Patent Grant
7707767
1. Field
This disclosure relates to the field of insect control technology, and more specifically, to methods and apparatus for controlling termite activity, movement and population using radio waves (e.g., electromagnetic fields) and/or mechanical vibrations within a certain frequency range. The methods and apparatus may be used to protect a structure from termite infestation.
2. Background of the Technology
Untreated termite infestations lead to irreversible structural damage in buildings throughout the world. As a result, a myriad of treatments to control or destroy termite populations have been developed. Because of the potential negative environmental impact of insecticides, environmentally friendly alternatives have been the primary focus of the latest research.
A significant amount of prior art focuses on the use of electromagnetic fields to control (repel and/or negatively affect) termites. U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,836, issued to Liu discloses a method for removing insects from “hidden places” by inducing an electromagnetic field to create physical vibrations. U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,946 issued to Mah discloses a method for creating an electromagnetic field to which pests react adversely. U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,876 issued to Pederson discloses a method for controlling termites by heating the area where termites are located to temperatures which are lethal to living organisms by means of electromagnetic energy. U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,779 issued to Bergerioux et al. discloses a method in which a low frequency, randomly varying magnetic field is generated by a device such that it interacts with the earth's geomagnetic field to eliminate (repel) rodents and similar pests located above and below ground level in the area surrounding the device.
The use of electrical energy has also been employed in efforts to eliminate (repel and/or negatively affect) termites. U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,719 issued to Lawrence discloses an apparatus and method which uses a sweep-frequency, high voltage generator coupled to an applicator gun for feeding electric power into pest-infested dielectrics, for example termite-infested wood. U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,644 issued to Lawrence discloses a method that involves the application of broadband radio frequency or multi-frequency high-voltage electrical energy to termite shelter tubes, galleries and nests and to the bodies of termites in those areas. The '644 patent describes methods to kill termites directly by electroshock or indirectly by creating interference with the digestive processes of termites. U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,623 issued to Lawrence discloses an apparatus and method, which uses a phase-locked high voltage, high frequency pulse generator capable of “quasi-unlimited” power output and an applicator gun for feeding electric power into pest-infested dielectrics, for example termite infested wood. U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,468 issued to Lawrence discloses a method that involves killing termites by the application of broadband, high voltage electrical energy to habitats of termites.
The application of microwave energy has also been employed in the attempt to control (repel and/or negatively affect) termites. U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,106 issued to Martin et al. discloses a method of using low voltage “microwave horns” to kill termite populations. U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,696 issued to Stokes et al. discloses an apparatus and method for generating and radiating energy at specific wavelengths for the purpose of adversely affecting the nervous systems of “small insects.”
While these environmentally friendly methods of controlling termites have avoided the use of conventional pesticides, they have failed to adequately protect termite-susceptible structures from infestation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,001 to Amburgey et al. describes a method to attract termites to a selected area using radio waves and thereby provide protection from termites for other adjacent areas. The frequency of the radio waves ranged from about 1-100 megahertz with intensities 1-100 K watts. While this method has proven to be successful, it requires equipment capable of generating radio waves at high frequencies.
Each of the methods and system discussed above suffer from one or more drawbacks that make their use less than optimal under all circumstances. Accordingly, there exists a need for alternative methods and apparatuses for directing the movement of termites.
In one aspect, a method for controlling termite movement or population comprises (1) positioning an electromagnetic field source at a frequency of less than 4000 Hz with an intensity of 1 milliwatt to 1 kilowatt as a termite attractant in the proximity of a target location that is inhabitable by termites and (2) producing electromagnetic fields to attract termites towards the frequency field source and away from the undesired location. The method is also applicable to other social insects such as ants, bees and wasps.
In a preferred embodiment, the termite attractant comprises a termite-degradable material such as wood. In another preferred embodiment, the termite attractant comprises a toxic bait, a light trap, or a termite trap that is capable of eliminating the attracted termites.
Another aspect relates to a system for controlling termite activity or population, comprising an electromagnetic field source at a frequency of less than 4000 Hz with an intensity of 1 milliwatt to 1 kilowatt; and a termite attractant comprising a termite degradable material. The system can also be used to control activity of other social insects such as ants, bees and wasps. In a preferred embodiment, the electromagnetic field source comprises a voltage portion and an antenna portion, wherein said antenna portion is mountable on or adjacent to the termite attractant.
Another aspect of the invention employs mechanical vibrations within a predefined frequency range to direct the movement of termites. In some embodiments, the frequency of the mechanical vibrations is chosen to repel termites. In other embodiments, the frequency of the mechanical vibrations is chosen to attract termites. In either of the aforementioned embodiments, the frequency of the mechanical vibrations may be constant or may vary over time within the predefined range. The values of the frequencies in the predefined ranges are dependent on the species of termite. The mechanical vibrations may be produced by any number of methods and devices. In some embodiments, the vibrations are produced by an electric motor having an eccentric cam mounted on the shaft of the motor such that the eccentric cam bears on an object in contact with the ground.
In embodiments of the invention in which the frequency of the mechanical vibrations is chosen to attract termites, the source of the mechanical vibrations is spaced apart from a target site (e.g., a house) to be protected such that termites are drawn away from the target site and toward the source of the mechanical vibrations. In such embodiments, a termite attractant (e.g., food) may be placed near or in contact with the source of the mechanical vibrations. The attractant may be combined with a toxic material in such embodiments so that termites that eat the attractant are killed. In other embodiments, the attractant may be combined with a substance that is a growth inhibitor of the termites that eat it and/or come into contact with it. Multiple mechanical vibration sources may be used in such embodiments when the target site is large.
In embodiments in which the frequency of the mechanical vibrations is chosen to repel termites, the source of the mechanical vibrations is placed in close physical proximity to the target site to be protected. Multiple mechanical vibration sources may be used in such embodiments when the target site is large.
The following detailed description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. For purposes of explanation, specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not required to practice the invention. Descriptions of specific applications are provided only as representative examples. Various modifications to the preferred embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the scope of the invention. The present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest possible scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
The present invention is based on the surprising discovery that termites are attracted by electromagnetic fields in a frequency of less than 4000 Hz. One aspect of the present invention, as described below and shown in the accompanying figures, relates to a method for controlling termites by attracting termites either into a termite control device or to an area away from an infested structure to an area using radio waves (e.g., electromagnetic fields) in the frequency range of 1-3999 Hz.
Electromagnetic fields in the frequency range of 1-4000 Hz can be generated by an oscillator and antenna and is well known to one skilled in the art [Constantine Balanis, “Antenna Theory, Analysis and Design, 3rd. Ed.”, John Wiley and Sons, (2005); Warren Stutzmann, et at., “Antenna Theory and Design, 2nd. Ed.”, John Wiley and Sons, (1998)]. Depending on the size of a protected area, the power output of the electromagnetic field source can vary from about 1 milliwatt to about 1 kilowatt. As shown in
The electromagnetic field transmitting system 10 can have varied configurations where the transmitting device 12 can be positioned adjacent to or circumferentially disposed around a natural or man-made termite-degradable structure 18 for which protection from termite damage is desired (
Within the effective range of the transmission area 14, natural or man-made termite-degradable materials can be positioned so as to provide a food source 20 for termites that is localized within the transmission area 14. Inclusion of the food source 20, in addition to increasing the effectiveness of the termite-attraction of the transmitting device 12, also provides foci for termite infestation in the transmission area 14. By focusing the relocation of the termites to the food source 20, subsequent containment, collection, or elimination of the termites by conventional means can be facilitated. One skilled in the art would understand that the size of the transmission area 14 is determined by the design and output power of the electromagnetic field 12. The electromagnetic field 12 or antenna portions of the radio wave transmitters 12, as well as the food source 20, should be placed in sufficient proximity of the termite degradable structure so as the food source/attractant directs the termites away from the termite degradable structure.
The termite food source 20 can be anything that attracts termites, including but not limited to, bait stations, termite traps, and light traps. A bait station is typically comprised of a non-biodegradable holder (e.g., plastic) that is placed in the substrate (soil) and holds a cellulose material (termite food/wood or pure cellulose monitoring stake). The bait stations are then placed near a structure (e.g., a house) in areas that are susceptible to termite attack. If termites inhabit the bait station the cellulose material can be removed and a cellulose/toxicant mixture (bait matrix) can be added to the bait station to eliminate the termite colony. Bait stations are commercially available from, for example, Dow Agro-Sciences, Whitmire-Microgen, Bayer. A termite trap is simply a container, such as a bucket with small openings or a milk crate, filled with wood and placed in the substrate near a termite infested site. A termite trap is similar to a bait station but is larger in size and is used to collect termites for laboratory trials. [see e.g., Tamashiro, et al., Environmental Entomology 2:721-722 (1973)]. Light traps are generally constructed using a light, a sticky pad (e.g., rodent pad with a strong adhesive for trapping small rodents) and a structure to mount the two close together to attract Formosan subterranean termite altaes (winged termites). More information on the light trap can be found at (http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct98/term1098.htm).
In one embodiment, the food source 20 comprises natural or man-made termite-degradable materials that attract termites away from the structure 18 but do not kill the attracted termites. In another embodiment, the food source 20 comprises materials (such as toxic baits) and/or devices (such as termite traps) that are capable of killing the attracted termites.
The method is applicable to all termite species including, but not limited to, subterranean termites such as Coptotermes spp., Reticulitermes spp., and Drywood termites (Cryptotermes, Kalotermes, etc.). species. The method is also applicable to other social insects such as ants, bees and wasps. Unlike conventional remedial termite control methods, the present invention provides a method to control subterranean, surface, and dispersal flight movement of termites before or after infestation of an area in need of protection. The inclusion of attraction augmentation in the electromagnetic field transmitting system 10 of the present invention further permits the localization by directing movement of the termites within the transmission area.
The present invention can be used to attract termites to the transmission area 14 for containment, collection, study, or elimination. By properly positioning the transmitting system 10 relative to a natural or man-made structure 18 for which termite protection is desired, the termites can be attracted away from the material or structure 18 that is to be protected and drawn towards the transmitting system 10. Non-limiting examples of transmitting system configurations which can be used to provide protection for a material or object, such as a house, fence, utility pole, or any material subject to termite infestation are shown in
One skilled in the art will recognize that the electromagnetic fields transmitting system 10 can also be used within a termite degradable structure 18, such as a house. In one embodiment, the electromagnetic field transmitting system 10 comprises one or more small electromagnetic field wave transmitters 12 and one or more food source 20 that are capable of killing the attracted termites. The electromagnetic field wave transmitters 12 and the food source 20 are placed near or around a termite infested area within the termite degradable structure 18. The food source 20, with the augmentation from the electromagnetic fields emitted from the electromagnetic field transmitters 12, attract termites away from the infested area and eliminate the attracted termites. The method is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,001 to Amburgey et al., which is herein incorporated by reference. In one embodiment, the electromagnetic field transmitters 12 are coil shaped antennas capable of generating ELF, SLF, ULF and VLF electromagnetic fields.
The present invention is further illustrated by the following examples which should not be construed as limiting. The contents of all references, patents and published patent applications cited throughout this application, as well as the Figures and Tables, are incorporated herein by reference.
Termite Collection
Formosan subterranean Termites (Coptotermes formosanus, FST) and Eastern subterranean Termites (Reticulitermes flavipes, EST) were collected from and around the Mississippi State University (MSU) Formosan Termite Research Facility and the Stennis Space Center using methods described by Tamashiro et al. [Tamashiro, et al., Environmental Entomology 2:721-722, (1973)] and Kard et al. [Kard et al., Sociobiology 41:2:295-511, (2003)]. If stored, termites were held at the facility using methods described in the referenced articles.
Test Chamber
Two clear PLEXIGLAS™ sheets 105 cm×105 cm sandwiched a sand media similar to Puche and Su, 2001 [J. Econ Entomol. 94:1398-1404, (2001)]. The PLEXIGLAS™ was separated on four sides by acrylic spacers 2.54 cm×2.54 cm×105 cm. A piece of weathered southern yellow pine sapwood (SYP, Pinus spp.) 1.27 cm×1.27 cm×20 cm was used as a control 30 cm from the center termite release point and a source producing electromagnetic fields (very low frequencies, VLF) was attached to a SYP specimen similar to the control and was installed on the opposing side of the termite release point at the same distance. Both pieces of wood were aged by being cribbed-stacked outside for 6 months prior to the use in tests. The PLEXIGLAS™, inside of the spacers, was filled with 1866 g (1200 ml) of pool-sand that was sifted and moistened with a spray of 400 ml of de-ionized water.
Test Method
One thousand termites of either species (FST and EST) were used in each center release test chamber (one termite species per test unit). Each species was used in ratios as they are found in nature. A 20% soldier to worker ratio for FST and a 1% soldier to worker ratio for EST were used. Termites were counted at the end of 14 days to determine which food choice was desired.
In this example, electromagnetic fields of the appropriate frequency were generated using a function generator producing an Ac current. The coil was a SYP stake with 18 gauge wire coiled around it in 100 loops. The desired intensity in the first test was 0.720 mA with various test frequencies and doubled for the second set of replicates. Multiple frequencies were tested at one time (one per PLEXIGLAS™ test unit), and replicated in time. These frequencies are listed in Tables 1 and 2.
Testing Results
Recorded results from directing movement of C. formosanus using radio waves (e.g., electromagnetic fields) at VLF (3-30 kHz) and ULF (300-3000 Hz) frequencies at Mississippi State University (MSU) Formosan Termite Research Facility in McNeill, Miss. (January-March 2005) are shown in Table 1 and Table 2. Mortality for test date Feb. 2, 20005 was high because the termites escaped before 14 days except in the chamber that held the 3000 Hz coil. Therefore, numbers for replicate test one are based on 7 day recordings. Mortality was 10% for replicate date Mar. 3, 2005 and 5% for replicate date Mar. 16, 2005. Ultra-low frequency (ULF) 1000 Hz had a higher percentage of FST on the coil than any other tested frequency tested in the series of: ULF 2000 Hz, VLF 3000 Hz and 4000 Hz. VLF 4000 Hz never had termites on the coil at the end of the elapsed time of the 14-day test periods. ULF 2000 Hz and VLF 3000 Hz had a higher percentage of FST termites on these VLF and ULF coils than the controls.
Test results for test period Apr. 15, 2005 using SLF and ELF are impressive and are shown in Table 3. Two of the frequencies tested had complete, greater than ULF 1000 Hz, control directing the behavior of FST. SLF of 300 Hz and ELF of 30 Hz had 100% of the termites on the coil after the allotted 14-day time period. Low frequency 30 kHz showed little control over the behavior of the FST, having only one half of the FST (50%) on the coil.
Soldier to worker ratio 20%:80% was attempted with FST throughout the replicates. Cold weather throughout the months of January and February limited available termites. Weather below 40° F. caused the C. formosanus to migrate into the ground, and at this temperature termites were occasionally found in the centers of buried, fallen timber. On the mornings of February 17, March 2, and March 16, temperatures were at or below 40° F. which made termites sparse. Therefore, termites that were available were used and noted in tests. The limited amounts of termites made it difficult to obtain the desired number of soldiers, but 800 workers were constant in every experiment. Once termites were placed in the chamber, keeping the chambers sealed with one main respiration vent and a constant room temperature at 85° F. was the best situation for limiting termite mortality, keeping them comfortable throughout the test. Once poured inside the containers, the termites initially dispersed in every direction.
As shown in
Upon introduction into the ULF 1000 Hz test chamber, FST acted very similar as termites had in other test frequency ranges, but slightly more termites accumulated on the coil. After a couple of hours the termites were directed to the coil. At the end of 14-day test period in replicated studies, almost every living termite was on, under or inside the coil (88.8% of FST) as seen in FIGS. (7-8). There was an average of 137 FST on the control wood at the end of the 14-day elapsed test period in the replicated tests seen in
Upon introduction into the ULF 2000 Hz test chamber, the termites initially reacted similar to VLF 1000 Hz except termites would find the control, colonize it and then tunnel back to the middle of the box where they had been introduced. FST would then tunnel to the experimental unit (ULF source). There were more FST on, under, and in the experimental unit (86.6%) than the control after 14-day replicated studies shown in
The introduction of FST into the VLF 3000 Hz test chambers produced results unlike any of the other experiments. Once introduced, every FST foraged to the control for almost twenty-four hours. After a day had passed the termites began to forage from the control wood to the VLF coil. On the 14th day of the study, more FST were on, under and in the experimental unit (89.6%) than the control unit in replicated tests shown in
Based on these results, further tests were performed using SLF at 30 Hz and ELF at 300 Hz. The SLF 30 Hz coil had every living FST in the test chamber on the SLF coil (100% FST on the coil,
An embodiment in which mechanical vibrations are used to direct movement of termites is illustrated schematically in
In the embodiment of
In some embodiments, a toxic substance is combined with the termite attractant 200 so that termites that ingest the termite attractant 200 are killed. In other embodiments, the termite attractant is combined with a substance that renders the termites sterile, thereby preventing their reproduction.
In the embodiment of
In other embodiments of the invention, mechanical vibrations are used to repel termites rather than attract them. For example, the inventors have discovered that frequencies in the range of 4,000 Hz-6,000 Hz repel C. formosanus, while frequencies between 1 Hz and 29 Hz, and 301 Hz-6000 Hz or greater repel R. flavipes. In such embodiments, an object that is not attractive to termites (e.g., a metal rod) or that repels termites is partially submerged in the ground near or in the target site and is attached to a vibration device that is configured to produce mechanical vibrations in a range that repels termites. Preferably, the range is between 4,000 Hz and 6,000 Hz such that both R. flavipes and C. formosanus are repelled from the target site. As with the previous embodiments, the vibration frequency may be fixed over time or may vary over time within the predetermined range.
The above description is for the purpose of teaching the person of ordinary skill in the art how to practice the present invention, and it is not intended to detail all those obvious modifications and variations of which it will become apparent to the skilled worker upon reading the description. It is intended, however, that all such obvious modifications and variations be included within the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the following claims. The claims are intended to cover the claimed components and steps in any sequence which is effective to meet the objectives there intended, unless the context specifically indicates the contrary.
Further, the purpose of the Abstract of the Disclosure is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract of the Disclosure is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the present invention in any way.
This application is a Continuation-in-part (CIP) of application Ser. No. 11/235,109 Filed on Sep. 27, 2005
This invention was made with Government support under U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service Grant Number 04-JV-11111136-104. The Government may have certain rights in this invention.
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