SYSTEM FOR ATTRACTING FLYING INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS

Abstract

The invention relates to a system or device for attracting and optionally killing flying insects end arachnids. The system or device according to the invention comprises microorganisms which release CO.sub.2, nutrients specific for these microorganisms, and biodegradable biopolymers, wherein said system is designed in such a way that these biodegradable biopolymers include or comprise the further constituents mentioned above. The system or the device maybe designed in such a way that the system or device releases CO.sub.2 over a time period of more than 20 days in order to attract the flying insects and arachnids. The invention further relates to the use of a such a system or such a device for attracting flying insects and arachnids. Finally, the invention also relates to methods for attracting and optionally killing such flying insects and arachnids, wherein the systems or devices according to the invention are placed appropriately, in order to attract said insects and arachnids by means of a CO.sub.2 gradient.

Claims

1. A system or device for attracting and optionally killing flying insects (Pterygota) and arachnids (Arachnida), comprising CO2-releasing microorganisms, nutrients specific for said microorganisms, and a biodegradable biopolymer, wherein said biodegradable biopolymer embeds or envelops said CO2-releasing microorganisms and nutrients specific for the microorganisms.

2. The system or device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system or device is configured to release CO2 over a period of more than 20 days in order to attract the flying insects and arachnids.

3. The system or device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the CO2-releasing microorganisms are chosen from fungi or bacteria and yeast.

4. The system or device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said nutrients are chosen from one or more of cereal flour, corn flour, corn protein and other corn constituents, starch, cucurbitacin, potato flour, raw materials and residual materials from the agri-food industry, and cellulose.

5. The system or device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system or device is configured for attracting flying insects and including one or more of Diptera, Neoptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, and Heteroptera.

6. The system or device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system or device is configured for attracting arachnids.

7. The system or device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising one or more of an insecticide and an acaricide.

8. The system or device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system or device further comprises one or more of enzymes, fillers, desiccants, glucose, sucrose, isolates of human sweat, feathers, horse hairs, cellulose, lignin and/or swelling agents in the biodegradable biopolymer.

9. The system or device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biodegradable biopolymers is chosen from alginate, carrageenan, cellulose, hemicellulose, starch, chitin, chitosan, pectinate, guar gum, acacia gum, poly(D, L-lactic acid), gelatin, polyamino acids, lignin, and derivatives as well as mixtures thereof.

10. The system or device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system or device is configured in the form of capsules, pellets, granules, particles, strips, fibers, or coatings.

11. The system or device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising one or more of helper microorganisms and enzymes that help supply nutrients to the CO2-releasing microorganisms.

12. The system or device as claimed in claim 11, wherein one or more of the following applies said helper organisms are fungi, and said helper organisms and/or enzymes have amylase activity.

13. The use of a system or device as claimed in claim 1 for attracting flying insects and arachnids that are vectors of parasites.

14. A method for attracting and optionally killing one or more of flying insects and arachnids, comprising providing a system or device comprising CO2-releasing microorganisms, nutrients specific for the microorganisms, and a biodegradable biopolymer, wherein this biodegradable biopolymer embeds or envelops the CO2-releasing microorganisms and nutrients specific for the microorganisms; and positioning said system or device in such a way that the one or more of flying insects and arachnids are attracted.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said method further comprises trapping one or more of flying insects and arachnids.

16. The system or device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the CO2-releasing microorganisms are baker's yeast.

17. The system or device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said system or device is configured for attracting flying insects including one or more of flies, mosquitos, true bugs, and termites.

18. The system or device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said system or device is configured for attracting mites and ticks.

19. The system or device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the one or more of an insecticide and an acaricide are selected from the group consisting of chemical insecticides, chemical acaricides, plant extracts, and entomopathogenic microorganisms.

20. The system or device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said helper organisms are fungi selected from B. bassiana or M. anisopliae.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Formulation of the System According to the Invention

[0047] A predetermined quantity of S. cervisiae, either as a cultured strain or as a commercially available baker's yeast mix, is suspended, optionally with the other constituents such as starch and/or helper microorganisms such as Beauveria bassiana or M. anisapliae, or enzymes such as amylase, in 2% sodium alginate and, using a standard encapsulation device, added dropwise to a 2% CaCl.sub.2 solution and cross-linked for 20 minutes. The capsules were made with an average diameter of 2.7 mm.

Example 2

Use of the System According to the Invention for Attracting and Optionally Trapping Ticks

[0048] Ticks (Ixodes ricinus) were introduced into a simple tube or a Y-shaped tube at the position of the arrow, FIG. 1. The numbers indicate the sampling point of the CO.sub.2 measurement.

[0049] After waiting 24 hours, the sector in which the ticks congregated was determined. In this process the capsules were always placed at the end of the tube. The results of 2 experiments (trials) are given in Table 1 and in Table 2. The CO.sub.2 gradient from position 8 to 1 and from position 8 to 5 (Y-tube) is also represented.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Simple tube CO.sub.2 Control Trial No. ticks side side Junction Gradient 1 12 9 2 1 890-740 ppm 2 11 8 2 1 840-800 ppm

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Y-tube No. CO.sub.2 Control Initial Trial ticks side side Junction tube Gradient 1 19 12 2 2 3 890-740 ppm 2 19 8 2 1 8 620-510 ppm

[0050] It can be clearly discerned that the ticks move in the direction of the CO.sub.2-releasing capsules, in the direction of the ascending CO.sub.2 gradient.

[0051] A kill trial was also conducted using the beneficial fungus M. anisopliae as a kill component. For this purpose, the tick nymphs were immersed for 30 seconds in a fungal spore suspension (1%) or in water as a control, respectively. While the ticks were still vital several days after the control treatment, 50% of the ticks treated with the fungal spore suspension had died, and the rest showed only little vitality. Fungi grew out of the dead ticks plated out on selective agar.

[0052] Hence a relatively slight CO.sub.2 gradient is sufficient for attracting ticks. In addition to its capacity to convert, by virtue of its amylase, nutrients present in the capsules in the form of starch in order to provide food for the yeast, the fungus M. anisopliae is suitable as a kill component.

Example 3

[0053] Use of the system according to the invention for attracting and optionally trapping the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens)

[0054] Adult mosquitos were introduced into a simple tube similar to the one shown in FIG. 1. The CO.sub.2-releasing capsules and the control capsules, respectively, were placed at the ends. The CO.sub.2-releasing capsules were ones with baker's yeast (16.7 wt %), starch (20 wt %), amylase (0.5 U/g of capsule).

[0055] Air was fanned from the ends of the tubes toward the center. The results of a trial after one day are given in Table 3.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Control Trial No. mosquitos CO.sub.2 side side Junction 1 11 9 1 1

[0056] It was shown that even with a slight CO.sub.2 gradient, the mosquitos also move in the direction of the ascending CO.sub.2 gradient and can thus be attracted successfully.