Insect bait station

Details Insect bait station Insect bait station

1998-10-28

2001-04-24

Lavinder, Jack W. (Department: 3643)

Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying

Traps

Insect

C043S131000, C043S132100, C043S107000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06219960

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bait station for holding an insect bait formulation comprising an insect attractant and/or an insect poison material to destroy insects, particularly a poison for crawling insects. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a bait station adapted to selectively destroy insects while achieving improved bait life and easier bait replacement.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bait stations are well known and many devices for holding a bait formulation comprising an attractant with a poison to destroy pests, particularly crawling insects, have been disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,582 to Morris teaches the use of a feeding station administering a poison housed in a base with a permanently affixed cover. Access to the poison is controlled by three types of openings, one type being formed in the cover, the second type being formed in an extension mounted in the ground, and the third type being formed in a inner compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,969 to Demarest discloses a bait station having a multi-lobed structure with ramps. Inner walls intersect a ramped structure forming guides to direct insects to a central well containing a bait. A cover is also permanently attached to a base where apertures allow access to the central well containing the bait.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,947 to Brandli discloses an insect feeding station having guide walls leading from openings on the periphery of the station to a central poison area. The guide walls function to guide the insect toward the poison and to prevent departure from the station before contact with the poison. The central poison area can have a contrasting or luminous color under the poison indicating when the poison is consumed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,229 to Demarest et al. teaches a bait station comprising a ramped base with a funneled reservoir for holding a liquid bait-toxicant formulation. The liquid in the reservoir is released onto an absorbent pad in a central well where insects contact through access openings formed in the ramped base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,922 to Wefler discloses another bait station using a liquid insect bait. The bait station includes a hollow body having a base and a ramped cover sealed to the base in a liquid tight fashion. The base has a floor housing a porous disk which functions to transport a liquid insect bait absorbed onto the disk through capillary action to a central stage formed from the ramped cover. Portals in the ramped cover are of a size to at least allow feeding structures of targeted insects access to liquid on the disk beyond the central stage.
Generally similar bait stations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,829 to Manning; U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,131 to Hicks; U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,836 to Woodruff et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,452 to Knote; U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,536 to Baker; U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,669 to Demarest et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,097 to Rhodes; U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,709 to Lin; and; U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,870 to Thind.
One disadvantage to the prior art bait stations is their complexity of design and higher manufacturing costs associated with forming intricate baffles and internal compartments to guide the insect and separate the bait from outside tampering. In addition, past bait stations were designed for selective entry that sought to prevent children from entering and contacting the poison than selective entry between various types of insects. Therefore, beneficial insects to an ecosystem not intended to be targeted were often destroyed with the targeted pests. Moreover, the design of past bait stations did not allow for the selection of the type of insects to be targeted for destruction to be readily changed either by the manufacturer, or by the end user. In addition, due to the complexity of most designs, the insect entry openings to the bait were often limited, thereby reducing the efficacy of the bait station.
Another disadvantage to the prior art bait stations is typically that the bait and poison are permanently fixed in the bait station. Therefore when the bait is exhausted the station is rendered useless and cannot be replenished. Another disadvantage is that once the type of bait is chosen for the station, it often cannot be changed to suit changing insect populations or a change in the environment the station is desired to function in. In addition, past designs of bait stations, particularly those employing liquid baits, typically do not allow ready access to the bait to check the level and/or integrity of the bait. Yet another disadvantage, particularly with liquid baits, is the rate of evaporation or the fact that contact of the bait with the surrounding air and environment are not controlled. Therefore, the effectiveness and amount of bait in the station can be compromised from environmental factors such as heat, sunlight, wind, rain and moisture, or any other factor that will affect the bait.
What is desired, therefore, is a bait station with an economical design, and a plurality of openings that selectively guide targeted insects to a poisonous bait, along with the ability to readily change the bait employed and control the evaporation and effectiveness of the bait within the station.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an insect bait station that attracts and allows entry of selected insects.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an insect bait station which provides the ability to readily change the targeted pests, either by the manufacturer and end user of the bait station.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an insect bait station that allows the bait formulation to be readily changed by either the manufacturer or end user of the bait station.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an insect bait station where the integrity and amount of the bait formulation can be more readily checked by the end user than conventional insect bait stations.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an insect bait station which allows the rate of evaporation and contact of a bait formulation to be controlled, thereby improving bait life and effectiveness.
To overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and to achieve the objects and advantages listed above, an improved insect bait station is disclosed. The insect bait station of the present invention comprises a receptacle with an opening having a reservoir for an insect bait; a cover with a plurality of gate openings sized to allow selective entry of insects; and a membrane disposed over the reservoir with an opening providing access to the insect bait formulation. The membrane has a top surface covering the receptacle with sufficient dimensional stability and structural integrity to substantially retain its position while an insect traverses it. The membrane also has a density and air permeability sufficient to retard evaporation of the insect bait formulation.
The inventive insect bait station can also comprise a substrate for the insect bait formulation. The substrate is preferably of a mesh material capable of supporting the weight of insects entering the reservoir through the opening of the membrane (the substrate can also act as a support to assist in maintaining the membrane in position). Preferably, the insect bait station of the present invention further comprises an insect bait formulation having a attractant material and a poison, wherein either the attractant or poison, or both, can be in a liquid, solid, or gel form.
Advantageously, the insect trap of the present invention comprises a replaceable cartridge having an opening that functions as the reservoir for the insect bait formulation. The insect bait station also preferably further comprises a housing that is capable of being affixed to the ground or to a surface of a structure.
The invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description when considered with reference to the accompanying drawings.


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