Mummified Mealy Bug Product and Method
AssigneeBio-Bee Sde Eliyahu Ltd.
InventorsShimon Steinberg, Eyal Erel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A Biological Control Agent (BCA) system comprising processed parasitized mealybug mummies is disclosed. The processed and modified parasitized mealybug mummies are essentially devoid of their limbs and waxy covering. In the novel BCA system the modified parasitized mealybug mummies are processed in a manner that strips off their waxy covering and detaches their limbs without impacting on their viability as a host for parasitoid pupae. The modified parasitized mealybug mummies of the BCA system are encased in specially adapted packaging for delivering and distributing the modified parasitized mealybug mummies to plants with mealybug infestations. A method of preparing and storing the modified parasitized mealybug mummies as a BCA is also presented.
Claims22
1-33. (canceled)
A Biological Control Agent (BCA) system comprising processed parasitized mealybug mummies;
- wherein said processed parasitized mealybug mummies are essentially devoid of their limbs and waxy covering.
A method of controlling mealybug infestations on a plant, wherein the method comprises the steps of;
- a. infesting a host plant with 1st instar stage of the mealybug;
- b. detaching mealybug nymphs and young females from said host plant;
- c. parasitizing said detached mealybug nymphs and young females;
- d. incubating the parasitized mealybugs to produce mummified parasitized mealybug mixture;
- e. rinsing the mummified parasitized mealybug mixture;
- f. separating out the viable mummified parasitized mealybugs, from said mixture;
- g. drying the viable mummified parasitized mealybugs;
- h. packaging said viable mummified parasitized mealybugs so as to obtain a processed parasitized mealybug mummy product devoid of limbs and waxy covering;
- and,
- i. administering said parasitized mealybug mummy product to a crop at risk of infestation by mealybugs or to an infested crop, thereby controlling mealybug infestations on said plant.
A method of producing a mealybug BCA comprises the steps of:
- a. infesting a host plant with 1st instar stage of the mealybug;
- b. detaching mealybug nymphs and young females from said host plant;
- c. parasitizing said detached mealybug nymphs and young females;
- d. incubating the parasitized mealybugs to produce mummified parasitized mealybug mixture;
- e. rinsing the mummified parasitized mealybug mixture;
- f. separating out the viable mummified parasitized mealybugs, from said mixture;
- g. drying the viable mummified parasitized mealybugs;
- h. packaging said viable mummified parasitized mealybugs, said packaged mummified parasitized mealybug is devoid of limbs and waxy covering. and,
- i. storing and/or distributing said packaged mummified parasitized mealybugs as a mealybug BCA.
A mummified parasitized mealybug product, in which each mealybug is essentially devoid of limbs and waxy covering enclosed in a packaged form in a container with detachable double-sided adhesive labeling for attaching to a plant or object wherein said mummified parasitized mealybug product is an effective mealybug BCA.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.