Air assisted insect dispensing apparatus and delivery process

An apparatus for the coating and delivery of beneficial insects which comprises:

• a. a hopper for the temporary storage of the beneficial insects and which hopper has a constricted opening at the bottom in communication with,
• b. an insect metering device for controlling the flow of a determinable amount of insects from said hopper,
• c. a collection bin to receive said insects, in communication with said metering device,
• d. a delivery tube having an inlet end and a flared outlet end, and
• e. a tubular chamber having an outlet end and an inlet end for the introduction of air into said chamber, and having at least one fluid injector, disposed within said chamber, for the introduction of a binder solution;
• into an airstream, aft the outlet of said delivery tube but within said chamber,
• said collection bin in communication with the inlet of the delivery tube;
• the outlet of the delivery tube being disposed within the chamber and in communication with the interior of said chamber,
• whereby when air is introduced through the inlet end of the chamber, an airstream is formed that moves through said chamber, and as insects are metered into said delivery tube they are gravity fed to the chamber to be coated by binder solution entering the chamber through said at least one fluid injector, and then the coated insects are expelled through the outlet end of said chamber.

An apparatus for the aerial delivery of binder coated beneficial insects which comprises:

• a. a hopper for the temporary storage of the insects and which hopper has a constricted opening at the bottom in communication with,
• b. an insect metering device for periodically dispensing a finite amount of insects from said hopper,
• c. a collection bin to receive said insects, in communication with said metering device,
• d. a J-shaped delivery tube having an inlet end and a flared outlet end,
• e. an optical sensor encircling said delivery tube, connected to a power source, and adapted to monitor the flow though said delivery tube,
• f. a tubular chamber having an outlet end and a reverse venturi configured inlet end for the introduction of air into said chamber, and having at least a pair of fluid injectors, oppositely disposed within said chamber, for the introduction of a binder solution, into an airstream aft the outlet of said delivery tube but within said chamber,
• said collection bin in communication with the inlet of the delivery tube;
• the outlet of the delivery tube being disposed within the chamber and in communication with the interior of said chamber,
• whereby when air is introduced through the inlet end of the chamber, an airstream is formed that moves through said chamber, and as insects are metered into said delivery tube they are fed to the chamber to be coated by binder solution entering the chamber through at least one of said pair of fluid injectors, and then the coated insects are expelled through the outlet end of said chamber.

The process of controlling insect pests on an infested specific crop which comprises:

• a. introducing a plurality of beneficial insects into a moving airstream within a chamber having an air inlet and an air outlet, parallel to the movement of the airstream,
• b. injecting a binder solution into the airstream,
• c. coating the moving beneficial insects with the binder solution, aft the entry thereof, but within said chamber,
• d. expelling the coated insects from the airstream through the outlet of the chamber onto the specific crop.

The process of delivering beneficial insects to the foliage of infested target trees which comprises:

• a. mounting at least one tubular chamber, each of which has an air inlet end and an air outlet end onto an airplane, with the air inlet of each chamber facing forward,
• b. placing a finite amount of the beneficial insects into a hopper in communication with the chamber,
• c. metering a determinable continuous supply of beneficial insects into the chamber from the hopper in a direction parallel to a flow of air through the chamber while flying over the target trees,
• d. injecting a binder solution into the chamber during the time the beneficial insects are in the chamber,
• e. coating the beneficial insects with the binder solution, within the chamber, aft the entry of the insects,
• f. expelling the coated insects out the outlet of the chamber onto the target trees.