Garden pest trap

Details Garden pest trap Garden pest trap

2002-10-15

2004-05-25

Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)

Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying

Traps

Insect

C043S131000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06739087

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to traps for pests, and in particular, to traps for garden pests such as snails, slugs, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Snails, slugs, and related garden pests are destructive to garden, nuisances, and difficult to control. The inventors are unaware of any simple, nontoxic, environmentally friendly and inexpensive means for effectively removing snails, slugs and other such pests from a garden or yard environment. Certain commercially available pesticides are unacceptable in many situations for a multitude of reasons. As a result, traps have become a staple of the gardener's defense against these garden pests. Historically, there have been developed a number of trap devices for trapping garden pests.
Some traps, however, require elaborate preparations, including first digging a trench or hole large enough to receive a substantial portion of the trap. Many traps require costly and messy maintenance. Many utilize poisons or cause sticky remains, making clean up and disposal difficult and time consuming. The toxins often require specialized disposal and may nevertheless spread to the surrounding yard, garden or crops.
What was needed was a trap that was effective, yet simple to use, maintain, and reuse. The result was the present invention which is as well environmentally friendly and inexpensive to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a pest trap comprising a base structure and a decorative cover. The base structure comprises a planar surface, a sloping surface surrounding at least part of the planar surface, two or more recesses formed in the planar surface for retaining a liquid for luring the pests, and a containment inclining surface surrounding each recess.
The pest trap may also optionally have one or more side walls partially enclosing the planar surface and each of the two or more of the recesses. The side walls may be designed with flanged ends to provide greater enclosure of the recesses in order to make it more difficult for the pests to leave after entering.
The recesses may be either internal recesses or side recesses, or both. The side recesses can also beneficially be partially contained within a side wall and its end flanges. The base structure may be designed to have a low profile while still achieving the desired goal of luring and trapping garden pests, with an overall height, of less than two inches. In this embodiment of the present invention, the use of the trap greatly simplified, reducing the need to dig a hole in the ground for sinking a portion of the trap as in several prior art traps.
The invention may also be compatible for use with a non-toxic and ecologically friendly liquid for luring pests into the recesses. The result of such an embodiment of the present invention is that the filling, maintenance, pest removal, clean up, and refilling is all substantially simplified for the user over certain prior art pest traps that require toxins or other non-liquid luring means.


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