Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Type V
The present invention relates to certain baits
for ants based on certain phosphoric acid esters and addi-
tives, to a process for their production and to their use
for controlling ants.
It has already been disclosed that insecticides
for controlling ants can be employed in a wide variety
of formulations. Examples which may be mentioned are
agenks for spraying, dusts, spray cans and baits. Since
ants are frequently found in the neighbourhood of human
and domestic animal living quarters, and must there be
controlled, bait formulations are becoming increasingly
important, both because of their comparatively slight
danger to humans and domes~tic animals and also because
of their general high degree of environmental acceptability.
The number of insecticidal active compounds which
are suitable for use in a bait for ants is, however,
very small, since the ants, which react very sensitively,
mostly refuse to accept them. This is particularly
true when the baits contain the artive compounds in high
concentrations JO that the baits not only have a short
activity, which lasts one or two days, but exhibit an
activity and shelf-life extending over many months.
O,O-Diethylthionophosphoryl-~-oximinophenyl-
acetonitrile (phoxim) and O,O-diethyl thionophosphoryl-
~-oximino(2-chlorophenyl)acetonitrile (chlorphoxim)
have been known for many years (compare German Patent
Specification 1,238,902) as compounds with insecticidal
and acaricidal activity which can be employed for con-
trolling ants. These substances can be used in the
form of agents for spraying and dusting.
Furthermore, it has been attempted to employ
phoxim in the form of a bait formulation to control
ants (compare "Toxicological and Biological Studies of
Odorous House Ant, Tapinoma sessile" in Journ. of Econ. Ent.,
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volume 63, 1971-1973 (1970)). From this it emerged
that complete control of ants can be achieved by baits
which contain 0.05nO by weight of phoxim mixed with
blackberry syrup or blackberry jam. However, it is a
disadvantage that baits having such a low content of
phoxim do not have a sufficiently long shelf-life for
practical purposesO Analogous baits, in which the
phoxim is present in a coneentration of 0.5~0 by weight to
lUo by weight, do in fact exhibit a stability and duration
of action which is sufficient for practical purposes,
but they develop a repellent effect so that ants do not
eat these baits. The use of baits which contain phoxim
has thus not hitherto achieved the desired result in the
control of ants.
An additional difficulty in the preparation o~
bait~ based on phoxim or chlorphoxim is that the active
compounds are relatively sensitive to heat. Thus, the
customary method of preparation, which consists of
mixing the components and heating them in order to decrease
the viscosity of the corresponding mixture and to make
it easier to stir~ cannot be carried out.
The present invention now provides bai-ts for ants
which consist of
(a) at least one active compound nf the general formula
C2H5 ~ ~ S / CN
2Hs \ O-N=C (I)
in which
K represents a hydrogen or chlorine atom, and
(b) glycerol or
honey, optionally mixed with a sugar and/or
glycerol or
a sugar 9 optionally mixed with glycerol;
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l~SS~
component (b) optionally comprising a minor proportion of
water.
The present invention further provides a process
for the production of a bait for ants according to the
invention characterised.in that
(a) at least one active compound of the general formula
C2~5~ ~ S / CN
C2HS ~ \ O-N=C (I)
\~
. R
in which
R has the abovementioned meaning
i~ mixed with
(b) glycerol or
honey, optional.ly.mixed with a sugar and/or
glycerol or
a sugar, optionally mixed with glycerol,
component (b) optionally comprising a minor proportion of
water
at a low temperature in a kneader and the mixture produced
thereby i~ subsequently homogenised and filled into one
or more containers.
Finally, it has been found that the baits according
to the invention can be used very well for the control
of ants~
It must be denoted extremely surprising that the
baits according to the invention are more suitable for
the control of ants than the baits known from the state of
the art which contain phoxim mixed with blackberry syrup
or blackberry jam. . Moreover, it could not be expected
that the baits according to the invention, in contrast
to the~baits containing phoxim based on blackberry syrup
or blackberry jam, which are already known, do not exert
any development of a repelling effect on ants, even at a
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concentration oF active compound of 0.5 to 1.0 per cent
by weight.
The baits according to the invention contain as
the active ingredients 0,0-diethyl thionophosphoryl-X-
oximinophenylacetonitrile (phoxim) and/or 0,0-diethyl
thionophosphoryl-~-oximino(2-chlorophenyl)acetonitrile
(chlorphoxim). These active compounds, their insecticidal
properties and their use for the contrnl oF ants are
already known (compare German Patent Specification
1,238,902).
The baits according to the invention contain, apart
from the active compound or the mixture of active
compounds~
glycerol or
honey, optionally mixed with a sugar and/or
glycerol or
a sugar, optionally mixed with glycerol.
In this connection, honey is to be u~derstood
to mean both natural honey and also artificial honey.
Preferred sugars which may be used in the present
case are monosaccharides and disaccharides. Examples of
particularly preferably suitable monosaccharides are
glucose, galacto~e and fructose. Examples of disaccharides
which may be mentioned are cane sugar, beet sugar and
lactose. Furthermore, invertix is also suitable as a
sugar; "invertix" being understood to mean an aqueous
sugar solution which contains 26 per cent by weight of
water.l
~ai-ts according to the invention are particularly
preferred in which the following combinations of active
compound and additives are present:
phoxim and glycerol
chlorphoxi~ and glycerol
phoxim and natural honey
chlorphoxim and natural honey
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phoxim and artificial honey
chlorphoxim and artificial honey
phoxim, natural honey and.glycerol
phox.im, artificial honey and glycerol
phoxim and cane sugar
phoxim and beet sugar
phoxim and lactose
phoxim, cane sugar and glycerol
phoxim, beet sugar and glycerol
phoxim, lactose and glycerol
phoxim, natural honey and cane sugar
phoxim, beet sugar and natural honey
phoxim, artificial honey and lactose
phoxim and glucose
phoxim, glucose and glycerol
phoxim and galactose
phoxim, galactose and glycerol
phoxim and fructose
phoxim, fructose and glycerol
phoxim and invertix
phoxim, natural honey and invertix.
The content of act.ive compounds in the baits
according to the invention can be varied within a certain
range. In general~ the total concentrations of active
compound of the formula (I) are between 0.01 and 5O by
weight, preferably between 0.05 and 2o by weight.
The ratios of the.amounts of sugar, honey and/or
glycerol in the products, which are mixed with the active
compounds in the case of the baits according to the
invention, can be varied within a large range. Thus,
in addition to the active compounds of the formula (I)~
the additives present can be only sugar or honey or glycerol
including, possibly, a minor proportion of water.
However, the products added can also be mixtures of these
Substances. If the product added is a mixture of sugar
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and honey, generally O~l to lO parts by weight, preferably
0.5 to 8 parts by weight, of honey are allotted to l part
by weight of cugar. If the product added is a mixture of
sugar and glycerol, generally 0.05 to 19 parts by weight,
preferably 0.25 to lO parts by weight, of glycerol are
allotted to l part by ~eight of sugar. If the product
added is a mixture of sugar, honey and glycerol, generally
0.05 to 2 parts by weight of honey and 0.05 to ~ parts by
weight of glycerol, preferably O.l to l part by weight of
honey and O.l to 5 parts by weight o~ glycerol are allotted
to l part by weight of sugar.
In the process according to the invention for the
preparation of the new baits for ants; the temperature can
be varied within a certain range. In general, the
preparation is carried out at a temperature between 10C
and 30C, preFerably at room temperature.
Specifically, the process according to the
invention is generally carried out such that at least one
active compound of the formula (I) is intimately mixed
2û with the particular additives in the desirsd ratio of
amounts in each case, then the mixture thereby produced is
homogenised and subsequently filled into the containers
designed for practical use.
For the mixing of the components, the kneader used
is to be understood as any of the stirring equipment and
kneaders customarily used for such purposes. The
subsequent homogenisation can be undertaken in any of the
equipment that can be customarily used for this purpose.
It is particularly advantageous to use a cylinder mill
suitable for homogenising solid or paste~like substances.
When the baits a~cording to the invention contain sugar, it
is advantageous to employ the sugar in a finely ground formO
On preparation by the process according to the
invention, the bait materials according to the invention
result as solid or paste-like, physically and chemically
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stable, homogeneous products. A check of the shelf-
life showed that the bait material in a watertight pack,
whiGh prevented losses by evaporation, exhibited no changes
for at lest 8 weeks at storage temperatures up ko 54O,
and for at least 6 months at storage temperatures up to
40C.
The bait materials according to the invention can
be made available for the control of ants in all the
customary forms for these types cf bait formulations.
It is particularly advantageous to use the bait material
in small containers. For this purpose, the bait material
is filled into small containers having a volume of lO to
50 ml. The bait material is either filled directly into
the container or is ?reviously added to an absorbent
1S material, such as cellulose or cottonwool~ and then
transferred to the container designed for use. The
absorbent material can also be present in the container
before filling the bait material.
The containers are provided with one or more
openings, which are initially closed and which are opened
before being used for controlling ants, for example by
removing the cover which was previously over them~ so that
the ants can reach the bait material.
The present inven~ion thus also provides a method
~ combating ants comprising supplying to the ants at a
habikat thereof or elsewhere, a bait for ants according
to the present invention.
Using the bait~ according to the invention, ants
can be controlled both in domestic and sanitary areas
and also in agriculture and horticulture, wherever they
are undesirable. The procedure for this is such that
the baits according to the invention are placed at the
sites infested by ants.
The preparation of the baits according to the
invention is illustrated by the following Examples.
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Preparative Exam~les
Comparison Example (i)
999.5 9 of sugar-beet syrup and 0.5g of phoxim
were mixed by kneading at room temperature in a kneader
for lO minutesO Thereafter, the mixture was homogenised
in a cylinder mill and filled in portions9 each of 50 mg,
into small plastic containers having-a diameter of 4 cm
of a height of l.6 cm. The-containers each had an
opening on the side and, after charging with the bait,
were closed by means of a lid.
The baits listed in the following Table I were
also prepared by the method described in the above
Comparison Example, using the additive indicated rather
than sugar-beet syrup.
15 Table I
Com- Active Amount Additive Amount Con-
parison compound of of centration
Example active addi- of active
compound tive compound
in g in g in the bait
in O
(ii) phoxim 0.5 raspberry 999.5 0.05
syrup
(lii) phoxim l raspberry 999 O.l
syrup
(iv) phoxim l blackberry 999 O.l
9 yrup
Example l
490 9 of powdered beet sugar, 200 9 of natural
honey and 300 9 of glycerol were premixed in a kneader.
Thereafter, lO g of phoxim were added at room temperature
and mixing was carried out by kneading for lO minutes.
The corresponding mixture was then homogenised in a cylinder
mill and filled in portions, each of 50 mg, in-to small
plastic containers having a diameter of 4 cm and a height
of l.6 cm. The containers each had an opening in the side
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and, after charging with the bait, were closed with a lid~
The baits listed in the following Table II were
also prepared by the method described in Exarnple 1.
TabLe II
Example Active Amount oF Additives Amount Con-
No. compound active of centration
compound addi- of active
in g tives compound
in g in the bait
in ~
_ . , . , . _
2 phoxim 0.5 beet sugar 499.5 0~05
natural honey 200
glycerol 300
3 phoxim 1 beet sugar 39 1.0
natural hcney 40
glycerol 20
4 phoxim 1 beet sugar 399 0.1
natural honey 400
glycerol 200
phoxim 1 beet sugar 799 0.1
natural honey 100
glycerol 100
6 phoxim 1 beet sugar 99 0.1
natural honey 800
glycerol 100
7 phoxim 1 beet sugar 19 1.0
natural honey 70
glycerol 10
8 phoxim 1 beet sugar 99 0.1
natural honey 100
glycerol 800
9 phoxim 1 natural honey ~99 0.1
glycerol 100
phoxim 1 natural hnney89 1.0
glycerol 10
11 phoxim 1 natural honey50 1.0
glycerol 49
12 phoxim 1 beet sugar 509 0.1
glycerol 490
13 phoxim 1 beet sugar 59 1.0
glycerol 40
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Table II (Continuation)
Example Active Amount Additives Amounk of Con-
No. compound of additives centration
active in g of active
compound compound
in g in the
bait in O
14 phoxim 1 beet sugar 749 0.1
glycerol 250
phoxim 2.5 glycerol Y97.5 0.25
16 phoxim 2.5 beet sugar 97.5 0.25
glycerol 900
The activi-ty of the ant baits according to the
invention in combating ants is illustrated by the following
biotest ~xample.
_x~
Feeding discrimination test on a~ts
.
Teet animals: Lasius niger (workers and larvae)
For the preparation of a suitable bait, 50 m~
of the particular bait material in each case were
~illed into a plastic container I having a diameter of
4 cm and a height of 1.6 cm. In addition, 50 mg in
each case ~f an analogous bait formulation not containing
the active compound were placed in a plastic container II
having the measuremen-ts described previously f`or container
I. The containers I and II, which each had an opening
in the side and, after charging with the bait material,
were closed with a plastic lid, wera placed in a larger
plastic container III, which was open at the top and had
a diame-ter of 11.5 cm and a height of 3.4 cm. The walls
of this plastic con-tainer III were coated with Teflon
in order to prevent the ants crawling out. In each
case, the container III was connected via a 1 cm long plas-tic
tubing, which had an internal diameter of 0.5 cm, with a
glass tube which was 20 cm long and had an internal diameter
of 2.3 cm. The glass tube was 25o filled wi-th mois-t peat
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and contained 20 ants (workers) and 50 ant larvae. The
interior of the glass tube was kept dark by a black wrapper
from a box for photographic film. In this design of
experiment, the ants were allowed the option of rejecting
the bait which cnntained the active compound if a repel-
lent effect developed and of feeding only from the bait
which contained no active compound.
The degree of extermination in O was determined
after 7 days. In this context, 100o indicated that all
the ants (workers) had been killed. 0O indicated that
no ant was killed.
The composition of the baits tested, the contents
of active compounds and the O of ants killed after 7
days can be seen from the following table.
Table l
Feeding discrimination test on ants
Experimental animals: Lasius niger (workers and larvae)
Bait Concentration Ants killed
according of active com- after 7 days
to Example pound in the in o
bait in O
. .
known:
(i) 0.05 60
(ii) 0.05 26.6
(iii) O.l 16
(iv) O.l 35
according to the
invention:
1 loO 98.3
2 n ~ 05 95
~ loO 95
4 O.l 92
O.l 95
6 O.l lO0
7 l~0 lO0
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Tabla 1 (Continuation)
Cait Concentration Ants killed
according of active com- after 7 days
to Example pound in the in u
bait in o
. _ . _ _ . _ . . _ _
0.1 95
9 O~l 92
l~n 100
11 1 . O 100
12 O.l 95
13 1.0 98
14 0.1 83
0.25 ~7
16 0.25 92
As can be seen from the above experimental results,
the baits according to the invention exert no repellent
effect in contrast to the previously known comparison
baits. Thus, on using the baits according to -the
invention, most of the ants died in the experimental period
indicated 7 but when using the known baits tested for
comparison, this was not the case.
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