Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Ester doai
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2001-09-25
Pak, John (Department: 1616)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Ester doai
C514S919000, C424SDIG001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06294577
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field for the Invention
The present invention relates to repellent compositions for ants, particularly fire ants. The compositions comprise an effective amount of at least one diester of a C
3
to C
10
dicarboxylic acid wherein the ester moieties can be an aliphatic, olefinic, or aryl moieties.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various species of ants post significant problems for man from both an economic and a health care point of view. For example, leaf-cutting ant species are a problem in Central and South America, where they can defoliate a citrus tree overnight. Consequently, a non-toxic repellent that would prevent leaf-cutting ants from getting into the trees would be of significant value. Also, in the southern United States, the fire ant,
Solenopsis invicta
, is a substantial pest. For example, foraging fire ants are known to destroy young citrus trees, growing crops, and germinating seeds. This has an economic impact on agriculture in infested areas. Telephone companies spend substantial amounts of money each year on treating their electrical equipment to prevent fire ant invasion because fire ants accumulate at electrical contacts and can short out electrical equipment. Further, farm equipment can be damaged large fire ant mounds. Fire ants also present a problem to wildlife, such as with ground nesting birds and animals. Furthermore, fire ants are known to excavate the soil from under roadways causing damage.
Fire ants also pose a health care problems to millions of people stung each year—a significant number of which require medical care. Further, fire ant stings are also blamed for human deaths each year. Consequently, there is much interest in controlling these troublesome insects.
This interest has resulted in much research and resources being expended through the years to develop reagents and methods for controlling fire ants. While many useful insecticide formulations have resulted from this research, the problems associated with ants still exist. This is primarily because the relief gained by insecticide use is only temporary owing to the high reproductive capabilities, the efficient foraging behavior, and the ecological adaptability of ants. While effective for controlling ants in relatively small defined areas, the use of insecticides, because of their toxicity, can create other problems. For example, some insecticides, which are effective for controlling ants, are banned from use because they pose a significant threat to the environment, including birds and animals. Furthermore, there is pressure from environmental groups to stop, or at least substantially reduce, the application of insecticides in general, and to develop non-toxic reagents for controlling insects. One type of reagent which would be of great interest would be a non-toxic reagent which could repel, or keep ants from invading a particular area or object.
Such a reagent would be of great value in preventing leaf-cutting ants from attacking citrus and other agriculturally important trees. It would also be of great value for preventing fire ants from attacking various biological control agents, such as parasitic wasps, which are used to control a host of crop pests, including those which are harmful to cotton. The parasitic wasps are distributed as pupae in small capsules which are dispersed in the area to be controlled. Adult wasps emerge from the capsule within a matter of days. If the capsules are distributed in an area infested with fire ants, the capsules are quickly found by foraging ants which penetrate the capsule and eat the wasp in its pupal stage-thus greatly decreasing the effectiveness of the use of such biological control agents.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 5,721,274 (Vander Meer et al, Issued Feb. 24, 1998; herein incorporated by reference) discloses that Di-(1-methylheptyl) adipate and Bis-(6-methylheptyl) adipate, C
6
dicarboxylic acid diesters, show significant repellent activity for fire ants.
Therefore, there is still a substantial need in the art for reagents, particularly non-toxic reagents, which can be used to prevent ants from invading a particular area or object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a repellent composition for ants, which composition is comprised of: (i) an effective amount of at least one diester of a C
3
to C
10
dicarboxylic acid wherein the ester moieties can be an aliphatic, olefinic, acetylenic, or aryl ester moieties and mixtures thereof; and
(ii) a carrier material.
Also in accordance with the present invention is a method for repelling ants from an area or object, which method comprises treating said area or object with an effective amount of a repellent composition containing at least one diester of a C
3
to C
10
dicarboxylic acid wherein the ester moieties can be an aliphatic, olefinic, acetylenic, or aryl ester moieties and mixtures thereof and a carrier material.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an effective amount of the above compositions and a controlled release matrix.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a repellent composition for ants comprised of an effective amount of at least one diester of a C
3
to C
10
dicarboxylic acid wherein the ester moieties can be an aliphatic, olefinic, acetylenic, or aryl ester moieties and mixtures thereof; and (ii) a carrier material. The present invention also relates to a method which includes treating an area or object with an effective amount of at least one diester of a C
3
to C
10
dicarboxylic acid wherein an ester moiety can be an aliphatic, olefinic, acetylenic, or aryl ester moieties and mixtures thereof.
Non-limiting examples of dicarboxylic acid diesters which are suitable for use in the present invention include dimethyl succinate, diethyl adipate, diethyl malonate, diisopropyl adipate, dimethyl adipate, dimethyl 2,5, -dimethyl adipate, dimethyl 2-methyl adipate, diphenyl adipate, dimethyl azelate, dioctyl azelate, dibutyl fumarate, diethyl fumarate, dimethyl fumarate, di-tert-butyl glutarate, diethyl 2-methyl glutarate, dimethyl glutarate, dimethyl 3-phenyl glutarate, 1-ethyl 5- propyl 3 methyl-2-phenyl glutarate, dibutyl maleate, diethyl maleate, diethyl 2-phenyl maleate, dimethyl maleate, dipropyl maleate, di-tert-butyl malonate, butyl ethyl malonate, dibenzyl malonate, diheptyl malonate, dimethy malonate, tert-butyl ethyl malonate tert-butyl methyl malonate, dibutyl sebacate, diethyl sebacate, diethyl sebacate, dimethyl sebacate, dioctyl sebacate, diethyl suberate, dimethyl suberate, (1R) dimenthyl succinate, (1S) dimenthyl succinate, dibenzyl succinate, dibutyl succinate, diocosyl succinate, diethyl succinate, diethyl 2,3-diethyl succinate, diethyl 2,3-diphenyl succinate, diethyl methyl succinate, dimethyl R-methyl succinate, diphenyl succinate, diphenyl succinate, and mixtures thereof.
The amount of repellent used will be at least an effective amount. The term “effective amount” or “amount effective for” as used herein means that minimum amount of repellent needed to repel, or substantially prevent ants from invading a treated area or object, when compared to the same area or object which is untreated. The precise amount needed will vary in accordance with the particular repellent composition used; the type of area or object to be treated; the number of days of repellency needed; and the environment in which the area or object is located. For example, if the object or area to be treated is situated outdoors and is exposed to the weather, then higher concentrations of repellent would be needed to be effective for a given period of time than if the object or area were indoors or under cover. The precise amount of repellent needed can easily be determined by one having ordinary skill in the art given the teachings of this application. The examples herein show typical concentrations which will be needed to repel ants, particularly fire ants.
It is preferred for commercial applications that the repel
Banks William A.
Lofgren Clifford S.
Vander Meer Robert K.
Fado John D.
Pak John
Poulos Gail E.
Silverstein M. Howard
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
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