TITLE OF INVENTION

A No Maintenance Lethal Mosquito Breeding Trap

CROSS- REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/646,123, filed January 11, 2005 by the present inventor.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF TOE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a mosquito trap for controlling infectious disease carrying

insects (vectors) and other mosquitos that cause irritations and specifically to a low cost trap

that requires no periodic maintenance.

Discussion of Prior Art

The mosquito is a bane to humans and animals alike. It is a nuisance, a pest, an

irritation and a deadly disease carrying killer. Some of the approximately 2700 varieties of

this curse are the carriers of Dengue Fever, Malaria, West Nile Virus, and Encephalitis. The mosquito is found in every climatized corner of the globe and the deadly vector varieties put

almost half of the world population at risk of infection every year. The mosquito also is a

food source for birds, bats, frogs and fish , to name a few, and is an integral part of the circle of life.

Most methods used for controlling this insect, such as aerial spraying, and fogging,

also eliminate many beneficial insects such as honey bees and butterflies or a variety of insects that are food sources for animals throughout the food chain, thus interrupting the

natural order. By treating areas where mosquitos breed, recently developed larvicides and insecticides have achieved much greater specificity in eliminating the targeted species with little or no effect on non targeted insects.

Because of the serious consequences inflicted on human beings by these disease

carrying insects, huge research and development efforts aimed at controlling their populations have been, and continue to be, carried on throughout the world. These efforts, that seek to

find a weakness in the armor of this formidable adversary run the gamut from gene alteration

to motorized suction fans with carbon dioxide attractants. Some of these devices try to

exploit the fact that most of these creatures, and in particular the dengue, malaria, and west

nile virus vectors, require a water source for incubating eggs. Since much is known about

the breeding habits of these species and attempts have been made, most recently as described

in patent numbers 6,389,740 and 5,983,557, both entitled Lethal Mosquito Breeding

Container, and both authored by Perich et al and dated May 2002 and November 1999

respectively, to attract the gravid female to these sites where they or their litter or both would

be eliminated. Indeed, a controlled field study ( Field Evaluation of a Lethal Ovitrap

Against Dengue Vectors in Brazil ; Medical and Veterinary Entomology, Volume 17, issue

2, page 205 - June 2003, Perich et al), proved that a field deployed mosquito trap could

compete successfully with other available incubating sources in the field. Although the

design of the trap used in this study, as well as all others before them, have some of the

attributes of the ideal mosquito trap ie: low cost, efficacy, specificity to mosquitos, and low

environmental impact, they have two negative attributes which limits their use to mere

scientific experimentation: 1) they require periodic maintenance to replenish fluid levels,

larvicide/insecticide concentrations, etc. and 2) if not maintained properly or if the container

is overlooked, once the initial larvicide/insecticide dilutes or otherwise becomes ineffective,

the container then becomes an incubator, producing more insects and creating exactly the opposite desired effect.

Objects and Advantages

The mosquito trap described in this application has all the advantages sought by others in the past in that it is low in cost, efficiently eliminates both the adult female and her

offspring, is specific to mosquitos and is environmentally benign. In addition it overcomes

the two major obstacles faced by all other mosquito traps since it requires no maintenance and

at the end of its useful life it biodegrades and therefore cannot become a breeding container,

making it an ideal candidate for widespread use by the general public. Accordingly, several

objects and advantages of this invention are:

(a) To reduce the mortality rate of human beings because of infection from mosquito

vectors carrying deadly diseases.

(b) To reduce human suffering from diseases carried by mosquitos.

c) To reduce irritations caused by mosquito bites.

(d) To reduce the effects of environmentally harmful mosquito control practices.

Further object? and advantages will become apparent from the ensuing description and

drawings.

DRAWINGS - Figures

Fig 1 shows a canopy with a water collecting basin with overhangs and drain(s) and

side frames.

Fig 2 shows a container with sides and a high water outlet.

Fig 3 shows a bottom with hold down perforations.

Fig 4 shows two variations of a hold down spike.

Fig 5 shows an assembled trap with sun blocking ability.

DRAWINGS - Reference numerals

10 bottom 31 drain

14 bottom fastener perforation 31a drain cover

15 hold down spike 32 water collecting basin

20 water container 33 canopy hold down

21 high water outlet 34 canopy perforation

22 low side container 35 basin side walls 24 high side container 36 alternate drain

26 oviposition strata 37 water collecting overhang

30 alignment tabs 38 canopy side frame

DETAILED DESCRIPTION - PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The mosquito trap can be round, square, rectangular or even spherical. It can be made

out of paper, paperboard, wood, gypsum, cellulose, composites, plastic, metal, fiberglass, or

any other formable material. Since the preferred embodiment contemplated in this patent is

that the device will be made from paperboard, and that it will be rectangular in shape, this is

the example that will be used throughout this description. Although measurements are given

for this preferred embodiment the reader should understand that the size of the trap can vary

greatly and still be as effective as the one herein described.

The trap is made up of three components: 1) the Top Fig 1 ; the Water Container Fig 2;

and the Bottom Fig 3. AU three components are made from paperboard, a common material

used extensively in the packaging industry and available with the specific characteristics

needed to produce the individual result required by each product produced These

characteristics include varying the thickness of the paperboard and varying the bonding agents

used to hold the fibers together. In this case, since the trap is not intended to be used where it

may contact a food source consumed by humans, the less expensive recycled paperboard,

made from recycled paper, can be advantageously used. All exposed surfaces of paperboard

used in this trap should be colored flat black on both sides. Polyethylene glycol is a

waterproof coating used in the food packaging industry to keep liquids and other foods from

leaching through their containers until they are consumed. Commonly referred to as "poly

coating" many "Converters" or manufacturers that package products for end use can apply

various formulas of poly coating to achieve a variety of results dictated by the particular

requirements of each product. These include the use of coatings with different molecular

weights, applying multiple layers of poly coating, or adding a variety of enzymes to the compound. The International Paper Corporation and Meade West Vaco are two of the many

companies qualified to produce poly coated paperboard. In the present instance, the

particular requirements for the material used in the trap is that they be designed to operate

effectively for one entire mosquito breeding season, after which the mosquito trap should

biodegrade and fail to hold water. Those skilled in the industry should specify a combination of paperboard and poly coating that will produce to this result.

Fig 1 is the Canopy consisting of a Water Collecting Basin 32, which is 15 cm wide

by 23 cm long and formed by elevated Basin Side Walls 35 which are 13mm higher and completely surround Water Collecting Basin 32. Drain 31 are holes or perforations in basin

32 that direct water striking this surface to flow out either or both of these outlets. Drain

Cover 31a is a water permeable sun shade such as filter paper or a sponge that allows water to

flow through drain 31 but blocks any sunlight. Cover 3 Ia is glued or otherwise fastened to

basin 32. Alternate Drain 36 is placed at the center of basin 32. Canopy Side Frames 38

extend from the top of walls 35 to the Canopy Hold-Down Flap 33, a distance of 7.5 cm. Flap 33 is 25 mm wide and has 2 Canopy Fastener Perforations 34. Water Collecting Basin

Overhang 37 extends 4 cm from top to bottom. Alignment Tabs 30 are formed by cutting

three sides through frame 38 leaving the remaining side to act as a hinge which is bent inward at the four locations indicated 13 mm above flap 33.

Container Fig 2, is 15 cm wide by 15 cm deep by 7.5 cm high at High Side Container

24 locations and 4 cm high at Low Side Container 22. High Water Outlet 21 is notched into

the tops of sides 22 at their midpoint and measurers 13 mm by 13 mm.

The substrate preference upon which eggs are laid by gravid (pregnant) female Aedςs

aegypti mosquitos, the vector (carrier) for Dengue Fever, and one of the primary targets of

this patent, has been documented in the literature. These and certain other troublesome mosquito vectors prefer a roughened surface such as that found on wood or a sponge or filter

paper or a surface roughened with sandpaper, on which to deposit their eggs rather than a

smooth surface such as plastic. The inside of side 24 offers an ideal location for placing such an Oviposition (egg laying location) Strata 26. Strata 26 should extend from the bottom of

the container to well above the bottom of outlet 21, or a distance of 6 cm and can be glued or

otherwise fastened in place. Strata 26 can be applied to one area of the inside of side 24 or to the entire inside area and may be made up of one or several different types of strata.

Bottom Fig 3, is a flat member measuring 20.5 cm wide by 31.5 cm long. Bottom

Fastener Perforations 14 are located at the four corners and are located below Canopy

Fastener Perforations 34.

Hold Down Spike Fig 4, is a device of size and shape similar to a golfers tee and is

used to penetrate through flap 33 and perforation 14 and into the ground when the trap is

assembled and deployed in the field. This prevents the trap from moving or being blown

away by the wind. The barbed configuration would make the spike more difficult to remove

by vandals. If the device is located on a wooden surface, the spike can be replaced by a

common thumb tack. If the device is placed on an impenetrable surface such as concrete, flap

33 should be glued to Bottom Fig 3 and then the entire trap should be glued in place.

The Trap Assembly Fig 5, shows the three components assembled and installed in a

normal outdoor configuration. Container Fig 2 is placed on Bottom Fig 3 and Canopy Figl is

placed over the Container using tabs 30 to position the Container in the center of the

Assembly assuring that outlets 21 are positioned directly under drains 31. Overhang 37 is now positioned to sufficiently shade the container and its contents from the sun and still allow

free entry and egress for mosquitos to access the trap. Spike 15 is installed and pushed into

the dirt pinning the trap in place.

Larvicides (compounds that kill insect larva before they mature), ovicides

(compounds that kill the egg before hatching), insecticides, and insect growth regulators (compounds that disrupt the normal growth of insects) are chemical formulations used to

eliminate mosquitos before they become disease bearing adults. These terms may be used

interchangeably under the general term larvicides in this patent application. Altosid XR is an

insect growth regulator with the active ingredient being Methoprene, and produced by

Wellmark International. Pyriproxifen with the brand name Archer is available from the

Syngenta Corporation. Spinosad is an ovicide with the brand names Tracer and Naturalyte

and is available from the DowAgro Corporation. Because most larvicides are not specific to the target insect, they are capable of controlling beneficial insects, such as pollinators like

butterflies and bees. For this reason the Environmental Protection Agency and other State

Agencies strictly enforce protectionist legislation requiring manufacturers of these substances to adhere to strict environmental standards when selling and using these products. In most

cases these standards require that any insecticide, and in particular those that are broadcast by

aerial spraying in agra-business, break down quickly after application and do not persist in the

environment. One of the primary ways this is accomplished is to select those compounds that

are photo sensitive, or subject to degradation by sunlight. The mosquito trap described herein

is not attractive to beneficial insects either as a food source or a breeding site. By placing

minute quantities of larvicide in the trap (lOppm) it becomes highly specific to container

breeding mosquitos. The preferred larvicide for this trap, Spinosad, as well as most other

suitable replacements, are photo sensitive. Therefore, in order to keep the initial charge of

larvicide lethal throughout the life of the trap, Canopy Figl, overhang 37, and cover 31a are designed to eliminate sunlight from entering container 20, thereby keeping the active

ingredients of the larvicide from prematurely degrading. Spinosad, which has been shown to

last over 200 days in environments simulated by this trap, is the preferred larvicide for use in this trap. Also, by varying the concentration in the initial solution, the time span during

which the reservoir remains lethal can be increased or decreased. Those skilled in the art in

this area should select the appropriate concentration that will achieve their desired results and

comply with all legal regulations concerning use of this products.

Since some female mosquitos produce more than one clutch of eggs during their life

span and other species such as Aedes Aegypti may deposit portions of a single egg cluster in several different containers, it is desirable to eliminate the adult female as well as her

progeny. Because the female will often roost within the area she plans to lay her eggs and/or

may rest at the same location after depositing her eggs, by coating the underside of basin 32

with an insecticide, it is possible to eliminate the female adult. An acceptable insecticide for

this feature is permethrin. Permethrin is available from FMC Corp., or Syngenta Corp. under

the trade names Ambush, Pounce, and Prelude.

Because this trap is black in color and close to the ground when deployed and charged

with rain water, gravid female mosquitos will find and use it as a breeding site however,

attractants or certain odors can amplify the gravid females desire to use the trap as a breeding

site thus making the trap more productive than it would be without an attractant. In fact the

Culex quinquefasciatus egg raft emits a pheromone that induces other females of the same

species to deposit their eggs in the same location. Water from a hay infusion (water soaked in

recently cut grass for several days) has long been known to be an attractant for certain gravid

female mosquitos and this solution should be used as the initial charge for the trap herein

described. Studies have identified the oviposition cue Skatole (3-methylindole) as an

attractant for the West Nile Virus vector Culex quinquefasciatus. Although this compound is

available for purchase from the Berje Corporation, it has not been reduced to a form that can

be readily used in a mosquito trap to the knowledge of this investigator. Those skilled in the

art are encouraged to reduce this compound to a controlled release formulation as an

embellishment to this trap.

The preferred embodiment of this trap uses paperboard to form the structure of this

device. Paperboard is produced from cellulose which can be a food source for insects and in

particular, termites. Since this trap will be utilized in many parts of the world where termites

are prevalent, the paperboard should be treated to prevent premature destruction of the trap.

Ethylene glycol or common antifreeze is highly toxic to insects including termites. Wherever

premature degradation of the trap by insects are a concern, the paperboard used to construct

Bottom Fig 3 and Canopy Fig 1, as a minimum, should be treated with ethylene glycol.

Because the troublesome varieties of mosquitos mentioned throughout this specification will not deposit their eggs when the water temperature drops below 15 degrees

C, in those areas of the world such as North America that experience cool or cold winter

months for extended periods, the mosquito breeding season takes place during late Spring

through early Autumn or approximately a five month period. In sub-tropical climates such as

India, the mosquito breeding season takes place during and following the rainy or monsoon

season and is depressed during the dry season or a minimum of six months. In tropical

climates such as Indonesia, where mosquito vectors may breed throughout the year, the

mosquito breeding season can be defined as those months where mosquito densities are above

the threshold for increasing transmission, an approximately nine month period or, alternately,

the entire calender year. In order for the trap to be maintenance free for an entire mosquito

breeding season, the self imposed requirement of this patent application, the period of time

over which the larvicide remains lethal must be equal to or longer than the time period when the container biodegrades, no longer capable of holding water, and this time period should be

equal to or exceed the mosquito breeding season in that area of the world in which it is

deployed. This is true regardless of the longevity of other embellishments to the trap such as the attractant, the adulticide, or the egg laying strata used. Therefore, those skilled in the art

should design the variable components of paperboard and poly coating with the variable

concentration of larvicide to construct the container to meet the requirements of the mosquito

breeding season in which it is used.

OPERATION

hi use, the lethal mosquito breeding trap is assembled as shown in Fig 5 at the onset of

the mosquito breeding season. First the Bottom Fig3 is laid on the ground in the out-of- doors, preferably in a shady area with little foot traffic and a clear path above for rainfall to

strike the trap. Next the Water Container Fig 2 is positioned in the center of the Bottom Fig3.

Strata 26 can be installed in the container area at this time. After applying insecticide to the

under side of basin 32, Canopy Fig3 is positioned over Water Container Fig2 and inside tabs

30 which have been bent inward. Now outlet 21 is perfectly positioned under drain 31 and

perforations 14 are perfectly aligned with perforations 34. Hold Down Spikes Fig 4 are now

pushed through both perforations and into the ground securing the trap in place. Spinosad, is

now added to the trap in an appropriate concentration. Hay infusion water is added to the trap

until full. It can now be seen that, after the initial charge, any additional rain water entering

the trap from drain 31 will first replace any water from the initial charge that may have

evaporated and then begin to flow out outlet 21. By positioning drain 31 exactly over the

outlet 21, rainwater entering the reservoir after the reservoir is full, will immediately flow out significantly limiting any flushing action on the larvicide remaining in the body of the

reservoir. If Altosid XR briquets are used, which is a timed release formula that slowly

dissolves in the presence of water, or any other similar timed release larvicide, Alternate

Drain 36, which is located in the center of basin 32, may be used since dilution of the

larvicide from flushing is a greatly reduced, concern.

It can now be seen that the device is a maintenance free, lethal mosquito breeding trap. Rainfall will keep sufficient amounts of water in the trap to make it desirable for

oviposition by gravid mosquitos. Because some mosquitos species including, Aedes aegypti,

prefer to deposit their eggs on strata at or above the water line, it is not necessary that the

container be full to be attractive for oviposition. As long as any discernable water is present

in the trap, it will be an acceptable oviposition site for some vectors. Since Spinosad is not

soluble, or only partially so, even if the trap were to completely dry out between rainfalls, the

lethal properties will remain in the trap and then become re-suspended during the next

rainfall. Sunlight cannot penetrate the water container thereby insuring the ability of the

larvicide to remain lethal and control mosquito eggs throughout the breeding season.

Towards the end of the mosquito breeding season signs of biodegradation will appear.

The poly coating will break down from ultra violet rays. The paperboard will also suffer

from UV rays and the bonding medium in the paper will separate from constant soaking.

Water will begin to leach out of the reservoir until it will no longer be capable of holding any

water and the trap will no longer be functional and incapable of becoming an incubator.

Additional embodiments

An alternate embodiment of the trap would be to manufacture it out of a reusable

material such as plastic or to make the canopy and bottom out of reusable materials and the reservoir container biodegradable. In instances where the trap may be used by municipalities

or country clubs or campuses and the like that have on staff full time maintenance personnel

with established policies and procedures for deploying the traps at the onset of the mosquito

breeding season and then collecting them when the season is over, there may be an economic

advantage to paying a higher initial cost for a reusable trap than the accumulated cost of a single-use trap over many years. The single use costs of such a trap would be the larvicide,

the adulticide, the attractant and possibly the egg laying strata.

Since some of these troublesome vectors use water filled tree holes to incubate their

eggs, still another embodiment of this trap would be one similar in most respects to those

described but with the ability to be mounted on a tree trunk.

Advantages

From the above description, a number of advantage^ of my mosquito trap become evident: At he beginning of the mosquito breeding season the trap is placed in a likely spot

where mosquitos are likely to be found. No further tending or "maintenance" to check water

levels, or the strength of the larvicide, or whether or not the household pet has lapped up the

reservoir water is necessary since rainwater refills it, its anti flushing design and sunlight

protections ensure the lethal properties remain intact, and animals cannot access the reservoir. The trap continues to function, attracting female mosquitos from the surrounding area and

eliminating both the adult and her offspring without any periodic human intervention. Being

highly specific to gravid female mosquitos, no beneficial insects are harmed. Used only in inhabited areas, bats and birds, toads and frogs, and other members of the insect and animal

worlds in the wild that rely on the mosquito as a food source are unaffected by the operation of the trap. At the end of the mosquito breeding season the trap and its contents return to the

earth leaving behind its legacy: lives saved, misery and human suffering reduced, and a higher

quality of life for human beings. Accordingly, the reader will see that this no maintenance

mosquito breeding trap will remove this concept from the scientific community and introduce

it to world wide practical use.

Conclusion

Accordingly, although the description above contains many specificities, these should

not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of

some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus the scope of the

invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather

than by the examples given.