BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention The present invention relates to controlling insects in general and in particularly to a composition and method of using the composition for controlling bark boring beetles.

2. Description of Related Art Many invasive insects are known to cause damage to living trees as well as non-living objects such as houses and other wood structures. In particular, bark beetles such as the mountain pine beetle {Dendroctonus ponderosae), western pine beetle {Dendroctonus brevicomis), spruce beetle {Dendroctonus rufipennis), douglas-fir beetle {Dendroctonus pseudotsugae), southern pine beetle {Dendroctonus frontalis) red turpentine beetle {Dendroctonus valens) and termites have been known to destroy large numbers of healthy trees over large geographic regions. Destruction of these trees is often devastating not only for the forest and the ecological system that it supports, but also the forestry industries which rely upon these trees in those regions.

Although many types of bark beetles exist naturally in limited numbers, these beetles become particularly problematic when changing environmental conditions allow the numbers of these beetles to reach uncontrolled and unsustainable populations.

Many adult bark beetles invade healthy trees by boring/burrowing through the bark into the phloem layer. The pioneer female beetles then produce pheromones which attract other beetles and result in a mass attack on the tree. The beetle then lays its eggs in the tree which hatch as larvae. The larvae of the bark beetle spend their winter in the tree creating channels in the bark which cut off the supply of water and nutrients thereby killing the tree. Current methods of preventing a tree from being attacked and infested by bark beetles such as the mountain pine beetle have not been satisfactory. No known mechanical system is currently available which is known to prevent a bark beetle from reaching the bark of a tree thereby infesting it. Proposals have been made, to utilize chemical compositions to treat the bark of a tree so as to either kill adults or larvae within the tree or make it unappealing to approaching bark beetles. Examples of such methods are described in US Patent Nos. 7,318,930 to Steed and 4,824,665 to Roton. Such methods using synthetic chemicals are undesirable however due to the possibility of such chemicals to linger within the environment and possibly cause later damage to unintended species of both plants and animals. It has also been proposed to utilize pheromones produced by the beetles themselves to attract the beetles to a lesser number of bait trees so as to provide a more convenient location to destroy them. Such a method is disclosed in US patent No. 5,281 ,418 to Lindgren et al. The method comprises applying a chemical produced by the mountain pine beetle and from oxidization of a host tree turpentine to the tree so as to repel any beetle attack. Such methods of utilizing pheromones to attack pine beetles has not proven effective.

Applicant is also aware of the use of chemicals derived from non-host angiosperm trees to repel bark beetles as illustrated in US Patent Nos. 6,217,891 and 6,051 ,612 both to Borden et al. Additionally, chemicals derived from the resin of host trees has also been attempted to be utilized beetles as illustrated in US Patent No. 5,695,807; 5,518,757 and 5,403,863 all to Hayes et al. Furthermore, the use of green leaf volatiles to deter bark beetle attacks is also disclosed in US Patent No. 5,468,770 and 5,273,996 both to Dickens et al. None of the above proposed methods of preventing attack by pine beetles has proved to be effective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a method of protecting a target plant from insects comprising administering to the plant a composition having an effective amount of a bitter extract of a bitter plant.

The bitter plant may be selected from the group consisting of Lewisia rediviva, Gengiana lutea, theriac venezianand and Commiphora molmol. The bitter extract may be extracted from the root of the bitter plant.

The target plant may comprise a tree. The composition may be applied to the tree by spraying. The composition may be applied to the ground proximate to the tree. The composition may be poured onto the ground proximate to the tree. The composition may comprise pellets having desiccated bitter extract, wherein the pellets are distributed around the tree.

The composition may be applied below the bark of the tree. The composition may be injected below the bark of the tree. The tree may bea pine tree.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a composition for protecting a target plant from insects comprising an effective amount of a bitter extract of a bitter plant as an effective agent. The bitter plant may be selected from the group consisting of Lewisia rediviva and

Gengian lutea. The bitter extract may be extracted from the root of the bitter plant.

The composition may be a solution. The solution may be water based. The composition may further comprise a thickener. The thickener may comprise a carbomer. The may be a solid mixture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view,

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a target tree having a composition being applied thereto. Figure 2 is a front perspective view of a target tree having an applicator being inserted into the ground proximate to its trunk.

Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the applicator of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the trunk of a target tree having a composition being applied under a flap in the bark of the tree.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the trunk of a target tree having a composition being applied to the a soil formation around the tree as pellets, solid bodies and mulch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide plant extract compositions for treating and protecting plants containing an extract of a species of plant having a bitter taste. The composition may be a liquid solution, solid mixture or combination thereof.

Such known bitter plants include the bitter root plant {Lewisia rediviva) and the great yellow gentian the gentiana plant {gengian lutea). As a member of the Lewisia family of plants, or Lewisia rediviva plant is believed to share many properties in common with other members of the family. Applicant therefore believes that other members of this family of plants share many properties with the bitter root plant such as the bitter taste and will also be suitable for use in the present method. Although the present description references the bitter root plant or gentiana plant, it will be appreciated that other plant varieties having a bitter taste may also be utilized to provide the bitter extract. Non-lmiting examples of such plants may include saffron flowers (Crocus sativus), senna leaves (Cassia Senna), saffron flowers (Crocus sativusm), senna leaves (Cassia senna), manna (Fraxinus ornus), myrrh (Commiphora molmol), angelica root (Angelica archanelica), dwarf elder root (Sambucus ebulus), camphor (Cinnamomum camfora), Japanese gentian (Gentiana scabra), Chinese rhubarb root (Rheum palmatum), Theriac Venezian, zedoary root (Curcuma zedoaria), rheriac venezian or carline thistle root (Carlina acaulis). As used herein "bitter plant" is meant to include any plants such as those set out above and others without limitation known to have a bitter taste. In particular, the bitter root plant and gentiana plant are known to have a bitter taste. When such a taste is absorbed and incorporated by a target tree it renders the target tree less appealing to an invasive insect such as a bark beetle. Advantageously, the bitter root plant is a naturally occurring plant in many regions where target trees such as the Mountain Pine, White Pine,

Spruce or others also naturally occur. Accordingly, the extract of the bitter root plant and other bitter plants is more safely useable in these environments in which the use of synthetic chemicals or non-native plant extracts would thereafter have lasting effects on other species.

The composition is prepared to include an extract or concentration of the bitter plant. Known methods of preparing such an extract may include expression, absorption, maceration, pressing and distillation. Extraction solvents, heat, evaporation and any other known extraction method may also be utilized. For example, the bitter extract may be prepared by seeping roots of the bitter plant in warm water and subsequently sifting or otherwise straining. It will be appreciated that the duration of time to seep the biter plant roots in warm water will vary depending upon the plant type and desired strength of the extract, however it has been found that a duration of 2 hours has been adequate. It has been found that utilizing 2 pounds of bitter plant root with 5 gallons (18.9 litres) of water has produced an effective extract although it will be appreciated that these quantities may be varied.

The extract from the bitter root plant may optionally be concentrated for ease of transportation or diluted to facilitate ease and uniformity of application. The composition may be prepared to be in a variety of forms including, without limitation, a liquid, a solid mixture, a paste, a gel, a plasma or a water or sap soluble putty according to known methods.

It will be appreciated that the composition should be prepared and applied to the target tree in such a volume that the target tree will have a desired amount of the bitter root extract absorbed by it. The suitable amount of the composition will depend on the concentration of the bitter root extract in the composition as well as the size of the tree. The amount of the composition applied to the tree should be selected so that the entirety of the tree absorbs a sufficient amount of the bitter root extract to alter the taste of the tree so as to be unappealing to an invasive insect. It has been found that a volume of 5 gallons (18.9 litres) of the solution as prepared above has been useful for treating a single mature coniferous tree although it will be appreciated that other volumes will also be useful for trees of differing sizes and ages as well as depending on the concentration of the composition.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the composition may include thickeners or emulsifiers so as to enable the composition to be delivered in the form a gel or higher viscosity liquid. It will be appreciated that such a composition will have greater adherence to the surface of a target plant and therefore will remain on the target plant surface for longer thereby forming a protective barrier for the target plant. It will also be appreciated that by remaining on the surface of the target plant for a longer time, such compositions will permit greater quantities of the bitter extract to be absorbed by the target plant. Non-limiting examples of such thickeners may be carbomers or synthetic polymers of acrylic acid, corn starch, gelatin, glycerol monostearate, wheat figre gel or xanthane gum.

In other embodiments, the extract may be desiccated or otherwise dried and thereafter formed into pellets or other solid bodies by known conventional means. The resulting pellets or solid bodies may then be deposited directly onto the ground around the plant or inserted below the surface. The pellets or sold bodies may then be dissolved by ground water to distribute the bitter extract to the plant though it's root system. In a further embodiment, the composition may include solid material from the bitter plant, such as a mulch.

The method of the one embodiment of the present invention will comprise first preparing a composition which includes an extract of the bitter plant and thereafter applying the composition to the target plant such as a tree. The target tree will thereafter absorb the composition so as to distribute the composition in at least one layer of the target tree so as to make the tree less appealing or appetizing to a potentially invasive species. A composition of the invention described herein may be formulated and administered by those skilled in the art in any manner and in an amount appropriate for the size and type of the target plant.

As noted above, the compound including the bitter extract may be applied to the target plant or tree 10 in a variety of methods. With reference to Figure 1 , the compound may be applied to a tree 10 in the form of a spray 12 through the use of a spray gun 14 or other suitable means. In such a method, it is expected that the compound would be best provided in a liquid form although gel forms may also be useful. During spray application, the compound may be sprayed upon the trunk 8 of the tree 10 for absorption through the trunk 6. Alternately, the compound may be sprayed upon the needles 4 of the tree or onto the ground 2 surrounding the base of the tree. Alternately, it will be appreciated that the compound may be sprayed upon a wide area of trees through aerial spray applications. Alternatively, the composition may also be painted onto or otherwise applied to the trunk of the tree in either a liquid, gel, paste or a suspended solid form. It will be appreciated that the solution may be applied to any other wood product so as to protect the wood product from similar insects by means of painting, or otherwise applying the solution to the surface of the wood product.

With references to Figure 2, the compound may be applied to the ground 2 in a concentrated or slow release form such as through the use of an applicator 20 to be inserted into the ground adjacent to the tree 10 as generally indicated by arrow 22. Turning now to Figure 3, the applicator 20 may comprise a generally cylindrical body 28 include a sharpened bottom 24 so as to facilitate being inserted into the ground 2. The bottom 24 of the applicator may include an aperture 26 adapted to release the composition contained therein at a controlled rate. The interior of the applicator may have a hollow cavity 32 for receiving a desired amount of the composition through a bore 30 in the top of the applicator 20.

In operation, the applicator 20 may be filled with a desired volume of the composition and thereafter inserted into the ground 2 proximate to the tree 10 as indicated by arrow 22. The composition will then be allowed to drip, leak, or otherwise exit the container through the aperture 26 into the ground 2 proximate to the tree 10 so as to be absorbed thereby. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the composition may be either in the form of either a liquid or a gel. It will also be appreciated that a solid form of the composition may be formed or otherwise molded into a shape substantially similar to the applicator for insertion into the ground 2 proximate to the tree 10. In such embodiments, the solid form of the composition may be water soluble at a desired rate so as to be dissolved in the ground and thereafter be absorbed by the tree.

With reference to figure 4, Turning now to Figure 4, the composition may alternatively be applied below the surface of the bark of the tree or otherwise cutting a flap 40 into the bark of the tree. The composition may then be applied below the flap 40 and the flap 40 be permitted to continue growing with the tree or reattached thereto. It will be appreciated that the flap 40 may be re-secured to the tree by tying or other suitable means as are known in the art. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the bitter composition may be applied below the bark of the tree by injection utilizing a needle, bore or other suitable means. In a further alternative, the bitter composition may be applied to existing wood products to protect it from insects. The bitter composition may, in such embodiments be applied as a sprayed or painted-on liquid or may be incorporated into another stain or paint product for application to the wood product.

Turning now to Figure 5, the composition may be applied to the tree 6 in the form of a solid such as a plurality of pellets 50, solid body 52 or as a mulch 54 of the bitter plant. In particular, the mulch or pellets may be located within a trench 56 or other excavation within the soil formation surrounding the tree 10. The trench 56 may then be left open or covered with soil so as to expose the pellets 50 or mulch 54 to ground water. The bitter composition will then be distributed form the pellets or mulch so as to be absorbed with the groundwater by the roots of the tree. The trench 56 may be of any suitable size, shape and arrangement so as to permit the ground water proximate to the tree to absorb the bitter composition. The trench may be covered with soil or remain open. In practice, it has been found that a 1 and Vz inch deep (38 mm) trench encircling a tree at a radius of 12 inches (305 mm) from the trunk of the tree has been adequate.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a hybrid tree species which has been selectively combined with the bitter root plant so as to incorporate the bitter taste properties of the bitter root plant. Such a new species of tree incorporating the bitter taste properties of the bitter root plant may be produced by know methods such a cross breeding, transformation, grafting, or genetic engineering. In particular, the tissue of a bitter plant, such as by way of non-limiting example, the stem of the Gentiana lutea may be grafted onto the trunk of a pine tree. The resulting tree would have some of the bitter taste characteristics of the Gengian lutea as would future generations of this tree.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.