subterranean termite monitoring or baiting stations, two or more of said stations each including a bait cartridge comprising a major amount of a termite edible material and a minor amount of a termite resistant material, wherein the termite edible material comprises at least two different forms of a cellulose containing material, the second one of the stations being spaced apart from the first one of the stations.
The present invention further relates to a method for reducing termite feeding damage in a wooden structure, comprising: installing a plurality of subterranean termite monitoring or baiting stations around the exterior of said structure, two or more of said stations each including a bait cartridge comprising a major amount of a termite edible material and a minor amount of a termite resistant material, wherein the termite edible material comprises at least two different forms of a cellulose containing material, the second one of the stations being spaced apart from the first one of the stations.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
While the present invention is susceptible to several embodiments in various forms, there is hereinbelow described in detail certain specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as merely an exemplification of the present invention, without limitation to the specific embodiments or examples discussed.
With reference to
The outer housing 15 includes a radially outwardly extending flange or indicator ring 12. In use, a hole corresponding in diameter to that of the lower portion of the housing 15 is opened in the ground, and the housing 15 is inserted into the hole until the indicator ring 12 abuts the upper surface of the ground. One or more anchors 18 (
The indicator ring 12 provides a visual indication to assist an operator to locate the station for a follow-up inspection or changing a bait cartridge (such as replacing a monitor cartridge with a toxicant containing cartridge). To load the bait station with bait, the bait cartridge 50 is placed into the interior of outer housing 15 via the upper end 14. The cartridge 50 is slid or removeably received into the interior of the housing via the upper end thereof when the cap 30 is removed, and the cover or cap 30 is replaced on the top of the outer housing 15. In one embodiment, the cap 30 comprises a compression ring 32 which engages a recessed lip 34 when the cap is replaced at the upper end 14 of the housing 15.
The outer housing 15 include a sidewall 26 with openings that allow subterranean termites to pass through and access the bait cartridge 50 when it is received therein. More particularly, the outer housing 15 includes a plurality of vertically elongate openings 16, 24 through the side wall 26 of the outer housing. The openings 16, 24 are spaced apart and are arranged in two sets (both upper 16 and lower 24) and comprise a plurality of vertically extending slots that are spaced circumferentially about the side wall 26, as shown. In the illustrated embodiment, there are eight openings 16 and eight openings 24 spaced about the circumference of the side wall 26. It will be understood that this particular arrangement of openings is just one example of a suitable arrangement, and that other arrangements can be used instead.
As shown in
In accordance with the invention, the bait cartridge 50 comprises: (1) a major amount (which means a majority or over 50% by weight; suitably over 70% by weight and more suitably over 80% by weight) of a termite edible material such as a cellulosic material that termites will feed on and/or will attract termites to housing 15; and (2) a minor amount (which means less than 50% by weight) of a termite resistant material such as a polymer material including plastic. In one embodiment, the resistant material provides structural integrity to the bait cartridge 50 during removal of the cartridge, for example, during inspection or replacement of the cartridge during a service visit by a pest control provider. In one embodiment, the resistant components comprise, for example, a flange 56, a reamer 54, and an extractor strap 58.
In accordance with the invention, the termite edible material from which the bait cartridge 50 is constructed comprises at least two different forms or presentations of a cellulose containing material, typically derived from wood and wood based products. Examples of different forms of cellulose containing materials include those that are not repellent to termites such as wood, paper, paperboard, corrugated paper, chipboard, fibreboard, corrugated cardboard, pressed cardboard, recycled materials such as old news paper (ONP) and old corrugated cardboard (OCC), wood flour, and sawdust. Each of the foregoing examples of a cellulose product is considered as a different form of cellulose material for the purpose of the invention. For example, a wood piece, a roll of corrugated cardboard, and a pressed cardboard tube are each considered to be different forms or presentations of a cellulose material for the purpose of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that various types of wood may be suitable for use as cellulose materials and each in various forms or presentations as paper, sawdust, wood, corrugated cardboard or pressed cardboard, for example. Examples of suitable wood include hardwoods and softwoods such as, for example, basswood, aspen, cottonwood, paper birch, soft maple, yellow poplar (tulip poplar), beech, pecan, hard maple, persimmon, southern yellow pine, balsam fir and Engelmann spruce. The various distinct cellulose forms or presentations can be derived from these examples of wood sources.
Those skilled in the are will appreciate, for example, that wood based products such as paper made from one wood type (such a particular species or type: hardwood/softwood, etc.) will have different properties (such as fibre size, compression strength, puncture resistance and the like) than the properties associated with a similar product made from another wood type. Accordingly, by way of example, a pressed cardboard made from a hardwood source would be considered as a different form or presentations of a cellulose containing material than a pressed cardboard made from a softwood source.
The optional cellulose sleeve 20 also is constructed from a cellulose material. Examples of suitable materials include those derived from at least one of the foregoing wood and wood based products mentioned above in relation to the cartridge 50. In one embodiment, the sleeve 20 is constructed from a cellulose containing material substantially identical to at least one of the specific forms or presentations included within the cartridge 50.
As shown in
In addition, in one embodiment the removed cap stays affixed to the removal tool which also may advantageously be attached to an extension rod (not shown) via post 94. The rod can be of sufficient length so that a worker may remove the cap 70 from a standing position. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the cap 70 can be reattached to the station 10 without being specifically oriented other than by placing the bottom 82 of the cap toward the upper end 14 of the station housing (as the compression ring 76 can engage recessed lip 34 from any orientation). This feature of the station facilitates ease of inspection and servicing.
In the embodiment shown in
As an illustrative example of dimensions for the outer housing and bait cartridge and their respective openings and apertures, the outer housing can have an outer diameter of about 5 cm (and can taper from a larger diameter at its top end to a smaller diameter at its bottom end, e.g. 4.5 cm)—not considering anchors 18—and a wall thickness of about 2.5 mm, for example. The sleeve 20, when used, is sized to fit over the outside of at least the bottom portion of the outer housing. The vertical openings 16, 24 in the outer housing can have a length of about 8 to 10 cm and a width of about 3 mm. The openings 16, 24 can be spaced, for example, about 2 cm on center. The bait cartridge can be, for example, about 20 cm long and about 4 cm+/−a mm or so wide. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this is one example of a configuration in accordance with the invention.
In one embodiment, the station 10 is installed by placement in the ground or other appropriate location for a time sufficient to allow termite infestation. The station or device 10 can be placed in the ground directly by being driven into the soil or placed into a pre-existing hole or location of sufficient dimension to allow the device to remain in position. Once termites are detected in the station by inspection or otherwise, a first bait cartridge comprised predominantly of at least to forms or presentations of a cellulosic termite edible material can be replaced with another cartridge also comprised predominantly of at least to forms or presentations of a cellulosic termite edible material which further contains an effective amount of a non-repellent termiticide. For example, at least one of the cellulose containing materials from which the bait cartridge is constructed such as a corrugated cardboard substrate can be impregnated with the termiticide.
Suitable non-repellent termiticides include the chitin synthesis inhibitors such as hexaflumuron, flufenoxuron, lufenuron and dimilin, juvenile hormone mimics such as methoprene and pyriproxyfen, stomach toxicants such as sulfuramide. Benzoylureas such as lufenuron are particularly suitable. Effective amounts of these materials for use in termite baiting stations to control termites are known to those skilled in the art. For example, the amount of toxicant needed to control termites will vary, depending on the particular toxicant used, but in general an amount between about 1 and about 5,000 parts per million (ppm) of toxicant to bait will be utilized in at least one of the cellulose containing materials; particularly an amount between about 10 and about 2000 ppm may be used, and more particularly between about 50 and about 1500 ppm. In one embodiment, a concentration of about 1500 ppm of lufenuron is employed as toxicant.
In addition, any known termite killing or controlling agent or termiticide can also be used in the practice of the invention in combination with the bait stations of the invention. These include, as noted above, chitin synthesis inhibitors such as hexaflumuron, flufenoxuron, lufenuron and dimilin, juvenile hormone mimics such as methoprene and pyriproxyfen, stomach toxicants such as sulfuramide, as well as abamectin, cryolite, boric acid and alkali and alkaline earth salts of boric acid, and contact insecticides such as thiamethoxam, imidacloprid and fipronil, or mixtures or combinations of these agents.
In yet another embodiment, a plurality of stations 10 are installed around or in the vicinity of a building or wooden structure to reduce the likelihood of termite infestations occurring therein. The present invention also contemplates such a system or array of stations as well as the method for using such system or array alone or in combination with conventional perimeter termiticide spray applications to control termites in the vicinity of a building or wooden structure to be protected.
Examples of termite species which can be controlled by use of the disclosed method include Coptotermes formosanus, Reticulitermes flavipes, R. hesperus, R. virginicus, R. tibialis, and Heterotermes aureus, as well as termite species of the families (and pest genera) Mastotermitidae (Mastotermes species), Hodotermididae (Anacanthotermes, Zootermopsis species), Rhinotermitidae (Coptotermes, Heterotermes, Reticulitermes, Psammotermes, Prorhinotermes, Schedorhinotermes species), Kalotermitidae (Glyptotermes, Neotermes, Cryptotermes, Incisitermes, Kalotermes, Marginitermes species), Serritermitidae, and Termitidae (Pericapritermes, Allodonternes, Microternes, Odontoternes, Nasutiternes, Termes, Amiternes, Globitermes, Microceroternes species), Termopsidae (Hodotermopsis, Zootermopsis species), and other pest species of termites. The stations, systems and methods of the invention have been found to be particularly suitable for controlling subterranean termites.
The following examples describe specific embodiments within the scope of the invention. Other embodiments within the scope of the claims herein will be apparent to one skilled in the art from consideration of the specification or practice of the invention as disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification, together with the examples, be considered exemplary only, with the scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the claims which follow the examples. In the examples all percentages are given on a weight basis unless otherwise indicated.
Field tests of the station configurations in accordance with the invention were compared with standard configurations as follows:
There were 10 replications per treatment for a total of 40 reps. The stations were installed in 10 plots (sites). Each plot received a representation of each of the four treatments. The stations were inspected at the following intervals after installation: 1 and 1.5 months. During inspection, the stations were evaluated for the number of termites present and the damage to the bait insert (either interior wood or a bait cartridge in accordance with the invention). A station was assigned one of the following ratings (ratings 4 and 5 make reference to bait cartridge only since no stations with interior wood only received such rating):
The above data indicates that the embodiments A and B in accordance with the present invention (having termite edible material comprising at least two different forms of a cellulose containing material) showed improved termite hit rates over the comparative examples in which bait insert comprised interior wood.
The foregoing description and example are for the purpose of illustration only and does not limit the scope of protection which should be accorded this invention.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2007/063640 | 3/9/2007 | WO | 00 | 2/11/2009 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60782122 | Mar 2006 | US |
