Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – C-o-group doai
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-22
2003-11-11
Pak, John (Department: 1616)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
C-o-group doai
C514S919000, C514S944000, C514S953000, C514S964000, C424S405000, C424S408000, C424S409000, C424S456000, C424S457000, C424S468000, C424S484000, C424S485000, C424S486000, C424S492000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06646014
ABSTRACT:
The present invention concerns a method for the control of acarid, lepidopteran, fungal, and bacterial infestations of honeybee colonies, and infestation controlling compositions suitable for such purpose.
Varroasis is an infestation of European honeybee colonies (
Apis mellifera
) with the ectoparasitic mites belonging to the order of acaricides (
Varroa jacobsoni
).
The Varroa mite originated in Asia and from there has spread to virtually all countries where beekeeping with
A. mellifera
is practised.
In addition, other acarine infestations such as those of
Acarapis woodii
(Tracheal mite) and
Tropilaelaps clareae;
lepidopteran infestations such as those of the Greater and Lesser wax moths,
Galleria mellonella
and
Achroia grisella
respectively; dipteran infestation such as that of
Braula caeca;
fungal infection such as that of Chalk Brood,
Ascosphaera apis
and bacterial infections such as those of the American and the European Foulbroods, Bacillus larvae and
Melissococcus pluton
respectively, can cause significant damage to honeybee colony health.
The Varroa mites feed of the haemolymph of the developing bees and adults alike and can result in stunted growth of bees, infection and death of bee colonies. Indeed varroa infestation is the most serious threat to beekeeping world-wide today.
Various treatments are available for the control of this disease. However, in certain regions of Southern Europe, the Varroa mite has developed a resistance to the active ingredient of some of these various treatments, notably to products based on the pyrethroids flumethrin, fluvalinate and acrinathrin, but also to coumaphos, amitraz, malathion, cymiazole hydrochloride, chlorfenvinphos, bromopropylate, fenpyroximate, and related molecules.
There is a need, therefore, for a new treatment for varroa and other infestations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been found that the various diseases in bee-hives can be efficiently controlled by applying to the bee-hives an effective amount of an essential oil or an organic acid in a slow-release formulation.
The present invention provides for a method for controlling acarid, lepidopteran, fungal and bacterial pest infestations in colonies of honeybees, which comprises the application of an effective amount of an essential oil or an organic acid in a slow-release formulation to the locus of honeybee colonies.
The invention furthermore provides a slow-release gel formulation for the control of acarid, lepidopteran, fungal and bacterial infestations in colonies of honeybees, comprising an effective amount of an essential oil or organic acid in order to administer effective levels of said oil or acid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
For the purpose of this invention, the locus of colonies of honeybees is usually understood, but not limited, to bee-hives, or similar containers where colonies of bees build their breeding places and store food reserves, such as honeycombs. Preferably, the locus of honeybee colonies as referred to herein in a beehive.
As used herein, a “pest” is any organism, which may be an acarid, lepidopteran, fungal and/or bacterial organism, which infests honeybee colonies.
According to the present invention, essential oils and/or organic acids are applied in slow-release formulations in order to combat infestation of honeybee colonies by pests. Preferably, the method of the invention comprises applying an essential oil.
An essential oil is understood to comprise oils extractable from plants or the essential component thereof, which may be in solid form under certain conditions. Examples of essential oils are monoterpenes, such as menthol, geraniol, thymol, myrcene, citral, limonene, carene, camphor, eugenol, or cineol (eucalyptol); and natural oils such as lemon oil, eucalyptus oil, or neem oil. Examples of organic acids include acids such as formic acid, acetic acid or oxalic acid. Preferred essential oils for use in the present invention comprise monoterpenes such as thymol or menthol. Most preferred is thymol.
In a preferred embodiment, methods according to the present invention comprise the application of only a single essential oil or organic acid. Alternatively, however, mixtures of two or more essential oils and organic acids may be used. Optionally, the method may entail the application of a mixture of essential oils and organic acids.
As used herein, a “slow-release formulation” is meant to signify a formulation developed specifically to behave in a certain manner under defined conditions, characterised by a more regulated administration of active material over a given time-frame in comparison to raw active material. In particular, such formulations in connection with volatile essential oils, are capable of maintaining a constant vapour concentration of the essential oil in the atmosphere of an enclosed volume of a bee-habitat, i.e. a bee-hive. The proposed slow-release formulation is thus capable of releasing a regulated dose at a constant rate, preferably releasing a defined quantity of essential oil into a bee-hive over a chosen period of time, such as the reproductive cycle of the targetted pest. Preferably controlled elivery is achieved over a period of 4-6 weeks, this period constituting at least one varroa mite reproductive cycle.
The active ingredient (essential oil or organic acid) is transported from the formulation via the vapour phase onto the target pest. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the essential oil evaporates or sublimates from the formulation in a regulated concentration into the atmosphere of the bee-environment (e.g. the beehive) and maintains the preselected concentration for at least a 4 to 6 week treatment period. Though the atmosphere in the bee environment is not hermetically sealed, the various pests in said environment can be effectively controlled by the release of the essential oil form the slow-release formulation. This also applies to the pests affecting the bee larvae in the brood chambers, which can be effectively protected by this method.
The method of control of varroa infestations according to the present invention is both effective against pyrethroid resistant and susceptible Varroa mite strains in bee-hives. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, effective control of infestations, particularly varroa infestations, may be acieved such that the infestation is reduced to a level of 20% or less of a starting infestation level within at least one pest reproductive cycle. The “starting infestation level” is the infestation level before treatment is initiated. Preferably, the reduction in infestation levels to 20% is achieved within one pest life cycle, for example the 4-6 weeks of a varroa life cycle.
From the literature, the use of thymol in non-slow release formulations for attempting the control of Varroa infestations is known. Moreover, the use of thymol as a control agent against the bee tracheael mite
Acarapis woodii
had been suggested. However, the level of control achieved by hive treatment with the raw material is low, and at best variable. With raw material the natural rate of evaporation from the crystal, powder or liquid forms is largely dependent on ambient temperature, with the result that the dose administered to a beehive cannot be adequately regulated in the raw product form. For example, varroa treatment of bee colonies with thymol either requires multiple applications or high application doses, both of which methods cause honeybees to reject the hive. High doses are also toxic to the sensitive bee larvae.
The above disadvantages can be avoided by the method of the present invention. The new method is not only effective against varroa, but also controls all the other honeybee disease organisms aforementioned.
Examples of a slow-release formulation according to the present invention are gel formulations, either stand-alone or on bee-acceptable supports; impregnated materials; or polymer matrixes incorporating the above-mentioned essential oils or organic acids. Treatment of the infested bee colonies is preferably done in form of gel, or a g
Foley & Lardner
Pak John
Vita (Europe) Limited
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