# US 11,297,818 B2 · Bait station for deploying plural insect baits > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,297,818 B2 - Document ID: US11297818B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/836,654 - Filed: 2020-03-31 - Published: 2020-10-15 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-12 - Assignees: Sterling International Inc. - Applicants: Sterling International Inc. - Inventors: Marc Chapin; Qing-He Zhang; Rodney G. Schneidmiller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11297818B2 ## CPC - A01M 1/2011: {for crawling insects} - A01M: CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS (appliances for catching swarms or drone-catching A01K57/00; fishing A01K69/00 - {A01K99/00}; biocides, pest repellants or attractants A01N); APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS ## Abstract An insect bait station, for example an ant bait station, for deploying a toxicant includes a housing with a body portion covered by a cover. The body portion includes first and second reservoirs. Entryways having a converging outer portion and an upright tubular portion provide insect access into the housing. The upright tubular portion extends from the converging outer portion, through a bait in the second reservoir. An entry port is provided in the tubular portion above the bait. A first bait is disposed in the first reservoir and a second bait is disposed in the second reservoir. For example, the first bait may include a protein-based food and a pesticide, and the second bait may include a sugar- or lipid-based food with or without a pesticide. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An insect bait station configured for deploying a plurality of baits, wherein at least one of the plurality of baits is a toxicant-containing insect bait, the bait station comprising: a housing comprising a body portion and a cover closing an upper end of the body portion, the body portion comprising a first reservoir, a second reservoir, and at least one entryway defining a channel into the housing; wherein the at least one entryway comprises a lower recess portion and a tubular portion extending from the lower recess portion into the housing, the tubular portion further comprising an entry port from the tubular portion into the housing; a first bait disposed in the first reservoir and a second bait disposed in the second reservoir; wherein the tubular portion extends upwardly through the second bait such that the entry port is disposed directly over the second bait such that insects entering the bait station from the at least one entryway must engage the second bait to access the first bait. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The insect bait station of claim 1, wherein the tubular portion further comprises a splash guard disposed above the entry port. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The insect bait station of claim 1, wherein the second reservoir surrounds the first reservoir. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The insect bait station of claim 1, wherein the lower recess portion of the entryway defines a channel that converges towards the tubular portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The insect bait station of claim 1, wherein the entry port opens towards a center of the bait station. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The insect bait station of claim 1, wherein the lower recess portion of the at least one entryway comprises an external surface of the housing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The insect bait station of claim 1, wherein the at least one entryway comprises at least four entryways. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The insect bait station of claim 7, wherein the at least four entryways are disposed on four different sides of the body portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The insect bait station of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the cover is transparent. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The insect bait station of claim 1, wherein the first bait comprises one of a sugar-based bait, a protein-based bait, and a lipid-based bait, and the second bait comprises a different one of a sugar-based bait, a protein-based bait, and a lipid-based bait. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The insect bait station of claim 1, wherein the first bait comprises one of a paste and a gel, and the second bait comprises one of a paste and a gel. ### Claim 12 An ant bait station comprising: an enclosure comprising a first reservoir, a second reservoir, and a plurality of entryways into the enclosure, each entryway comprising an external recess formed in a lower portion of the enclosure and a tubular portion defining a flow path from the external recess into the enclosure, each tubular portion comprising an entry port opening into the enclosure and a distal splash guard; a first bait disposed in the first reservoir and a second bait disposed in the second reservoir; wherein the tubular portion of each of the plurality of entryways extends through the second bait such that the entry port is disposed directly over the second bait such that insects entering the bait station from any of the plurality of entryways must engage the second bait to access the first bait. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The ant bait station of claim 12, wherein the second reservoir surrounds the first reservoir. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The ant bait station of claim 12, wherein the external recess of each entryway defines a channel that converges towards the tubular portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The ant bait station of claim 12, wherein the entry port opens towards a center of the bait station. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The ant bait station of claim 12, wherein the external recess of each entryway comprises an external surface of the housing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The ant bait station of claim 12, wherein the plurality of entryways comprises four entryways. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The ant bait station of claim 17, wherein the four entryways are disposed on four different sides of the enclosure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The ant bait station of claim 12, wherein enclosure comprises a transparent cover. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The ant bait station of claim 12, wherein the first bait comprises one of a sugar-based bait, a protein-based bait, and a lipid-based bait, and the second bait comprises a different one of a sugar-based bait, a protein-based bait, and a lipid-based bait.