Insect bait
AssigneeVirginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
InventorsRichard D. Fell, Colleen A. Cannon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An insect bait specifically formulated for the biology, feeding behavior and food preferences of carpenter ants preferably includes the following ingredients: sucrose and/or fructose sugars; alkali or alkaline earth salts such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, and calcium chloride; urea; and amino acids and/or proteins. Ideally, the bait has a matrix material that has a gelatinous consistency, and, most preferably, the matrix material is agar. Fats and oils are not preferred by carpenter ants; therefore, the use of these materials in the insect bait should be minimized or eliminated. By combining an insecticide with the bait, the material is used to effectively control and eliminate carpenter ant infestations.
Claims11
An insect bait, comprising:
- a gelatinized matrix material;
- a sugar or combination of sugars dispersed in said matrix material;
- and
- casein hydrolysate dispersed in said matrix material, said casein hydrolysate constituting 1-20% by weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.