Fishing – trapping – and vermin destroying – Traps – Insect
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-15
2004-03-23
Ark, Darren W. (Department: 3643)
Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying
Traps
Insect
C043S132100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06708443
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mosquitoes are responsible for a great deal of human misery, expense, and death throughout the world. They carry diseases that sicken one-eighth of the world's population and impact the health and economy of 300 million people a year. In Developing Countries, mosquito-borne diseases are the leading cause of death.
Mosquito control is accomplished mainly by spraying pesticides, when economic conditions permit. The most common methods of controlling mosquitoes involve the use of insecticide sprays and poisons. The United States has relied on pesticides and has easy access to the chemicals and the funds to deploy them. The chemicals have been effective and consequently the impact mosquitoes can have on people has been largely absent in this country. However, new threats have come to the U.S. from mosquitoes that are carrying viruses dangerous to humans. Further, for many communities, the cost of spraying is prohibitive. Still further, it is known that mosquitoes are becoming resistant to pesticides and exposed insects that survive and mate and reproduce progeny that again will experience insecticide and inevitably, there will be more survivors. Repetitions of this cycle will produce toxin resistant insects.
Some species of mosquitoes carry viruses harmful to humans and are responsible for millions of deaths around the world. These mosquito borne viruses are entering the United States along with new species of mosquitoes. Several species of mosquito have entered the United States that are aggressive and carry viruses threatening human health. Deaths have occurred in the North East and the South West United States.
In the region of the East Coast of the U.S. during the years 1999 and 2000 mosquitoes have thrived. The level of nuisance has grown but more important the mosquitoes have been transmitting the West Nile virus. The virus has occurred in the cities of New York, Baltimore and Richmond Va. and the number of sites is growing. Health services have announced a request that families and persons check for standing water breeding areas, and eliminate them, in an attempt to deny mosquitoes breeding opportunities. Since the discovery of the West Nile virus in the New York area, and the seven deaths last year, U.S. Center for Disease Control has appointed a special director to coordinate containment efforts. Congress has allocated funding to be used to control the spread and impact of the virus.
Birds bitten by infected mosquitoes can fly long distances after becoming infected and thereafter any mosquito biting an infected bird will become infected. When the newly infected mosquito bites another, animal it is infected. This results in a very effective delivery system and infected birds carrying the virus from New Jersey found as far South as Florida and North Carolina, less than two years after the virus was introduced in New Jersey.
The Federal Government has provided substantially supplemented budgets to local government entities to help them acquire the chemicals in order to be responsive to the mosquito outbreaks that are being experienced across the country. After a recent deluge in Texas, mosquito populations there ballooned, and the community was advised to stay indoors. All available spraying equipment was in use 24 hours a day and Federal Emergency Management resources were activated. Activation of the Texas National Guard for manpower assistance was under consideration and may have occurred.
These mosquitoes are carrying harmful viruses and more aggressive species are entering the country. One new mosquito species in the U.S. is the Asian tiger mosquito, which arrived in a load of old tires shipped from Japan for recapping.
When outbreaks trigger citizen complaints the only option available to local authorities is often the use of Adultacides. These chemicals are only sprayed after announcing to communities to stay indoors while it is being done. The chemicals used to attack the adults are highly toxic. Adultacide use is avoided if possible due to their negative impact on other flora and fauna.
Typically the most common spraying targets are wet areas where mosquitoes breed. Chemicals are used to poison the mosquito larva living in the water. This requires repeated application, continuing expenses and results in undesirable toxic accumulation.
The “wetlands” water treatment programs being developed in the U.S. are concerned with the complaint that the success in creating natural appearing wetland providing water treatment is also creating massive mosquito nurseries. The use of insecticides in the wetlands to control mosquitoes is expensive and runs against the environmental quality philosophy supporting such projects. Substantial effort is being made to reduce the mosquitoes in less toxic ways.
Regardless of pesticide toxicity, the U.S. economy can afford to expend the resources to carry out extensive spraying programs. Developing Nations are usually unable to afford the expense of these programs and consequently they are burdened by the consequences and continuous drain on their health care systems. Many people die each year from Yellow Fever, Malaria, Encephalitis and other vector borne diseases.
The invention discussed herein proposes a method of providing convenient standing water for the use of mosquitoes (and other interrupting mosquito breeding), as well as other low cost methods to abate mosquito populations without the use of insecticides. In another embodiment of the present invention, simple low cost methods are disclosed to abate mosquito populations with minimal expense, without insecticide, and requiring little continued expense to be effective.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The strategic placement of the devices of the present invention may encourage their use by mosquitoes. The invention comprises a method to interrupt the development cycle of newly spawned mosquito eggs and larva. Mosquitoes making use of the convenient location may choose it over the natural areas, which they always seem to find. It is anticipated that experimentation will provide information that will allow implementing ways of increasing the appeal of the facilities appeal to the target insect.
The concept is to program the device to activate often enough to destroy any water dependent biomass deposited or developing in the water. After the eggs are in the still water the apparatus will act on the water to disrupt the developmental stages of insect.
Several ways of providing such a facility are apparent. Other improvements can be discovered and added to create a successful program. The devices should be low cost, no maintenance (if possible), and not create any new insect problems. The standing water could be provided rainfall where feasible and the weather cooperative. Barring this availability of water the device could be placed in the hands of volunteers interested in reducing the mosquito population in their area. A bird-bath that is equipped with the filter assembly similar to
FIG. 10
, FIG.
11
and
FIGS. 12A-12C
could reduce the mosquito population in residential areas. The common bird-bath is a common facility used by mosquitoes for reproduction. Bird baths can take advantage of nearby power to sustain use of lights and a reliable water supply to sustain the breeding facility.
In another embodiment of the present invention, effective methods of diminishing mosquito populations as discussed herein can be applied to create a low cost toxin free method of interfering in the life cycle of these insects as they develop in nonnatural breeding sites made convenient to them for egg laying.
Some mosquitoes are known as container breeders, and they will seek out opportunities to lay eggs in discarded soda cans, bottle caps, dog dishes, rainwater remaining in rain gutters, or any other convenient reservoir of water. The methodology disclosed herein is contrary to most anti mosquito protocols, which are oriented to eliminating or poisoning breeding water available to mosquitoes for reproduction.
By providing a convenient and possibly attractive breeding facilit
Ark Darren W.
Hollander Law Firm, P.L.C.
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