INSECT TRAP

Abstract

On its outside, an insect trap has at least one black area or is completely black. Above a temperature that lies between 25 C. and 40 C., the black color changes into a color that is preferred by the insect pest that is to be captured. The color change takes place either by having an initially black coating be see-through and the color that is provided under the coating and is preferred by the insect pest be visible, or by the black color of the insect trap or its black area changing into a color that is preferred by the insect pest that is to be captured.

Claims

1. Insect trap that is black at least in places on an outside, wherein the outside has a color that is reversible above a certain temperature, which color corresponds at least to a large extent to the color of a host plant or a preferred residence of the insect pest that is to be captured.

2. The insect trap according to claim 1, wherein the insect trap has a black coating at least in places on an outside and wherein the black coating is permeable to light above a certain temperature.

3. The insect trap according to claim 1, wherein the outside of the insect trap or the coating of the insect trap contains thermochromic pigments.

4. The insect trap according to claim 2, wherein the insect trap has a color below the black coating, which color corresponds at least to a large extent to the color of a host plant or a preferred residence of the insect pest that is to be captured.

5. The insect trap according to claim 1, wherein the outside of the insect trap above a temperature of between 25 C. and 40 C., has a color that corresponds at least to a large extent to the color of a host plant or a preferred residence of the insect pest that is to be captured.

6. The insect trap according to claim 1, wherein the black coating is permeable to light above a temperature of between 25 C. and 40 C.

7. The insect trap according to claim 1, wherein the black coating is permeable to light above a certain temperature for a wavelength of the light that is seen by the insect that is to be captured.

8. The insect trap according to claim 1, wherein the black coating is see-through, transparent, or at least translucent above a certain temperature.

9. The insect trap according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall of the insect trap at least in places consists of a material that is black, and that above a certain temperature has a color that corresponds at least to a large extent to the color of a host plant or a preferred residence of the insect pest that is to be captured.

10. The insect trap according to claim 9, wherein the material of the wall of the insect trap contains at least one thermochromic pigment.

11. The insect trap according to claim 9, wherein the outer wall of the insect trap above a temperature of between 25 C. and 40 C., has a color that corresponds at least to a large extent to the color of a host plant or a preferred residence of the insect pest that is to be captured.

12. The insect trap according to claim 2, wherein the outside of the insect trap or the coating of the insect trap contains thermochromic pigments.

13. The insect trap according to claim 3, wherein the insect trap has a color below the black coating, which color corresponds at least to a large extent to the color of a host plant or a preferred residence of the insect pest that is to be captured.

14. The insect trap of claim 5, wherein the outside has a temperature between 29 C. and 31 C.

15. The insect trap of claim 6, wherein the black coating is permeable to light above a temperature of between 29 C. and 31 C.

16. The insect trap of claim 11, wherein the outer wall of the insect trap above a temperature of between 29 C. and 31 C.

17. The insect trap according to claim 2, wherein the outside of the insect trap above a temperature of between 25 C. and 40 C., has a color that corresponds at least to a large extent to the color of a host plant or a preferred residence of the insect pest that is to be captured.

18. The insect trap according to claim 3, wherein the outside of the insect trap above a temperature of between 25 C. and 40 C., has a color that corresponds at least to a large extent to the color of a host plant or a preferred residence of the insect pest that is to be captured.

19. The insect trap according to claim 4, wherein the outside of the insect trap above a temperature of between 25 C. and 40 C., has a color that corresponds at least to a large extent to the color of a host plant or a preferred residence of the insect pest that is to be captured.

20. The insect trap according to claim 2, wherein the black coating is permeable to light above a temperature of between 25 C. and 40 C.

Description

[0017] This object is achieved with an insect trap that has the features of Claim 1.

[0018] Preferred and advantageous configurations of the invention are the subject matter of the subclaims.

[0019] Within the framework of the invention, an embodiment of the insect traps is taken into consideration, in which at least one part of the wall that forms the outside of the insect traps consists of a material that contains thermochromic pigments. In this embodiment, the portion of the outside is black below a certain temperature and colored above the certain temperature. The color is in particular a color that is attractive to the insect pest that is to be captured.

[0020] In a second embodiment that is taken into consideration within the framework of the invention, the outside of the insect trap has at least one thermochromic coating in places, which is black below a certain temperature and permeable to light above the certain temperature, so that the outside of the insect trap, which lies below the coating and has a color that is attractive to the insect pest that is to be captured, is visible at least to the insect pest that is to be captured.

[0021] Since, in the case of the insect traps according to the invention at least in (selected) areas, the outside thereof or the entire outside of the insect traps above a certain temperature has a color that is attractive to the insect pest that is to be captured, and since the color corresponds to the color of a host plant that is preferred by the insect pest that is to be captured or to a preferred residence, a two-fold advantageous effect is produced. The insect trap that is black at least in places, i.e., below the selected (specific) temperature, is heated initially in a desirable way and is attractive to insect pests. Above the selected temperature, the insect trap has a color that is attractive to the insect pest that is to be captured. In addition, the wall of the insect trap that forms the outside is no longer excessively heated when exposed to solar radiation and therefore provides less IR radiation, since the wall now has a color other than black, and the color reflects the sunlight more strongly than the black outside (wall) of the insect trap.

[0022] The described effect of the change in color at least in areas of the outside, in particular the wall, of the insect trap can be created in various ways. In one embodiment, a thermochromic dye is contained in the material that forms the outside of the insect trap, which dyeabove the specific temperaturechanges its color reversibly from black into a color that is attractive to the insect pest that is to be captured.

[0023] In another embodiment, the outside of the insect trap has a color that acts in a way such as to attract the insect pest that is to be captured. In addition, in this embodiment, a coating is provided on the outside of the insect trap, which coating is black below the selected, specific temperature and is reversibly permeable to light above this temperature.

[0024] Here, the term a color that is attractive to the insect pest is defined in particular as a color that corresponds at least to a large extent to the color of a preferred host plant or a preferred residence of the insect pest that is to be captured, i.e., a color that the insect that is to be captured sees (well) and that is (especially) attractive to the insect that is to be captured.

[0025] Since, in the case of the insect trap according to the invention in one embodiment, the coating that is initially black and in particular opaque is permeable to light above a certain temperature, the undesirable increase in temperatureand thus the enhanced emission of infrared radiationdoes not occur.

[0026] Within the framework of the invention, it is provided, for example, that the area of the insect trap that is black below the specific temperature or the coating of the insect trap that is black in places at a temperature of between 25 C. and 40 C., in particular at a temperature of between 29 C. and 31 C., is permeable (see-through, transparent or translucent) to light, in particular to light that is seen by the insects that are to be captured, and strikes a color of the insect trap or is visible, which attracts/lures the insect. This is achieved, for example, in such a way that below the coating that is black and permeable to light above a certain temperature, the insect trap has a color that is attractive to the insect. With bark beetles (spruce bark beetles), this is, for example, the color (light-) brown.

[0027] In the case of the insect trap according to the invention, the advantageous effect occurs that on normal days at moderate temperatures and moderate solar radiation, the black insect trap is highly attractive to insect pests based on its higher infrared radiation, so that a high capture rate is achieved. When the temperature of the surface of the insect trap increases above a certain value, for example above 31 C., in the one embodiment of the insect trap according to the invention, the black outside of the insect trap takes on the color that attracts the insect pest, or in another embodiment, the black coating is permeable to light, so that not only the high infrared radiation is reduced, but also the color of the insect trap that is present below the previously blackbut now light-permeablecoating becomes visible.

[0028] Within the framework of the invention, it is especially preferred that at least parts (areas) of the insect trap above the specific temperature have a color that is especially attractive to the insect pest that is to be captured in each case. In another embodiment, the insect trap is provided at least partially with a coating that is black and in particular opaque below a certain temperature and is permeable to light above the certain temperature. This coating can be, for example, a thermochromic lacquer.

[0029] It is preferred that the outside of the insect trap or its coating be black again and in particular opaque below a certain temperature. The property of the insect trap to change its color from black into a color that attracts the insect pest and the property of the coating to be permeable to light are thus reversible. The specific temperature above which the outside of the insect trap is no longer black but rather colored, or the coating that is applied there is no longer black but rather is permeable to light, is selected based on the insect pest that is to be captured. This temperature is selected based on the insect pest that is to be lured and captured and is usually between 25 C. and 40 C., in particular between 29 C. and 31 C. In the example of the large spruce bark beetle, the temperature is between 29 C. and 31 C.

[0030] The temperature above which the outside of the insect trap changes its color or the black coating is permeable to light, on the one hand, and the color of the insect trap or the color below the black coating, on the other hand, can be selected in such a way that for a certain kind/type of insect (pest) that is to be captured, the insect trap remains attractive not only at low temperatures, but also at higher temperatures.

[0031] Examples of this are:

[0032] 1. Bark Beetles (Spruce Bark Beetles): [0033] The black coating is permeable to light above a temperature of the wall of the insect trap of 31 C., so that the light brown color of the insect trap that is provided below the black coating can be seen.

[0034] 2. Bark Beetles (Spruce Bark Beetles): [0035] The black color of the material of the insect traps changes at least in places above a temperature of 31 C. to light brown.

[0036] Below, examples of colors that are especially attractive to insects are cited:

[0037] Bark beetle: Light brown to brown

[0038] Grass leaf roller: Blue-green

[0039] Swift moth: Yellow-orange

[0040] Geometer moth: Blue-green

[0041] House moth: Green

[0042] It has been shown that insect traps that have one such color at least in places when they have (at least in places) a temperature that is above the specific temperature are especially advantageous and are especially effective in capturing the desired insect.

[0043] In summary, an embodiment of the invention can be described as follows:

[0044] On its outside, an insect trap has at least one black area or is completely black. Above a temperature that is between 25 C. and 40 C., the black color changes into a color that is preferred by the insect pest that is to be captured. The color change takes place either by having an initially black coating be see-through and the color that is provided below the coating and is preferred by the insect pest be visible, or by the black color of the insect trap or its black area changing into a color that is preferred by the insect pest that is to be captured.