Methods and apparatus for management of mosquito populations with habitat sharing heterospecific insects carrying insect growth regulators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11375708-B2
Application number	US-201815997212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2018
Priority date	Dec 4, 2015
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

Compositions and heterodissemination methods for controlling unwanted target insect populations are disclosed. In preferred embodiments, the target insects are mosquitos or house flies and the heterospecific insects are non-biting midges and soldier flies respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for eradicating a target insect infestation, said target insect infestation being harmful to humans or livestock, comprising;
a) providing a container comprising a heterospecific, non-harmful insect population having the same habitat as said target insect;
b) coating the non-harmful insect population of step a) with a first larvicidal formulation comprising an oil formulation, followed by application of a second larvicidal formulation comprising a powder formulation, such that the bodies of said non-harmful insect population are coated with both of said oil and powder formulations; and
c) placing said container in the vicinity of one or more target insect larval habitats or releasing said coated non harmful insect population under conditions whereby said heterospecific non-harmful insects migrate to, and contaminate said one or more target insect larval habitats with said first and second larvicidal formulations; said contamination killing target insect larvae in said one or more target insect habitats, thereby controlling said target insect infestation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said target insect infestation is a mosquito infestation, the one or more target insect larval habitats are mosquito habitats and
said heterospecific non-harmful insect population comprises non-biting midges, wherein said container is placed in the vicinity of said one or more mosquito larval habitats under conditions whereby said heterospecific non-biting midges migrate to, and contaminate said one or more mosquito larval habitats with said first and second larvicidal formulations; said contamination killing mosquito larvae in said one or more mosquito larval habitats, thereby controlling said mosquito infestation wherein said oil formulation comprises between 10 and 40% pyriproxyfen, between 50 and 85% methylated seed oil as carrier and between about 5 and 20% polysorbate 20 as emulsifier and said powder formulation comprises between 40 to 80% pyriproxyfen, between 15 and 45% fumed silica as carrier and between 5 and 20% Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate as emulsifier.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the powder formulation has a particle size milled to between 0.1 to 10 micron with ball mill machine.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first larvicidal formulation further contains an IGR selected from a synthetic insect juvenile hormone, a chitin synthesis inhibitor, anti-juvenile hormone and molting disruptors.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said container is a plastic, mesh, fabric, or cardboard container.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said heterospecific non-harmful insects are treated with said oil formulation in a treatment chamber comprising a spray hole and an air permeable cage contained within said chamber.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 for controlling a house fly infestation, wherein said heterospecific, non-harmful insect population comprises soldier flies and said container comprising said heterospecific, non-harmful soldier flies is placed in the vicinity of said one or more house fly larval habitats under conditions whereby said soldier flies migrate to, and contaminate said one or more house fly larval habitats with said first and second larvacidal formulations; said contamination killing house fly larvae in said one or more house fly larval habitats, thereby controlling said house fly infestation.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said soldier flies are further treated with an IGR in a treatment chamber comprising a spray hole and an air permeable cage contained within said chamber.

9. The method of claim 1 , said first larvicidal formulation, said second larvicidal formulation, or both formulations further comprises a larvicide selected from diflubenzuron and spinosad.

10. The method of claim 1 , said first larvicidal formulation, said second larvicidal formulation, or both formulations further comprises a larvicide obtained from Bacillus thuringiensis.

11. A larvicidal formulation for coating heterospecific insects comprising an oil formulation for use in the method of claim 1 containing 20% pyriproxyfen, 72% methylated seed oil as carrier and 8% polysorbate 20 as emulsifier.

12. A larvicidal powder formulation for coating heterospecific insects for use in the larvicidal powder application of claim 1 containing 60% pyriproxyfen, 28% fumed silica as carrier and 12% Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate as emulsifier, wherein said larval powder formulation has a particle size milled to between 0.1 to 10 micron with a ball mill machine.

13. A population of heterospecific insects coated with an oil formulation containing 20% pyriproxyfen, 72% methylated seed oil as carrier and 8% polysorbate 20 as emulsifier and a powder formulation containing 60% pyriproxyfen, 28% fumed silica as carrier and 12% Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate as emulsifier.

14. An apparatus for application of IGR to heterospecific insects consisting of a treatment chamber with a spray hole for application of IGR to heterospecific insects of interest, an air permeable cage, and a population of heterospecific insects, said chamber having the air permeable cage contained within said chamber, said cage housing the population of heterospecific insects to be treated with said IGR.

15. A method for eradicating a target insect infestation, said target insect infestation being harmful to humans or livestock, comprising;
a) providing a container comprising a heterospecific, non-harmful insect population having the same habitat as said target insect;
b) coating the non-harmful insect population of step a) with a first larvicidal formulation comprising an oil formulation, followed by application of a second larvicidal formulation comprising a powder formulation, such that the bodies of said non-harmful insect population are coated with both of said oil and powder formulations; and
c) placing said container in the vicinity of one or more target insect larval habitats or releasing said coated non harmful insect population under conditions whereby said heterospecific non-harmful insects migrate to, and contaminate said one or more target insect larval habitats with said first and second larvicidal formulations; said contamination killing target insect larvae in said one or more target insect habitats, thereby controlling said target insect infestation, wherein after coating with said oil and powder formulations, said heterospecific insects carry up to 0.036 mg of active ingredient.

Assignees

• Univ Rutgers

Inventors

• Gaugler Randy R
• Suman Devi S
• Tao Bo
• Wang Yi

Classifications

• A01N25/12

  Powders or granules (A01N25/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01N63/14

  Insects · CPC title

• A01N25/00

  Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators, characterised by their forms, or by their non-active ingredients or by their methods of application {, e.g. seed treatment or sequential application}; Substances for reducing the noxious effect of the active ingredients to organisms other than pests · CPC title

• A01N63/23

  B. thuringiensis · CPC title

• A01N25/34

  Shaped forms, e.g. sheets, not provided for in any other sub-group of this main group · CPC title