# US 2014/0360091 A1 · Pest control devices, methods, and apparatus

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- Number: US 2014/0360091 A1
- Document ID: US20140360091A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/334,174
- Filed: 2014-07-17
- Published: 2014-12-11
- Earliest claimed: 2011-02-18
- Inventors: Brett E. Bunker; Chandra L. Maleckas-Bunker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360091A1

## CPC

- A01M 1/02: with devices {or substances, e.g. food, pheronones} attracting the insects
- A01M 1/10: {Catching insects by using} Traps {(using suction effect A01M1/06)}
- A01M 1/106: {for flying insects}
- A01M 1/14: Catching by adhesive surfaces
- A01M 1/20: Poisoning, narcotising, or burning insects {(fumigation apparatus A01M13/00)}
- A01M 1/2027: {without heating}
- A01M 23/00: Traps for animals
- A01M 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F42B 12/50: by dispersion
- 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
- F42B: EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION (explosive compositions C06B; fuzes F42C; blasting F42D)

## Abstract

Described are devices and methods for pest control, including devices useful to place pest control devices at locations of use such as at a crop (e.g., at a branch of a tree), certain embodiments of devices including a capsule and a tether that can become tangled or caught in a tree or other crop location.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-6. (canceled)

### Claim 7

A pest control device comprising:
a capsule comprising opposing capsule segments,
a tether comprising two ends, each end connected to an opposing capsule segment,
the capsule segments being capable of being engaged in a deployable state,
the capsule segments capable of being separated to an attachment state wherein the capsule segments are attached by the tether,
the pest control device comprising a pest trap, a pest control active agent, or both.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A device according to claim 7 wherein the pest control device comprises a pest control active agent.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

A device according to claim 7 wherein the pest control device comprises a pest trap and pest attractant.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

A device according to claim 7 wherein the capsule comprise a cylindrical base capsule segment and a rounded cap capsule segment, the cylindrical base capsule segment comprising a cylinder and a bottom.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A device according to claim 10 wherein the bottom comprises an aperture.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

A device according to claim 7 wherein the capsule comprises a male slide engagement and a female slide engagement.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

Two devices according to claim 12, each device comprising a male slide engagement and a female slide engagement, the two devices being connectable and separable at the slide engagements by relative movement in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of a capsule.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

A device according to claim 7 comprising a trap, the trap comprising adhesive, attractant, or adhesive and attractant.

### Claim 15 (depends on 7)

A device according to claim 7 comprising pesticide.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

A method of placing a pest control device, the method comprising:
providing a pest control device according to claim 7,
with the pest control device in a deployable state, propelling the device toward a plant,
wherein the device takes on an attachment state and attaches to the plant.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A method according to claim 16, comprising
providing a launcher comprising a barrel and a source of pressurized gas,
placing the pest control device at one end of the barrel,
injecting pressurized gas into the barrel to propel the pest control device through the barrel and out an open end of the barrel.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A method according to claim 17 wherein the pest control device is a capsule comprising a slide engagement for attachment to another capsule.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A method according to claim 18 comprising launching a series of capsules attached together by slide engagements, the capsules being fed sequentially into the barrel and launched through the barrel, a capsule becoming disengaged from an adjacent capsule by sliding movement upon launching.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

A method of claim 19 wherein the capsule comprises a base capsule segment and a cap capsule segment, the base capsule segment comprises a bottom having an aperture, wherein the method comprises injecting gas into the barrel to propel the capsule along the length of the barrel and out the open end, and the pressurized gas also enters the capsule through the aperture to create a positive pressure within the capsule to separate the base capsule segment from the cap capsule segment.

### Claim at position 16

21-23. (canceled)