CONTROLLING ANIMALS POPULATIONS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to control of animal populations, in particular control of animal populations when accessibility is difficult.

Background of the Invention

Animals can become burden. For example wild animals can destroy crops, affect on native species, disturb ecosystems, cause damages to houses and infrastructure, spread diseases, attack humans and cause general nuisance.

For example pest birds might cause for considerable expenses to individuals or businesses. Some examples for pest birds are: city doves or street pigeons, seagulls, starlings, sparrows, crows, and geese. Birds are known to carry over 60 transmissible diseases - some potentially fatal such as Histoplasmosis, West Nile Virus, Salmonellosis, Candidiasis, Cryptococcosis, St. Louis Encephalitis - spread by mosquitoes which have fed on infected house sparrows, pigeons, and house finches.

Pest birds can also carry over 50 kinds of ectoparasites, which can work their way throughout structures to infest and bite humans: bed bugs, chicken mites, and yellow mealworms.

Diseases directly transmitted by rodents include Rat-Bite Fever, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome, Lassa Fever, and Leptospirosis, Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis. The corrosive effects of animals droppings can cause irreversible damage for rooftops, walkways, walls, vehicles, and other equipment. Bird droppings quickly turn to salt and ammonia; after rain, electrochemical reactions speed up the rusting process. These acidic droppings eat away at paint, concrete, metal, and can eventually cause structural failure. Pollution from droppings can enter the human food chain through improper sanitation.

Animals can interfere with operations in many ways, endangering themselves and workers - pest birds entangle themselves in machinery, block ventilation ducts, cause fires, peck holes in roofing and utility poles, bring down power lines, and cause hazardous or even fatal aircraft bird strikes. Some birds even attack humans.

Traditional pest control solutions have been focusing on traps, as well as poisons and chemical deterrents. When these methods work, users are left to deal with the horrible mess of captured, injured, ill and dead animals or insects. The use of harmful chemical pesticides can put workers and customers at risk, and can potentially compromise any materials that are manufactured or stored on the premises. In residential cases, these substances can be a danger to children and pets. Pesticides can contaminate food and get into the water supply. This can affect all living things surrounding the property— killing/harming plants and wildlife— disrupting the natural balance of this small eco-system. Pests can develop a resistance to chemicals, so that dosages must be continually increased in order to produce the same results. Other control solutions may vary from physical barriers to sensory attacks. Barrier control includes netting and spikes. These products work locally at places where they are installed. Other options include sonic and ultrasonic devices, visual scares such as replicas of predators, taste aversions, and landscape alterations. One of the new technology may be remote- controlled drone— a predator replica that chase away pess. Egg addling refers to any process used to stop the development of the embryo. Though a number of methods are available, some are more humane than others. Oiling, shaking, puncturing the goose eggs or removing the eggs and replacing them with substitutes are all forms of addling. Successfully puncturing or shaking eggs is difficult and can result in the embryo's continued development producing deformed goslings and other unwanted outcomes. Removing eggs from a nest will only cause the female bird to lay again. Oiling refers to coating the egg(s) with for example a food grade corn oil. This method stops the embryo's development because the oil keeps air from passing through the eggshell. The most important aspect of the Oiling' method is to completely cover or coat the goose egg evenly with oil. Addling can help manage the aggression of adult birds protecting the nest and reduces the growth of local pests populations and the damage they cause. However sometimes coating of eggs becomes impractical due to access limitations, when for example, nesting occurs at high locations. This can be also true in any case when required to apply materials for controlling populations in inaccessible habitats like a den which can be inhabitated by rodents, reptiles or scorpions.

Summary of the Invention

The inventor of the present invention, has realized that implementing existing techniques for controlling animals populations may be complicated due to difficult accessibility of habitats of animals.

Disclosed herein an apparatus for applying at least one material for controlling animal populations. The apparatus includes at least one pipe, at least one nozzle, and at least one mean for supplying at least one material. The pipe is connected with at least one nozzle, and with at least one mean for supply of at least one material.

In some examples embodying the present invention, the pipe may be telescopic. The apparatus may include mechanical and electromechanical means for maneuvering parts of the apparatus. Moreover such an apparatus may include joints, flexible parts, springs and motors. An apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention may include a brush which can be helpful to spread materials.

An apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention may include flow control. Moreover an apparatus which embodies aspects of the present invention may include kinds of sensors such as infrared, sound, and position.

According to some embodiments of the present invention the apparatus may include means for remote control operating.

An apparatus which embodies the present invention may include at least one camera or communication means for communication with at least one camera.

The above mentioned apparatus may include communication means such as smartphones, tablets, laptops as well as computerized imaging systems. According to aspects of the present invention the apparatus may include means of an artificial intelligence. Methods for controlling animal populations of which embody aspects of the present invention include applying at least one material with at least one apparatus such as those mentioned above. According to some aspects of the present invention, such methods may include controlling by sensors and communication means.

Such methods may further include the preparation of materials of which to be applied.

The above methods may include spraying of at least one material on eggshells, for example materials that prevent air to penetrate into the eggs. The materials that are used can include an oil or number of oils.

Description of the Invention

The inventor of the present invention, has realized that implementing existing techniques for controlling animals populations may be complicated due to difficult accessibility of habitats of animals. For example oiling eggs considered by many, as a preferred approach for pest birds control, however oiling of eggs is limited due to difficult accessibility to the locations of nesting of many pests birds.

An apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes at least one pipe which is connected to a supply of at least one material (e.g., liquid or powder) of which is sprayed through at least one nozzle. The apparatus may include at least one container for storing the materials, alternatively the apparatus may include connections to external reservoirs.

The material to be supplied are intended to cause death to animals or embryos. Such a material could be of a kind that prevents air from passing through an eggshell (such as oil). Typically the materials are being sprayed example on an eggshell or into a den. Materials can be applied at the same time or one after another. Supply systems can be common or separate for different materials. Supply of materials can be performed according to defined ratios and according to a planned sequence.

According to an embodiment of the present invention the pipe can be attached to supportive rod. The apparatus may include supporting means or racks to carry the pipe and other apparatus parts. According to an embodiment of the above aspect of the invention the pipe can be telescopic. A brush may be mounted near the nozzle to facilitate coating of the entire eggshell.

Valves may be installed in various locations to allow controlling or shutting the flow of the material. Control of flow may be performed by automated means, mechanical, electrical, computerized, wired and/or wireless and/or networked. According to some embodiments of the above aspect of the invention, additional means may be utilized such as robots, artificial intelligence, surveillance systems and drones. Users communication means can be integrated with the operation of the apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, for example smartphones tablets and laptops. A camera may be mounted near the nozzle at the end of the pipe in order to transmit visualization of performing spraying into dens or coating of eggshells. Such camera can be in communication with additional cameras located elsewhere for augmented visualization. Additional means may be utilized as well, for example infrared cameras, sound receivers, and positioning systems. Spraying or coating can be done in a remote control mode. Sensors such as were mentioned above can be in connected with computerized communication means, such as smartphones which can be used for remote control of the apparatus operation according to some embodiments of the present invention. The apparatus can be operated manually or automatically. Moving the tip of the pipe in order to direct the stream of materials can be done by hand control or with aid of mechanical or electromechanical means. For example, at least one joint may be installed to allow separate direction of a nozzle or a brush from other parts of the apparatus. Other mechanics could be installed to facilitate further maneuvering. For example more joints between pipe segments. Elastic parts and flexible components, as well as springs can also add further of maneuvering options. Motors can be included in the apparatus for activating maneuvering parts.

According to methods embodying aspects of the present invention the above mentioned apparatus is used to spray at least one material on eggshells. Such methods may include further, controlling of applying materials on eggshells by utilizing cameras, sensors and communication. Methods according to embodiments of the present invention may include preparation of materials such as mixtures of oils and additives. Methods embodying the above aspects of the invention, may include recipes or formulations. Some methods may include coating of eggshells to prevent penetration of air from outside to inside of the eggs. Some methods according to embodiments of the present invention, include applying materials on eggshells which are located on elevated locations such as constructions or cliffs bushes or trees.

Figure 1 illustrates schematically an apparatus (100) according to a particular embodiment of the present invention which includes applying of materials on eggshell inside a nest located on a tree (110). The apparatus includes a telescopic pipe (120) having a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to a reservoir (130) by a flexible pipe (140) while the second end is connected to a nozzle (150). The reservoir (130) contains materials for applying on eggshells which are supplied by utilizing a pump (132) from the reservoir (130) to the nozzle (150) through the flexible pipe (140) and the telescopic pipe (120). The telescopic pipe is equipped with a handle (122) and a control valve (126). A shut off valve (145) is installed between the reservoir (130) and the flexible pipe(140).

The apparatus (100) allows a user to maneuver the telescopic pipe (120) by utilizing a computerized imaging system (160) which includes: a camera (162); a cell phone (164) and a transmitter (166) for transmitting signals from the camera (162) to the cell phone (164). The video images that are presented on a cell phone (164) screen allow a user to manipulate parts of the apparatus (100) as needed to apply materials for example on an eggshell.

It should be understood that elements and/or features of a composition, an apparatus, or a method described herein can be combined in a variety of ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present teachings, whether explicit or implicit herein. For example, where reference is made to a particular structure, that structure can be used in various embodiments of apparatus of the present teachings and/or in methods of the present teachings, unless otherwise understood from the context. In other words, within this application, embodiments have been described and depicted in a way that enables a clear and concise application to be written and drawn, but it is intended and will be appreciated that embodiments may be variously combined or separated without parting from the present teachings and invention(s). For example, it will be appreciated that all features described and depicted herein can be applicable to all aspects of the invention(s) described and depicted herein.

It should be understood that the expression "at least one of includes individually each of the recited objects after the expression and the various combinations of two or more of the recited objects unless otherwise understood from the context and use.

The use of the term "include," "includes," "including," "have," "has," "having," "contain," "contains," or "containing," including grammatical equivalents thereof, should be understood generally as open-ended and non-limiting, for example, not excluding additional unrecited elements or steps, unless otherwise specifically stated or understood from the context.

The use of the singular herein, for example, "a," "an," and "the," includes the plural (and vice versa) unless specifically stated otherwise.

The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language herein, for example, "such as," "including," or "for example," is intended merely to illustrate better the present teachings and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the present teachings.

The present teachings encompass embodiments in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The foregoing embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrative rather than limiting on the present teachings described herein. Scope of the present invention is thus indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.