Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
COMPOSITIONS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR PLANT HEALTH AND PEST
CONTROL USING VAPOR ACTIVITY
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Some embodiments of the present invention pertain to compositions,
substrates and/or
devices that can be used to control a variety of pests. Some embodiments of
the present invention
can be used to control arthropods, including for example, bed bugs, varroa
mites, granary
weevils, and/or other pests.
[0002] Some embodiments of the present invention are compositions, substrates
or devices that
release vapors having pesticidal, pest control and/or plant health activity.
Some embodiments of
the present invention pertain to compositions, methods or apparatus for
selectively controlling an
undesirable target pest, including an arthropod, while not harming or harming
to a lesser extent
than the undesirable pest a desirable organism, including an arthropod. In
some embodiments,
the compositions, methods or apparatus are used to control one or more of
plant pests, household
pests, agricultural pests, to control parasitic infestations, and/or to treat
foodstuffs and the like.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Pest control remains an ongoing, worldwide problem. Lack of effective
pesticides and/or
effective methods of applying them has resulted in nearly epidemic growth of
some pests. There
is consistently increasing demand for safe, naturally-derived, effective pest
control solutions to
address these issues.
[0004] There are several problems with existing products. Many conventional
chemical
pesticides are toxic or do not work well enough. Many insects and other plant
pests have
developed high or increasing levels of resistance to common conventional
pesticides. Many
conventional pesticides are being limited or phased out by governments. This
has prompted a
search for natural solutions, but traditional botanical biochemicals can be
inconsistent, unstable,
hard to deliver and typically only work on contact.
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[0005] One particular challenge in controlling plant pests is that the pests
may harbor in areas
that are difficult to treat or susceptible to damage by conventional liquid
spray products and
methods. These conventional pesticide products typically require direct
contact between the pest
and the pesticide in its solid or liquid form in order to be effective.
[0006] Examples of pests include all life-stages of insects of the orders
Hemiptera, Blattodea,
Hymenoptera, Siphonaptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Thysanura,
Psocoptera,
Dermaptera, Orthoptera Thysanoptera, including pests that impact human health
such as bed
bugs (Cimex lectularius), kissing bugs (Triatoma spp., Paratriatoma spp.),
cockroaches (Blattella
spp., Periplaneta spp., Blatta spp., Supella spp.), ants (family Formicidae),
and fleas
(Ctenocephalides spp. Pulex spp., Xenopsylla spp.), as well as insect pests
that invade human
structures such as beetles (Sitophilus spp., Dermestes spp., Attagenus spp.,
Anthrenus spp.,
Trogoderma spp., Tenebrio spp.), moths (Tinea pellinella, Tineola
bissellilella, Plodia spp.), flies
(Drosophila spp., Calliphora spp., Phaenicia spp., Pollenia spp., Musca spp.,
Sarcophaga spp.,
Wohlfahrtia vigil, Psychoda spp., Telmatoscopus albipunctatus, Dohrniphora
comuta, Megaselia
scalaris, family Sciaridae, family Mycetophilidae), stink bugs (Boisea
trivattata), silverfish
(Lepisma saccharina, Ctenolepisma longicaudata), firebrats (Thermobia
domestica), booklice
(Lachesilla pedicularia, Liposcscelis spp.), earwigs (Forficula auricularia,
Emorellia annulipes,
Labidura riparia), crickets (Acheta donesticus, Gryllus spp.), and the like.
Examples of non-
insect arthropod pests include all life stages of human body lice (Pediculus
humanus, Pediculus
humanus capitus, Pthirus pubis), ticks (Family Ixodidae), chiggers (Family
Tromiculidae),
human & vertebrate mites (Sarcoptes scabies, Ornithonyssus spp., Dermanyssus
gallinae,
Pyemotes tritici, invertebrate mites (Varroa destructor), and the like. Pests
also include pests that
can infest stored products (including for example foodstuffs), including
almond moth (Cadra
cautella), Angoumois grain moth (Sitotroga cerealella), carpet beetle
(Dermestes maculatus),
Cadelle (Tenebroides mauritanicus), cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne),
coffee bean weevil
(Araecerus fasciculatus), confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum), cowpea
weevil
(Callosobruchus maculatus), drugstore beetle (Stegobium paniceum), European
grain moth
(Nemopogon granella), flat grain beetle (Cryptolestes pusillus), grain mite
(Acarus siro), granary
weevil (Sitophilus granarius), Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella),
Khapra beetle
(Trogoderma granarium), larder beetle (Dermestes lardarius), lesser grain
borer (Rhyzopertha
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dominica), maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais), mealworm (Tenebrio molitor),
Mediterranean
flour moth (Anagasta kuehniella), merchant grain beetle (Oryzaephilus
mercator), red flour
beetle (Tribolium castaneum), rice moth (Corcyra cephalonica), rice weevil
(Sitophilus oryzae),
rusty grain beetle (Cryptolestes ferrugineus), sawtooth grain beetle
(Oryzaephilus surinamensis),
warehouse beetle (Trogoderma variable), and the like. Other non-insect plant
pests include
fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, molluscs, and acari (mites), for example.
[0007] Another problem in controlling plant and other pests is that, while
there are pests that are
arthropods, there are also a number of beneficial species that are also
arthropods. It may be
desirable to control pest species of arthropods, while not harming, or at
least harming to a lesser
extent, a beneficial species of arthropod.
[0008] There is a need for improved pest control and plant health products and
methods that
utilize vapor action to effectively and safely treat plant and other pests in
a manner that addresses
the drawbacks of existing treatments. Vapors have the advantage of dispersing
evenly throughout
a given volume of space, including penetrating into small and hidden spaces
that would be
difficult or impossible to reach otherwise such as with a direct contact
treatment product or
method. Vapors allow the maximum and most even penetration within a volume of
space of a
given mass of a pesticide. Gas phase vapors also have the advantage of not
adversely affecting
many types of materials such as electronics, books, or other valuable items,
that can be damaged
by application of a liquid (e.g. short-circuiting, warping, staining, etc.),
or adversely affecting
such materials to a lesser extent than a liquid.
[0009] One disadvantage of some plant health, plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
compounds, including botanical oils such as neem oil for example, is that they
have low
volatility and do not release effective quantities of plant health, plant
health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors. There remains a need for compositions and methods that
improve the
volatilization of plant health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active compounds and/or
otherwise allow for the release of vapors having effective plant health, plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active activity.
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0010] Potential references of interest include the following:
[0011] PCT patent application publication WO 2013/050967.
[0012] Thompson H M, Brown MA, Ball R F, Bew M H (2002). First report of
Varroa
destructor resistance to pyrethroids in the UK". Apidologie 33 (4): 357-366.
doi:10 .105 1 /apido: 2002027 .
[0013] Guzman-Novoa E, Eccles L, Calvete Y, Mcgowan J, Kelly P G & Correa-
Benitez A
(2009) Varroa destructor is the main culprit for the death and reduced
populations of
overwintered honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in Ontario, Canada.
Apidologie 41(4): 443-
450. doi:10.105 1 /apido/2009076.
[0014] Melathopoulos A P, Winston M L, Whittington W R, Higo H, Le Doux M
(2000). Field
evalustion of neem and canola oil for the selective control of the honey bee
(Hymenoptera:
Apidae) mite parsites Varroa jacobsoni (Acari: Varroidae) and Acarapis woodi
(Acari:
Tarsonemidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 93: 559-567.
[0015] The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related
thereto are intended to
be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will
become apparent to
those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of
the drawings.
SUMMARY
[0016] The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and
illustrated in
conjunction with systems, tools and methods which are meant to be exemplary
and illustrative,
not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above-
described problems
have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other
improvements.
The particular embodiments and aspects thereof described below in this present
disclosure also
include those as described and shown in the following prior filed patent
applications including
US Patent Application Serial No. 15/851,550 filed December 21,2017, US Patent
Application
Serial No. 15/037,513 filed May 18, 2016, PCT International Application No.
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
PCT/IB2014/066139 filed November 18, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Nos.
61/905,415; 61/911,434; 61/913194; 61/918641; 61/941049; and 62/008,425.
[0017] In some embodiments, a device for releasing vapors of at least one of a
plant health and a
plant pest control composition is provided, the device comprising: a substrate
impregnated with
the composition, an impermeable housing comprising a flexible pillow packaged
or envelope
containing the substrate, wherein the housing comprises one or more apertures
adapted for
releasing vapors from the substrate, and additionally comprising a removable
peel strip, said peel
strip comprising a flexible vapor impermeable sheet material removably adhered
to the housing
to provide for controllable opening of the apertures to release said vapors by
a user. In one such
embodiment, the composition comprises neem oil, a polar aromatic solvent, and
at least one
diluent. In another such embodiment, the composition additionally comprises at
least one plant
health active ingredient. In some embodiments, the composition comprises at
least one
substance effective to cause constriction of at least a portion of stomata of
at least one plant. In
one such embodiment, the at least one substance comprises nitric oxide. In
some embodiments,
the apertures comprise at least one regular pattern of apertures defining an
opening or window in
the housing adapted for release of said vapors.
[0018] In some embodiments, a treatment enclosure for controlling at least one
species of pest
infecting a plant is provided, the treatment enclosure comprising:
a device for releasing vapors of at least one of a plant health, pesticidal
and a pest control
composition comprising a substrate impregnated with the composition, an
impermeable housing
comprising a flexible pillow packaged or envelope containing the substrate,
wherein the housing
comprises one or more apertures adapted for releasing vapors from the
substrate, and
additionally comprising a removable peel strip, said peel strip comprising a
flexible vapor
impermeable sheet material removably adhered to the housing to provide for
controllable
opening of the apertures to release said vapors by a user; and
a structure for fully or partially sealing the treatment enclosure, to contain
plant health,
pesticidal or pest control vapors released by the device within the treatment
enclosure. In one
such embodiment, the composition comprises neem oil, a polar aromatic solvent,
and at least one
diluent. In another such embodiment, the composition additionally comprises at
least one plant
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
health active ingredient. In some embodiments, the composition comprises at
least one
substance effective to cause constriction of at least a portion of stomata of
at least one plant to be
treated. In one such embodiment, the at least one substance comprises nitric
oxide. In some
embodiments, the at least one stomata constriction substance is separated from
a remaining
portion of the composition within the enclosure and adapted for release from
the enclosure
separately from the remaining portion of said composition. In some
embodiments, the structure
comprises: an outer layer that is impermeable or substantially impermeable to
at least one of a
plant health, or pesticidal vapor, wherein the outer layer comprises a plastic
bag or a rigid
container comprising plastic, rubber, metal, wood, cardboard, expanded
polystyrene, or glass;
and a resealable opening or cover for allowing a user to insert and remove
infested plants or
other articles from the treatment enclosure.
[0019] In some embodiments, a method of controlling at least one plant pest is
provided, the
method comprising: providing a treatment enclosure containing at least one
plant infested with at
least one plant pest or their eggs, and at least one device for releasing
vapors of at least one of a
plant health, pesticidal, and pest control composition according to claim 1;
releasing at least one
of pesticidal and pest control vapors from the at least one device within the
treatment enclosure;
and containing the vapors within the treatment enclosure for a treatment
period. In some such
embodiments, the vapors comprise pesticidal vapors released from a pesticidal
composition
comprising neem oil, a polar aromatic solvent, and at least one diluent. In
some embodiments,
the method additionally comprises releasing at least one substance effective
to cause constriction
of at least a portion of stomata of the at least one plant. In a particular
such embodiment, the at
least one substance comprises nitric oxide. In some embodimemts, the at least
one substance is
released prior to releasing the at least one of pesticidal and pest control
vapors. In some
particular embodiments, the release of the at least one substance is effective
to reduce at least
one of the exposure of the plant to, or a residue in the plant of, the at
least one of pesticidal and
pest control vapors.
[0020] Devices, compositions and methods are provided for applying plant
health treatments,
and/or controlling pests using plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors. The pests can
be terrestrial arthropods, including subterranean arthropods. In some
embodiments, other non-
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insect plant pests which may be mitigated, treated, controlled and/or killed
include fungi,
bacteria, viruses, nematodes, molluscs, and acari (mites), for example. In
some embodiments, an
arthropod pest is controlled while a beneficial species, which can also be an
arthropod, is not
harmed, or is harmed to a lesser extent, by the plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
vapors.
[0021] In some embodiments, at least one of plant health, plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors are released from a substrate impregnated with a plant health,
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition, from a gel comprising a plant
health, plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition, and/or from a device for
releasing plant health,
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors, including from a
liquid plant health, plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition.
[0022] In some embodiments, the device has a housing with a reservoir for
containing a plant
health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition, and a
mechanism for releasing
vapors of the plant health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition. In some
embodiments, the device is or has a substrate impregnated with a plant health,
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition. In some embodiments the
substrate can be a
naturally occurring polymer or a synthetic polymer. In some embodiments, the
substrate is
cotton, paper, or a porous plastic made from polyethylene or polyester fibres,
and may optionally
comprise multiple layers thereof. In some embodiments, the release of vapors
by the device is
enhanced by an active release mechanism. In some embodiments, an indicator is
provided to
provide a visual indication of the amount of plant health, plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active composition remaining in the device.
[0023] In some embodiments, a source of plant health, plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors is placed in a treatment enclosure containing plants, pests or
articles infested or
thought to be infested with pests. In some embodiments, the source of plant
health, plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors is integrated with or provided as an
integral component
of the treatment enclosure. In some embodiments, the source of plant health,
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors is enclosed within the treatment
enclosure for a period of
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
time sufficient to treat plants, or control pests within the treatment
enclosure. In some
embodiments, the supply of plant health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition to the substrate is periodically or continuously replenished to
continue production of
plant health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors over a
period of time, for
example by pumping additional plant health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition to the substrate. In some embodiments, the plant health, plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition is supplied to a device for releasing plant
health, plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors as a self-contained puck or other
treatment medium, and
the puck is periodically exchanged for a fresh puck or treatment medium.
[0024] In some further embodiments of the present invention, plant health,
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active materials may desirably more particularly
comprise one or more
plant health active compound, such as may be used to enhance or treat a plant
health condition of
a plant, or to stimulate an immune, metabolic, genetic or other mechanism or
systemic function
of one or more plants so as to improve, stimulate, enhance, strengthen, or
otherwise influence
plant health characteristics of a plant, for example. In some embodiments, the
plant health active
ingredient may comprise at least one of a chemical plant health agent and a
naturally-derived
plant health agent, such as a natural oil or plant extract. In one such
embodiment, any suitable
plant health active ingredient which is suited for vaporization, vapor
dispersion, vapor transport
or otherwise suitable to be dispersed within an enclosed space in a vapor
transported form may
be used. In some embodiments, a plant health active ingredient may comprise
one or more plant
defence inducing and/or eliciting compound, such as but not limited to
compounds effective to
induce and/or elicit plant systemic activated resistance (SAR) mechanisms in
one or more plant
to be treated by vapor application of such plant health active ingredients,
for example. In one
such embodiment, an SAR plant health active may comprise one or more FRAC
Group P
compound, such as a FRAC Group P fungicide for example, such as are known to
activate one or
more of Pl, P2 or P3 SAR pathways in one or more plant desired to be treated.
In some such
embodiments, exemplary SAR plant health active compounds may comprise any
suitable SAR
plant health active suitable for transport by vapor to treat or more plant
within an enclosed space,
such as one or more of acibenzolar-S-methyl, benzo-thiadiazole,
benzisothiazole, thiadiazole
carboxamide, laminarin, or other extracts or derivatives of laminaria
seaweeds, for example.
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[0025] In some embodiments, the plant health active ingredient may comprise at
least one vapor
transport suitable plant health substance comprising one or more of: a
beneficial fungus or fungal
extract, exudate or fermentate; a beneficial bacterium or bacterial extract,
fragment, exudate,
fermentate or other bacterial product (such as a one or more beneficial
bacterial strains such as
including Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus subtilis, and/or Burkholderia spp.,
for example); a
beneficial virus, viral extract, fragment or phage such as a bacteriophage; a
non-pathogenic strain
or denatured or inactivated strain of an otherwise pathogenic plant microbial
pathogen (such as
plant-hosted viruses, bacteria or fungi (such as Rhizonctonia solani), for
example); endophytic
and/or symbiotic microbial species, extracts or exudates; plant oils or
extracts (such as plant seed
or bark oils, or essential oils, and such as knotweed extract, neem and
karanja oil and extracts or
portions thereof); RNA such as RNA strands effective to enable RNAi modes of
action, for
example; and insect extracts or fragments.
[0026] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one plant
health, pesticidal or pest
control active may comprise any active ingredient in a form suitable for vapor
transport and/or
delivery selected from the list comprising:
A) Respiration inhibitors selected from:
inhibitors of complex III at Q. site: azoxystrobin (II-1), coumethoxy-strobin,
coumoxystrobin, dimoxystrobin (II-2), enestroburin, fenamin-strobin,
fenoxystrobin/flufenoxystrobin, fluoxastrobin (II-3), kresoxim-methyl (II-4),
metominostrobin, orysastrobin (II-5), picoxystrobin (II-6), pyraclostrobin (II-
7), pyrame-
tostrobin, pyraoxystrobin, trifloxystrobin (II-8), 2-[2-(2,5-climethyl-
phenoxyrnethyl)-
pheny11-3-rnethoxy- acrylic acid methyl ester and 2-(2-(3-(2,6-dichloropheny1)-
1-methyl-
allylideneamino-oxymethyl)-phe- ny1)-2-methoxyimino-N-methyl-acetamide,
pyribencarb, triclopyricarb/chlorodincarb, famoxadone, fenamidone;
Inhibitors of complex III at Q, site: cyazofamid, amisulbrom, [(3S,6S,7R,8R)-8-
benzy1-3-11(3-acetoxy- 4-methoxy-pyridine-2-carbony1)-amino]-6-methy1-4,9-
dioxo-1,5-
dioxonan-7-yl] 2-methylpropanoate, [(3S,6S,7R,8R)-8-benzy1-3-[113-
(acetoxymethoxy)-4-
methoxy-pyridine-2-carbonyl]amino]-6-methyl- 4,9-dioxo-1,5-dioxonan-7-yl] 2-
methylpropanoate, [(3S ,6S ,7R,8R)-8-benzy1-3-[(3-isobutoxycarbony-loxy-4-
methoxy-
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pyridine-2-carbonyl)amino]-6-methy1-4,9-dioxo-1 ,5-dioxonan-7-yl] 2-methylpro-
panoate, [(3S ,6S ,7R,8R)-8-benzy1-34[34 1 ,3-benzodioxo15-ylmethoxy)-4-
methoxy-
pyridine-2-carbon-yll amino]-6-methyl-4,9-dioxo 1 ,5-dioxonan-7-yl] 2-
methylpropanoate;
(3S ,6S ,7R,8R)-3-[[(3-hydroxy-4- methoxy-2-pyridinyl)carbonyl]amino1-6-methy1-
4,9-
dioxo-8-(phenyl-methyl)- 1 ,5-dioxonan-7-y1 2-methylpropanoate;
Inhibitors of complex II: benodanil, benzovindiflupyr (II-9), bixafen (II-10),
boscalid
(II-1 1), carboxin, fenfuram, fluopyram (II-12), flutolanil, fluxapyroxad (II-
13),
furametpyr, isofetamid, isopyrazam (II-14), mepronil, oxycarboxin, penflufen
(11-1 5),
penthiopyrad (II-16), sedaxane (II-17), tecloftalam, thifluzamide, N-(4'-
trifluoromethylthiobipheny1-2-y1)-3-difluoromethyl- 1 -methyl- 1H-pyrazole-4-
carboxamide , N-(2-( 1 ,3,3-trimethyl-buty1)-pheny1)- 1 ,3-dimethy1-5-fluoro-
1H-pyrazole-4-
carboxamide, 3-(difluorome- thyl)- 1-methyl-N-( 1,1 ,3-trimethylindan-4-
yl)pyrazole-4-
carboxamide, 3-(trifluoromethyl)- 1 -methyl- N-(1 ,1 ,3-trimethylindan-4-
yl)pyrazole-4-
carboxamide, 1 ,3-dimethyl-N-( 1,1 ,3-trimethylindan-4-yl)pyrazole-4-
carboxamide, 3-
(trifluoromethyl)- 1 ,5-dimethyl-N-( 1,1 ,3-trimethylindan-4-yl)pyrazole-4-
carboxamide,
1 ,3 ,5-trimethyl-N-( 1,1 ,3-trimethylindan-4-yl)pyrazole-4-carboxamide, N-(7-
fluoro- 1 ,1 ,3-
trime- thyl-indan-4-y1)- 1 ,3-dimethyl-pyrazole-4-carboxamide, N-[2-(2,4-
dichloropheny1)-2-methoxy- 1 -methyl- ethy11-3-(difluoromethyl)- 1 -methyl-
pyrazole-4-
carboxamide;
Other respiration inhibitors: diflumetorim, (5 ,8-difluoroquinazolin-4-y1)-
{242-
fluoro-4-(4-trifluorometh- ylpyridin-2-yloxy)-pheny11-ethyl}-amine;
binapacryl,
dinobuton, dinocap, fluazinam (11-1 8); ferimzone; fentin salts such as fentin-
acetate,
fentin chloride or fentin hydroxide; ametoctradin (II-19); and silthiofam;
B) Sterol biosynthesis inhibitors (SBI fungicides) selected from:
C14 demethylase inhibitors (DMI fungicides): azaconazole, bitertanol,
bromuconazole, cyproconazole (II-20), difenoconazole (II-21), diniconazole,
diniconazole-M, epoxiconazole (11-22), fenbuconazole, fluquinconazole (11-23),
flusilazole, flutriafol, hexaconazole, imibenconazole, ipconazole, metconazole
(11-24),
myclobutanil, oxpoconazole, paclobutrazole, penconazole, propiconazole (11-
25),
prothioconazole (11-26), simeconazole, tebuconazole (11-27), tetraconazole,
triadimefon,
triadimenol, triticonazole, uniconazole; imazalil, pefurazoate, prochloraz,
triflumizol;
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
fenarimol, nuarimol, pyrifenox, triforine, [344- chloro-2-fluoropheny1)-5-(2,4-
difluorophenypisoxazol-4-y1]-(3-pyridypmethanol;
Delta14-reductase inhibitors: aldimorph, dodemorph, dodemorphacetate,
fenpropimorph, tridemorph, fenpropidin, piperalin, spiroxamine;
Inhibitors of 3-keto reductase: fenhexamid;
C) Nucleic acid synthesis inhibitors selected from:
phenylamides or acyl amino acid fungicides: benalaxyl, benalaxyl-M, kiralaxyl,
metalaxyl, metalaxyl-M (mefenoxam) (11-38), ofurace, oxadixyl;
others nucleic acid inhibitors: hymexazole, octhilinone, oxolinic acid,
bupirimate, 5-
fluorocytosine, 5-fluoro-2-(p-tolylmethoxy)pyrimidin-4-amine, 5-fluoro-2-(4-
fluorophenylmethoxy)pyrimidin-4-amine;
D) Inhibitors of cell division and cytoskeleton selected from:
tubulin inhibitors: benomyl, carbendazim, fuberidazole, thiabendazole,
thiophanate-
methyl (11-39); 5- chloro-7-(4-methylpiperidin-1 -y1)-6-(2,4,6-
trifluoropheny1)-
[1 ,2 ,41triazolo[1 ,5-a]pyrimidine
other cell division inhibitors: diethofencarb, ethaboxam, pencycuron,
fluopicolide,
zoxamide, metrafenone (II-40), pyriofenone;
E) Inhibitors of amino acid and protein synthesis selected from:
methionine synthesis inhibitors (anilino-pyrimidines): cyprodinil,
mepanipyrim,
Pyrimethanil (11-41);
protein synthesis inhibitors: blasticidin-S, kasugamycin, kasugamycin
hydrochloride-
hydrate, mildiomycin, streptomycin, oxytetracyclin, polyoxine, validamycin A;
F) Signal transduction inhibitors selected from:
MAP / histidine kinase inhibitors: fluoroimid, iprodione, procymidone,
vinclozolin,
fenpiclonil, fludioxonil;
G protein inhibitors: quinoxyfen;
G) Lipid and membrane synthesis inhibitors selected from:
Phospholipid biosynthesis inhibitors: edifenphos, iprobenfos, pyrazophos,
isoprothiolane; propamocarb, propamocarb-hydrochloride;
lipid peroxidation inhibitors: dicloran, quintozene, tecnazene, tolclofos-
methyl,
biphenyl, chloroneb, etridiazole;
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
phospholipid biosynthesis and cell wall deposition: dimethomorph (11-42),
flumorph,
mandipropamid (11-43), pyrimorph, benthiavalicarb, iprovalicarb, valifenalate,
N-(1-(1-
(4-cyano-phenyl)ethanesulfony1)-but-2-y1) carbamic acid-(4-fluorophenyl)
ester;
acid amide hydrolase inhibitors: oxathiapiprolin;
H) Inhibitors with Multi Site Action selected from:
inorganic active substances: Bordeaux mixture, copper acetate, copper
hydroxide,
copper oxychloride (11-44), basic copper sulfate, sulfur;
thio- and dithiocarbamates: ferbam, mancozeb (11-45), maneb, metam, metiram
(II-
46), propineb, thiram, zineb, ziram;
organochlorine compounds: anilazine, Chlorothalonil (11-47), captafol, captan,
folpet,
dichlofluanid, dichlorophen, hexachlorobenzene, pentachlorophenole and its
salts,
phthalide, tolylfluanid, N-(4-chlo- ro-2-nitro-pheny1)-N-ethy1-4-methyl-
benzenesulfonamide;
guanidines and others: guanidine, dodine, dodine free base, guazatine,
guazatine-
acetate, iminoc- tadine, iminoctadine-triacetate, iminoctadine-
tris(albesilate), dithianon,
2,6-dimethy1-1H,5H41,4]dithii- no[2,3-c:5,6-cldipyrrole-1,3,5,7(2H,6H)-
tetraone (II-
48);
I) Cell wall synthesis inhibitors selected from:
inhibitors of glucan synthesis: validamycin, polyoxin B;
melanin synthesis inhibitors: pyroquilon, tricyclazole, carpropamid,
dicyclomet,
fenoxanil;
J) Plant defence inducers selected from:
acibenzolar-S-methyl, probenazole, isotianil, tiadinil, prohexadione-calcium;
fosetyl,
fosetyl-aluminum, phosphorous acid and its salts (11-49);
K) Unknown mode of action selected from: bronopol, chinomethionat,
cyflufenamid,
cymoxanil, dazomet, debacarb, diclomezine, difenzoquat, difenzoquat-
methylsulfate,
diphenylamin, fenpyrazamine, flumetover, flusulfamide, flutianil,
methasulfocarb,
nitrapyrin, nitrothal-isopropyl, oxathiapiprolin, tolprocarb, 243,5-
bis(difluoromethyl)-
1H-pyrazol-1-y11- I 4444-{542-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)phenyl]-4 ,5-dihydro-1,2-
oxazol-3-
yll- 1,3-thiazol-2-yl)piperidin-l-yllethanone, 243,5-bis-(difluoromethyl)-1H-
pyrazol-1-
y1]-144-(4-{542-fluoro- 6-(prop-2-yn-1-yl-oxy)pheny1]-4,5-dihydro-1,2-oxazol-3-
yll-
12
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
I ,3-thiazol-2-Apiperidin-l-yl] -ethanone, 243 ,5-bis(difluoromethyl)-1H-
pyrazol-1-y11-1-
[4-(4-{542-chloro-6-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)pheny1]-4 ,5-dihydro- 1,2-oxazol-3-y11-
1,3-
thiazol-2-yppiperidin-1-yllethanone, oxin-copper, proquinazid, tebufloquin,
tecloftalam,
triazoxide, 2-butoxy-6-iodo-3-propylchromen-4-one, N-(cyclo-propylmethoxyimino-
(6-
difluoro-methoxy- 2,3-difluoro-pheny1)-methyl)-2-phenyl acetamide, N'-(4-(4-
chloro-3-
trifluoromethyl-phenoxy)-2,5-dimethylpheny1)-N-ethyl-N-methyl formamidine, N'-
(4-(4-
fluoro-3-trifluoromethyl-phenoxy)-2,5-dimethyl-pheny1)-N- ethyl-N-methyl
formamidine, N' -(2-methy1-5-trifluoromethy1-4-(3-trimethylsilanyl-propoxy)-
pheny1)-N-
ethyl- N-methyl formamidine, N'-(5-difluoromethy1-2-methy1-4-(3-
trimethylsilanyl-
propoxy)-pheny1)-N-ethyl-N-methyl formamidine, methoxyacetic acid 6-tert-buty1-
8-
fluoro-2,3-dimethyl-quinolin-4-y1 ester, 3-[5-(4-meth- ylpheny1)-2,3-dimethyl-
isoxazolidin-3-y1]-pyridine, 3-[5-(4-chloro-phenyl)-2,3-dimethyl-isoxazolidin-
3- y1]-
pyridine (pyrisoxazole), N-(6-methoxy-pyridin-3-y1) cyclopropanecarboxylic
acid amide,
5-chloro-1-(4,6- dimethoxy-pyrimidin-2-y1)-2-methyl-1H-benzoimidazole, 2-(4-
chloro-
pheny1)-N-[4-(3,4-dimethoxy-phe- ny1)-isoxazol-5-y11-2-prop2-ynyloxy-
acetamide, ethyl
(Z)-3-amino-2-cyano-3-phenyl-prop-2-enoate, tertbutyl N-[6-[[(Z)-[(1-
methyltetrazol-5-
y1)-phenyl-methylene]-amino]oxymethy1]-2-pyridyl[carbamate, pentyl N46-[[(Z)-
[(1-
methyltetrazol-5-y1)-phenyl-methylene]amino]oxymethyl]-2-pyridyl]carbamate, 2-
112-
11(7,8-dif- luoro-2-methyl-3-quinolypoxy1-6-fluoro-phenyl]propan-2-ol, 2-[2-
fluoro-6-11(8-
fluoro-2-methy1-3-qui- nolypoxy]phenyl[propan-2-ol, 3-(5-fluoro-3,3,4,4-
tetramethyl-
3 ,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1-yl)quinoline, 3-(4,4- difluoro-3 ,3-dimethy1-3,4-
dihydroisoquinolin-1-yl)quinoline, 3-(4,4,5-trifluoro-3,3-dimethy1-3,4-
dihydroiso-
quinolin-1-yl)quinoline;
L) Antifungal biopesticides selected from: Ampelomyces quisqualis, Aspergillus
flavus,
Aureobasidium pullulans, Bacillus pumilus (II-50), Bacillus subtilis (II-51),
Bacillus
subtilis var. amyloliquefaciens (11-52), Candida oleophila 1-82, Candida
saitoana,
Clonostachys rosea f. catenulata, also named Gliocladium catenulatum,
Coniothyrium
minitans, Cryphonectria parasitica, Cryptococcus albidus, Metschnikowia
fructicola,
Microdochium dimerum, Phlebiopsis gigantea, Pseudozyma flocculosa, Pythium
oligandrum DV74, Reynoutria sachlinensis, Talaromyces flavus V117b,
Trichoderma
asperellum SKT-1, T. atroviride LC52, T. harzianum T-22, T. harzianum TH 35,
T.
13
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
harzianum T-39; T. harzianum and T. viride, T. harzianum ICC012 and T. viride
ICC080;
T. polysporum and T. harzianum; T. stromaticum, T. virens GL-21, T. viride, T.
viride
TV1, Ulocladium oudemansii HRU3;
M) Growth regulators selected from: abscisic acid, amidochlor, ancymidol, 6-
benzylaminopurine, brassino-lide, butralin, chlormequat (chlormequat
chloride), choline
chloride, cyclanilide, daminozide, dikegulac, dimethipin, 2,6-
dimethylpuridine, ethephon,
flumetralin, flurprimidol, fluthiacet, forchlorfenuron, gibberellic acid,
inabenfide, indole-
3-acetic acid , maleic hydrazide, mefluidide, mepiquat (mepiquat chloride) (11-
54),
naphthaleneacetic acid, N-6-benzyladenine, paclobutrazol, prohexadione
(prohexadione-
calcium, 11-55), prohydrojasmon, thidiazuron, triapenthenol, tributyl
phosphorotrithioate,
2,3,5-tri-iodobenzoic acid , trinex-apac-ethyl and uniconazole;
N) Herbicides selected from:
acetamides: acetochlor, alachlor, butachlor, dimethachlor, dimethenamid,
flufenacet,
mefenacet, me- tolachlor, metazachlor, napropamide, naproanilide, pethoxamid,
pretilachlor, propachlor, thenylchlor;
amino acid derivatives: bilanafos, glyphosate, glufosinate, sulfosate;
aryloxyphenoxypropionates: clodinafop, cyhalofop-butyl, fenoxaprop, fluazifop,
haloxyfop, metamifop, propaquizafop, quizalofop, quizalofop-P-tefuryl;
Bipyridyls: diquat, paraquat;
(thio)carbamates: asulam, butylate, carbetamide, desmedipham, dimepiperate,
eptam
(EPTC), esprocarb, molinate, orbencarb, phenmedipham, prosulfocarb,
pyributicarb,
thiobencarb, triallate;
cyclohexanediones: butroxydim, clethodim, cycloxydim, profoxydim, sethoxydim,
tepraloxydim, tralkoxydim;
dinitroanilines: benfluralin, ethalfluralin, oryzalin, pendimethalin,
prodiamine,
trifluralin;
diphenyl ethers: acifluorfen, aclonifen, bifenox, diclofop, ethoxyfen,
fomesafen,
lactofen, oxyfluorfen; - hydroxybenzonitriles: bomoxynil, dichlobenil,
ioxynil;
imidazolinones: imazamethabenz, imazamox, imazapic, imazapyr, imazaquin,
imazethapyr;
phenoxy acetic acids: clomeprop, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2,4-
DB ,
14
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
dichlorprop, MCPA, MCPA-thioethyl, MCPB, Mecoprop;
pyrazines: chloridazon, flufenpyr-ethyl, fluthiacet, norflurazon, pyridate;
pyridines: aminopyralid, clopyralid, diflufenican, dithiopyr, fluridone,
fluroxypyr,
picloram, picolinafen, thiazopyr;
sulfonyl ureas: amidosulfuron, azimsulfuron, bensulfuron, chlorimuronethyl,
chlorsulfuron, cinosul- furon, cyclosulfamuron, ethoxysulfuron, flazasulfuron,
flucetosulfuron, flupyrsulfuron, foramsulfuron, halosulfuron, imazosulfuron,
iodosulfuron, mesosulfuron, metazosulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl, nico-
sulfuron,
oxasulfuron, primisulfuron, prosulfuron, pyrazosulfuron, rimsulfuron,
sulfometuron,
sulfosul- furon, thifensulfuron, triasulfuron, tribenuron, trifloxysulfuron,
triflusulfuron,
tritosulfuron, 1-((2-chloro- 6-propyl-imidazo[1,2-b[pyridazin-3-ypsulfony1)-3-
(4,6-
dimethoxy-pyrimidin-2-yOurea;
triazines: ametryn, atrazine, cyanazine, dimethametryn, ethiozin, hexazinone,
metamitron, metribuzin, prometryn, simazine, terbuthylazine, terbutryn,
triaziflam;
ureas: chlorotoluron, daimuron, diuron, fluometuron, isoproturon, linuron,
methabenzthiazuron,tebuthiuron;
other acetolactate synthase inhibitors: bispyribac-sodium, cloransulammethyl,
diclosulam, florasulam, flucarbazone, flumetsulam, metosulam, ortho-
sulfamuron,
penoxsulam, propoxycarbazone, pyribam- benz-propyl, pyribenzoxim, pyriftalid,
pyriminobac-methyl, pyrimisulfan, pyrithiobac, pyroxasulfone, py- roxsulam;
other herbicides: amicarbazone, aminotriazole, anilofos, beflubutamid,
benazolin,
bencarbazone,benfluresate, benzofenap, bentazone, benzobicyclon,
bicyclopyrone,
bromacil, bromobutide, butafenacil, butamifos, cafenstrole, carfentrazone,
cinidon-ethyl,
chlorthal, cinmethylin, clomazone, cumyluron, cyprosulfa- mide, dicamba,
difenzoquat,
diflufenzopyr, Drechslera monoceras, endothal, ethofumesate, etobenzanid,
fenoxasulfone, fentrazamide, flumiclorac-pentyl, flumioxazin, flupoxam,
flurochloridone,
flurtamone, indanofan, isoxaben, isoxaflutole, lenacil, propanil, propyzamide,
quinclorac,
quinmerac, mesotrione, methyl arsonic acid, naptalam, oxadiargyl, oxadiazon,
oxaziclomefone, pentoxazone, pinoxaden, pyraclonil, pyraflufen-ethyl,
pyrasulfotole,
pyrazoxyfen, pyrazolynate, quinoclamine, saflufenacil, sulcotrione,
sulfentrazone,
terbacil, tefuryltrione, tembotrione, thiencarbazone, topramezone, (3-[2-
chloro-4-fluoro-
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
5-(3-methy1-2,6-dioxo-4-trifluoromethy1-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyrimidin-1-y1)-
phenoxy]-pyri-
din-2-yloxy)-acetic acid ethyl ester, 6-amino-5-chloro-2-cyclopropyl-
pyrimidine-4-
carboxylic acid methyl ester, 6-chloro-3-(2-cyclopropy1-6-methyl-phenoxy)-
pyridazin-4-
ol, 4-amino-3-chloro-6-(4-chloro- phenyl)-5-fluoro-pyridine-2-carboxylic acid,
4-amino-
3-chloro-6-(4-chloro-2-fluoro-3-methoxy-pheny1)-pyridine-2-carboxylic acid
methyl
ester, and 4-amino-3-chloro-6-(4-chloro-3-dimethylamino-2- fluoro-pheny1)-
pyridine-2-
carboxylic acid methyl ester;
0) Insecticides selected from:
organo(thio)phosphates: acephate, azamethiphos, azinphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos,
chlorpyrifos-methyl, chlorfenvinphos, diazinon, dichlorvos, dicrotophos,
dimethoate,
disulfoton, ethion, fenitrothion, fenthion, isoxathion, malathion,
methamidophos,
methidathion, methyl-parathion, mevinphos, monocrotophos, oxydemeton-methyl,
paraoxon, parathion, phenthoate, phosalone, phosmet, phos- phamidon, phorate,
phoxim,
pirimiphos-methyl, profenofos, prothiofos, sulprophos, tetrachlorvinphos,
terbufos,
triazophos, trichlorfon;
carbamates: alanycarb, aldicarb, bendiocarb, benfuracarb, carbaryl,
carbofuran,
carbosulfan, fenox- ycarb, furathiocarb, methiocarb, methomyl, oxamyl,
pirimicarb,
propoxur, thiodicarb, triazamate;
pyrethroids: allethrin, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, cyphenothrin,
cypermethrin,
alpha-cypermethrin, beta-cypermethrin, zetacypermethrin, deltamethrin,
esfenvalerate,
etofenprox, fenpropathrin, fen-valerate, imiprothrin, lambda-cyhalothrin,
permethrin,
prallethrin, pyrethrin I and II, resmethrin, silafluofen, tau-fluvalinate,
tefluthrin,
tetramethrin, tralomethrin, transfluthrin, profluthrin, dimefluthrin;
insect growth regulators: a) chitin synthesis inhibitors: benzoylureas:
chlorfluazuron,
cyramazin, dif- lubenzuron, flucycloxuron, flufenoxuron, hexaflumuron,
lufenuron,
novaluron, teflubenzuron, triflumuron; buprofezin, diofenolan, hexythiazox,
etoxazole,
clofentazine; b) ecdysone antagonists: halofenozide, methoxyfenozide,
tebufenozide,
azadirachtin; c) juvenoids: pyriproxyfen, methoprene, fenoxycarb; d) lipid
biosynthesis
inhibitors: spirodiclofen, spiromesifen, spirotetramat;
nicotinic receptor agonists/antagonists compounds: clothianidin, dinotefuran,
flupyradifurone, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, nitenpyram, acetamiprid,
thiacloprid, 1-2-
16
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
chloro-thiazol-5-ylmethyl)-2-nitrimino- 3 ,5-dimethy141 ,3 ,5itriazinane;
GABA antagonist compounds: endosulfan, ethiprole, fipronil, vaniliprole,
pyrafluprole, pyriprole, 5- amino-1-(2,6-dichloro-4-methyl-pheny1)-4-
sulfinamoy1-1H-
pyrazole-3-carbothioic acid amide;
mitochondrial electron transport inhibitor (METI) I acaricides: fenazaquin,
pyridaben, tebufenpyrad, tolfenpyrad, flufenerim;
METI II and III compounds: acequinocyl, fluacyprim, hydramethylnon;
Uncouplers: chlorfenapyr;
oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors: cyhexatin, diafenthiuron, fenbutatin
oxide,
propargite;
moulting disruptor compounds: cryomazine;
mixed function oxidase inhibitors: piperonyl butoxide;
sodium channel blockers: indoxacarb, metaflumizone;
ryanodine receptor inhibitors: chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, fluben-
diamide,
N-[4,6-dichloro- 2-Rdiethyl-lambda-4-sulfanylidene)carbamoyll-pheny1]-2-(3-
chloro-2-
pyridy1)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyra- zole-3-carboxamide; N-[4-chloro-2-[(diethyl-
lambda-4-
sulfanylidene)carbamoy11-6-methyl-pheny1]- 2-(3-chloro-2-pyridy1)-5-
trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-3-carboxamide; N-[4-chloro-2-[(di-2-propyl-lambda- 4-
sulfanylidene)carbamoy11-6-methyl-pheny11-243-chloro-2-pyridy1)-5-
(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole-3-car- boxamide; N44,6-dichloro-2-Rdi-2-propyl-
lambda-4-
sulfanylidene)carbamoy1]-pheny11-2-(3-chloro-2- pyridy1)-5-
(trifluoromethyppyrazole-3-
carboxamide; N-[4,6-dichloro-2-[(diethyl-lambda-4-sulfanyli- dene)carbamoy1]-
pheny1]-
2-(3-chloro-2-pyridy1)-5-(difluoromethyl)pyrazole-3-carboxamide; N-[4,6-di-
bromo-2-
[(di-2-propyl-lambda-4-sulfanyl-idene)carbamoy1]-pheny1]-2-(3-chloro-2-
pyridy1)-5-
(trifluor- omethyl)pyrazole-3-carboxamide; N44-chloro-2-[(di-2-propyl-lambda-4-
sulfanylidene)carbamoy1]-6- cyano-pheny11-243-chloro-2-pyridy1)-5-
(trifluoromethyppyrazole-3-carboxamide; N-[4,6-dibromo- 2-11(diethyl-lambda-4-
sulfanylidene)carbamoyll-pheny1]-2-(3-chloro-2-pyridy1)-5-
(trifluoromethyppyrazole-3-
carboxamide;
others: benclothiaz, bifenazate, cartap, flonicamid, pyridalyl, pymetrozine,
sulfur,
thiocyclam, cy- enopyrafen, flupyrazofos, cyflumetofen, amidoflumet,
imicyafos,
17
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
bistrifluron, pyrifluquinazon, 1 ,1' -[(3S ,4R,4aR,6S ,6aS,12R,12aS,12bS)-4-
[[(2-
cyclopropylacetypoxy]-methyll- 1,3,4,4a,5,6,6a,12,12a,12b-decahydro-12-hydroxy-
4,6a,12b-trimethy1-11-oxo-9-(3-pyridiny1)-2H,11H- naphtho[2,1-b]pyrano[3,4-
elpyran-
3,6-diyll cyclopropaneacetic acid ester;
P) ribonucleic acid (RNA) and associated compounds including double-
stranded
RNA (dsRNA), microRNA (miRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA).
[0027] In some embodiments, at least one plant health, pesticidal or pest
control active may
comprise any active ingredient in a form suitable for vapor transport and/or
delivery selected
from the list comprising: at least one natural oil or component or extract
thereof selected from:
neem oil, karanja oil, clove oil, peppermint oil, mint oil, cinnamon oil,
thyme oil, oregano oil,
geranium oil, lime oil, lavender oil, anise oil, and/or garlic oil and/or
components, derivatives
and/or extracts of one or more natural oil, or a combination thereof. In one
such embodiment, at
least one plant health, pesticidal or pest control active may comprise any
active ingredient in a
form suitable for vapor transport and/or delivery selected from the list
comprising: at least one
organic, certified organic, US Department of Agriculture ("USDA") National
Organic Program
compliant ("NOP-compliant") such as may be included in the US Environmental
Protection
Agency FIFRA 25b, list of ingredients published dated December 2015 by the US
EPA entitled
"Active Ingredients Eligible for Minimum Risk Pesticide Products", the US EPA
FIFRA 4a list
published August 2004 entitled "List 4A - Minimal Risk Inert Ingredients" or
the US EPA
FIFRA 4b list published August 2004 entitled "List 4B - Other ingredients for
which EPA has
sufficient information", for example, Organic Materials Review Institute
listed ("OMRI-listed")
or natural plant health active ingredient, for example.
[0028] In some embodiments, at least one plant health, pesticidal or pest
control active may
comprise any active ingredient in a form suitable for vapor transport and/or
delivery selected
from the list comprising: at least one extract or active component of neem oil
or karanja oil, such
as but not limited to: azadirachtin, azadiradione, azadirone, nimbin,
nimbidin, salannin,
deacetylsalannin, salannol, maliantriol, gedunin, karanjin, pongamol, limonoid
depleted neem
oil, flavonoid depleted karanja oil, or derivatives thereof, for example.
18
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
1,1
[0029] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above,
further aspects
and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study
of the
following detailed descriptions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the
drawings. It is
intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be
considered illustrative
rather than restrictive.
[0031] FIG. 1 shows an impregnated substrate with an impermeable backing in
accordance with
one example embodiment of the invention.
[0032] FIG. 2 shows an impregnated substrate with an adhesive backing in
accordance with an
example embodiment of the invention.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows a package of impermeable substrates with a resealable
closure in
accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.
[0034] FIG. 4a, 4b and 4c show passive versions of devices with a permeable
membrane (FIG.
4a), a non-adjustable venting method (FIG. 4b) and an adjustable venting
method (FIG. 4c) in
accordance with some example embodiments of the invention.
[0035] FIG. 5a, 5b, and 5c show non-passive versions of devices with a
permeable membrane
(FIG. 5a), a non-adjustable venting method (FIG. 5b) and an adjustable venting
method (FIG. Sc)
in accordance with some example embodiments of the invention.
[0036] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a non-passive device
with a view of
the interior components and a refilling port in accordance with an example
embodiment of the
invention.
19
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0037] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a non-passive device
with a wick,
diffuser or permeable membrane at least partially surrounding the reservoir in
accordance with
an example embodiment of the invention.
[0038] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a non-passive device
with a means to
alter surface tension in accordance with an example embodiment of the
invention.
[0039] FIG. 9,9b and 9c are schematic drawings showing non-passive versions of
devices with a
viewing window (FIG. 9a), a float (FIG. 9b) and a co-evaporating/color
changing substrate (FIG.
9c) in accordance with example embodiments of the invention.
[0040] FIG. 10 shows a non-passive device with a monitoring and/or self-
regulating component
in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.
[0041] FIG. 11 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a non-passive device
employing an
activation agent in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.
[0042] FIG. 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d illustrate schematically a pillow-packaged
substrate according
to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 12a shows the impregnated substrate in a
sealed package
that is openable by a user to release plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors,
although the substrate and package are separately illustrated for clarity.
FIG. 12b shows the
impregnated substrate in a sealed package with vent apertures covered by a
peel strip. FIG. 12c
shows the impregnated substrate in a sealed package with a venting window
covered by a peel
strip. FIG. 12d shows the impregnated substrate in a sealed package with a
rigid resealable
closure covering vent apertures.
[0043] FIG. 13 shows schematically a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active composition
in an enclosed space with target pests in accordance with an example
embodiment of the
invention.
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0044] FIG. 14a shows schematically a bag with integrated pesticide-
impregnated substrate
according to one example embodiment. FIG. 14b shows schematically an example
embodiment
of a multi-layer bag with a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition
impregnated substrate membrane. FIG. 14c shows an example embodiment of a
reusable
treatment enclosure with an external enclosure for receiving a source of plant
health, pesticidal,
or pest control active vapors. FIG. 14d shows an example embodiment of a
single layer bag with
a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition impregnated
therein.
[0045] FIG. 15 shows a schematic diagram of a Langstroth bee hive that
provides a treatment
enclosure in one example embodiment.
[0046] FIG. 16 shows an example placement of a generally flat substrate
impregnated with a
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition on frames within
a Langstroth bee
hive in one example embodiment.
[0047] FIG. 17 shows the percent mortality of bed bug eggs exposed to vapors
from filter paper
treated with 260 ft2/gal (1.39% (v/v)) Solution A (0 hour dry time) for 1, 5,
15, 30, 60 minutes, 4
hours, or 24 hours. Control eggs (untreated) were not exposed to Solution A
vapors.
[0048] FIG. 18 shows the percent mortality of bed bug adults and eggs after
exposure to 0.037%
or 0.074% v/v Solution C vapors inside sealed 158 L (42 gallon) garbage bags
filled with hard-
cover and soft-cover books (mass-remaining of Solution C after 5 day exposure
is also shown).
[0049] FIG. 19 shows the percent mortality of bed bug adults and eggs after
exposure to 0.037%
v/v Solution C vapors inside sealed 158 L (42 gallon) garbage bags filled with
hard-cover and
soft-cover books, footwear & handbags, or electronics (mass-remaining of
Solution C after 5 day
exposure is also shown).
[0050] FIG. 20 is a photograph illustrating how the absorbent pad was draped
over the suit (left
image) and how the suit and pad were sealed inside a suit bag (right image).
21
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0051] FIG. 21 shows the percent mortality of adult bed bugs exposed to vapors
emitted from 30
ml (=0.043% v/v) or 60 ml (Ø086% v/v) of liquid Solution C for 24 hours
inside a sealed suit-
bag.
[0052] FIG. 22 shows the mortality of German cockroaches, Dermestid beetle
larvae, pavement
ants, granary weevils and earwigs after exposure to vapors emitted by 60 ml
Solution C(=0.037%
v/v) inside a sealed plastic bag (n=20 insects of each species per treatment,
5 insects per bag).
[0053] FIG. 23 shows the relative isopropyl alcohol vapor concentration (as
determined by peak
area) when 0.25,0.5, 1,2, or 4 ounces (7.5, 15, 30,60 or 120 mL) (Ø0046%,
0.009%, 0.019%,
0.037% and 0.07% v/v) of Solution C is poured onto an absorbent cellulose pad
and sealed inside
an empty 158 L (42 gallon) plastic bag (n=3 bags per volume of Solution C
tested).
[0054] FIG. 24 shows relative isopropyl alcohol vapor concentration (as
determined by peak
area) when 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 ounces (7.5, 15, 30, 60 or 120 mL) (=0.0046%,
0.009%, 0.019%,
0.037% and 0.07% v/v) of Solution C is poured onto an absorbent cellulose pad
and sealed inside
a 158 liter plastic bag filled with books (n=3 bags per volume of Solution C
tested).
[0055] FIG. 25 shows mean mortality of adult bed bugs and bed bug eggs after 5-
day exposure to
various vapor concentrations emitted by 0.25,0.5, 1,2, or 4 ounces (7.5, 15,
30,60 or 120 mL)
(Ø0046%, 0.009%, 0.019%, 0.037% and 0.07% v/v) of Solution C inside a sealed
158 L (42
gallon) plastic bag (n=5 bugs per bag; 3 bags per concentration tested).
Solution C vapor
concentrations are displayed as relative isopropyl alcohol vapor concentration
(determined by
HPLC peak areas analyzed from samples of each bag's head-space). Lines above
and below data
points indicate standard error of mortality of adult bugs and eggs.
[0056] FIG. 26 shows mean mortality of granary weevils, Sitophilus granarius,
within jars of
grain, after exposure to vapors emitted by 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1, or 0.25
ounces (0.75 mL,
1.5 mL, 2.25 mL, 3 mL, or 7.5 mL) (=0.0046%, 0.009%, 0.019%, 0.037% and 0.07%
v/v) of
Solution C inside a sealed 158 L (42 gallon) plastic bag (n=20 weevils per
jar, 4 jars per
treatment volume). Mortality observations were made after 3 days exposure to
vapors. Lines
22
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
above and below data points indicate standard error of mortality and asterisks
indicate insect
mortality after 24 h vapor-exposure that is significantly higher than control
mortality of the same
species. (Chi-square test; *p<0.01; 1 d.f.).
[0057] FIG. 27 shows a top view of a pillow-packaged substrate treatment pad
device, showing a
protective peel-off strip sealing over one or more vapour release apertures,
and enclosing a
substrate adapted for absorption of a plant health, plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active
formulation, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0058] FIG. 28 shows a top view of a pillow-packaged substrate treatment pad
device after
opening by removing a protective peel-off strip, showing an exemplary pattern
of vapour release
apertures, and enclosing a substrate adapted for absorption of a plant health,
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active formulation for release of plant health,
plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active vapors through the apertures, according to an
embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0059] FIG. 29 shows a top view of an alternative pillow-packaged substrate
treatment pad
device, showing visual elements and an instructive indicia for opening of a
protective peel-off
strip sealing over one or more vapour release apertures, for enclosing a
substrate adapted for
absorption of a plant health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
formulation, according
to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0060] FIG. 30 shows a top view of a pillow-packaged substrate treatment pad
device, showing
visual elements and an instructive indicia for opening of a top protective
peel-off strip sealing
over one or more vapour release apertures, and enclosing a substrate adapted
for absorption of a
plant health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active formulation,
according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0061] FIG. 31 shows a top view of the pillow-packaged substrate treatment pad
device shown in
FIG. 30, showing the top protective peel-off strip partially removed to show
one or more vapour
release apertures, and enclosing a substrate adapted for absorption of a plant
health, plant health,
23
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
pesticidal, or pest control active formulation and for release of plant
health, plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors through the apertures, according to
an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0062] FIG. 32 shows a top view of a pillow-packaged substrate treatment pad
device after
opening by removing a protective peel-off strip, showing a pattern of vapour
release apertures,
and enclosing a substrate adapted for absorption of a plant health, plant
health, pesticidal, or pest
control active formulation for release of plant health, plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors through the apertures, according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0063] FIG. 33 shows a perspective view of a pillow-packaged substrate
treatment pad device,
showing the side and top of the pad after opening by removing a protective
peel-off strip,
showing a pattern of vapour release apertures, and enclosing a substrate
adapted for absorption
of a plant health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
formulation for release of plant
health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors through the
apertures, according to
an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0064] FIG. 34 shows a side view of a pillow-packaged substrate treatment pad
device after
opening by removing a protective peel-off strip, showing a pattern of vapour
release apertures,
and enclosing a substrate adapted for absorption of a plant health, plant
health, pesticidal, or pest
control active formulation for release of plant health, plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors through the apertures, according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0065] FIG. 35 shows a bottom view of a pillow-packaged substrate treatment
pad device,
adapted for enclosing a substrate adapted for absorption of a plant health,
plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active formulation, according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0066] FIG. 36 shows a top view of an alternative pillow-packaged substrate
treatment pad
device, showing visual elements and an instructive indicia for opening of a
top protective peel-
off strip sealing over one or more vapour release apertures, and enclosing a
substrate adapted for
24
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
absorption of a plant health, plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
formulation, according
to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
DESCRIPTION
[0067] Throughout the following description specific details are set forth in
order to provide a
more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well known
elements may
not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring
the disclosure.
Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an
illustrative, rather than a
restrictive, sense.
[0068] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used
herein have the same
meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which
this invention
belongs.
[0069] As used herein, singular forms include plural references unless the
context clearly dictates
otherwise. As used herein, "comprises" or "comprising" are to be interpreted
in their open-ended
sense, i.e. as specifying that the stated features, elements, steps or
components referred to are
present, but not excluding the presence or addition of further features,
elements, steps or
components.
[0070] As used herein, the term "pest" refers to organisms that negatively
affect a host or other
organism¨such as a plant or an animal such as a mammal¨by colonizing,
damaging, attacking,
competing with them for nutrients, or infecting them, as well as undesired
organisms that infest
plant growth structures, human structures, dwellings, living spaces or
foodstuffs. Pests can
include arthropods, including insects, arachnids and cockroaches, and includes
sucking, biting
and stinging pests such as bed bugs, kissing bugs, mites, ticks, ants, lice,
fleas, chiggers, biting
flies, mosquitoes, and wasps, as well as insects that infest stored products
such as moths, mites
and weevils. Pests can further comprise any other organism which may
negatively affect a plant
or other host organism, such as but not limited to fungi, bacteria, viruses,
molluscs, acari,
nematodes and protozoa, for example.
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0071] As used herein, "plant" embraces individual plants or plant varieties
of any type of plants,
in particular agricultural, silvicultural and ornamental plants. As used
herein, "plant health" is
intended to mean a condition of a plant, which may be determined by several
aspects alone or in
combination. One indicator for determining a plant health condition of a plant
is the "crop yield
". "Crop" and "fruit" are to be understood as any plant product which is
further utilized after
harvesting, e.g. fruits in the literal botanical meaning, as well as but not
limited to vegetables,
nuts, grains, seeds, wood (e.g. in the case of silviculture plants), flowers
(e.g. in the case of
gardening plants, ornamentals) etc., and further includes anything of economic
value that is
produced by the plant. A further indicator for determining a plant health
condition of a plant is
the "plant vigour". Plant vigour may comprise several aspects, such as some
which comprise
visually and/or physically observable characteristics or visual appearance,
e.g. leaf colour, fruit
colour and aspect, amount or proportion of dead basal leaves and/or extent of
leaf blades, plant
weight, plant height, extent of plant verse (lodging), number, strongness and
productivity of
tillers, length of panicles, extent of root system, strength of roots, extent
of foot nodulation, in
particular of rhizobial nodulation, germination time or rate, emergence,
flowering, grain maturity
and/or senescence, protein content, sugar content and the like. Another
indicator for determining
a plant health condition of a plant is the plant's tolerance or resistance to
biotic and abiotic stress
factors. As used herein, "plant health active" is intended to mean a substance
or microorganism
having a plant health activity with respect to a plant, such as having a
beneficial, advantageous,
symbiotic or other positive effect on at least one of the above indicators of
plant health or vigour.
[0072] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the tolerance
of and/or
resistance of a plant against one or more biotic stress factors may desirably
be enhanced by
treatment with at least one plant health active containing composition
according to an aspect of
the disclosure. In one such embodiment, treatment with one or more plant
health compositions
may be used for stimulating the natural defensive reactions of a plant against
a pathogen and/or a
pest, such as may desirably result in one or more plant strengthening effects
or increases in one
or more plant health indicators, for example. In one such embodiment, such
plant health
compositions may desirably be useful for mobilizing the plant's defense
mechanisms against the
attack of unwanted microorganisms and/or pests, and may optionally further
desirably result in
26
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
the plant becoming tolerant or even resistant to one or more such
microorganisms and/or pests.
In one such embodiment, such unwanted microorganisms or pests may comprise
certain
phytopathogenic fungi and/or bacteria and/or viruses, for example. In another
such embodiment,
unwanted pests may comprise one or more of insects and/or acari, and/or
nematodes, for
example. In some such embodiments, synergistic plant health compositions
according to the
present disclosure may be used for stimulating the natural defensive reactions
of a plant against
microorganisms such as for example against one or more of phytopathogenic
fungi, bacteria
and/or viruses, wherein the treated plant may desirably develop an increased
defense mechanism
or other defensive adaptation against one or more pathogens.
[0073] In further embodiments, treatment with plant health active containing
compositions may
also desirably provide for enhancement of one or more of tolerance and/or
resistance of a plant
against one or more abiotic stress factors. In one such embodiment,
synergistic plant health
compositions may desirably be applied to a plant for stimulating a plant's own
defensive
reactions against abiotic stress such as extremes in temperature, e.g. heat or
cold or strong
variations in temperature or temperatures unusual for the specific season,
drought, extreme
wetness, high salinity, radiation (e.g. increased UV radiation due to the
decreasing ozone
protective layer or decreased solar radiation due to filtering or shading for
example), increased
ozone levels, organic pollution (e.g. by phytotoxic amounts of pesticides or
other organic
chemical or non-chemical pollutants) and/or inorganic pollution (e.g. by heavy
metal
contaminants or other inorganic chemical or non-chemical pollutants), for
example.
[0074] As used herein, the terms "pesticide" or "pesticidal" or grammatical
equivalents thereof,
are understood to refer to any composition or substance that can be used in
the control of any
agricultural, horticultural, natural environmental, and domestic/household
pests, including but
not limited to fungicides, herbicides, nematicides, molluscicides, acaricides,
insecticides and
bacteriocides/virucides. The terms "control" or "controlling" are meant to
include, but are not
limited to, any killing, inhibiting, growth regulating, or pestistatic
(inhibiting or otherwise
interfering with the normal life cycle of the pest) activities of a
composition against a given pest.
These terms include for example in reference to plant pests, sterilizing
activities which prevent
the production or normal development of seeds, ova, sperm or spores, cause
death of seeds,
27
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
1,1
sperm, ova or spores, or otherwise cause severe injury to the genetic
material. Further activities
intended to be encompassed within the scope of the terms "control" or
"controlling" include
preventing larvae from developing into mature progeny, modulating the
emergence of pests from
eggs including preventing eclosion, degrading the egg material, suffocation,
interfering with
mycelial growth, reducing gut motility, inhibiting the formation of chitin,
disrupting mating or
sexual communication, preventing feeding (antifeedant) activity, and
interfering with location of
hosts, mates or nutrient-sources. The term "pesticide" includes fungicides,
herbicides,
nematicides, insecticides, acaricides, molluscicides, bacteriocides, virucides
and the like. The
term "pesticide" encompasses, but is not limited to, naturally occurring
compounds as well as so-
called "synthetic chemical pesticides" having structures or formulations that
are not naturally
occurring, where pesticides may be obtained by various means including, but
not limited to,
extraction from biological sources, chemical synthesis of the compound, and
chemical
modification of naturally occurring compounds obtained from biological
sources.
00751 Exemplary pests against which some embodiments can be used include
terrestrial
arthropods (including subterranean arthropods), including all life-stages of
insects of the orders
Hemiptera, Blattodea, Hymenoptera, Siphonaptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera,
Diptera, Thysanura,
Psocoptera, Dermaptera, Orthoptera Thysanoptera, including pests that impact
human health
such as bed bugs (Cimex lectularius), kissing bugs (Triatoma spp.,
Paratriatoma spp.),
cockroaches (Blattella spp., Periplaneta spp., Blatta spp., Supella spp.),
ants (family Formicidae),
and fleas (Ctenocephalides spp. Pulex spp., Xenopsylla spp.), as well as
insect pests that invade
human structures such as beetles (Sitophilus spp., Dermestes spp., Attagenus
spp., Anthrenus
spp., Trogoderma spp., Tenebrio spp.), moths (Tinea pellinella, Tineola
bissellilella, Plodia spp.),
flies (Drosophila spp., Calliphora spp., Phaenicia spp., Pollenia spp., Musca
spp., Sarcophaga
spp., Wohlfahrtia vigil, Psychoda spp., Telmatoscopus albipunctatus,
Dohrniphora cornuta,
Megaselia scalaris, family Sciaridae, family Mycetophilidae), stink bugs
(Boisea trivattata),
silverfish (Lepisma saccharina, Ctenolepisma longicaudata), firebrats
(Thermobia domestica),
booklice (Lachesilla pedicularia, Liposcscelis spp.), earwigs (Forficula
auricularia, Emorellia
annulipes, Labidura riparia), crickets (Acheta donesticus, Gryllus spp.), and
the like. Examples
of non-insect arthropod pests include all life stages of human body lice
(Pediculus humanus,
Pediculus humanus capitus, Pthirus pubis), ticks (Family Ixodidae), chiggers
(Family
28
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
111
Tromiculidae), human & vertebrate mites (Sarcoptes scabies, Ornithonyssus
spp., Dermanyssus
gallinae, Pyemotes tritici, invertebrate mites (Varroa destructor), and the
like. Pests also include
pests that can infest stored products, including almond moth (Cadra cautella),
Angoumois grain
moth (Sitotroga cerealella), carpet beetle (Dermestes maculatus), Caddie
(Tenebroides
mauritanicus), cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne), coffee bean weevil
(Araecerus
fasciculatus), confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum), cowpea weevil
(Callosobruchus
maculatus), drugstore beetle (Stegobium paniceum), European grain moth
(Nemopogon
granella), flat grain beetle (Cryptolestes pusillus), grain mite (Acarus
siro), granary weevil
(Sitophilus granarius), Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella), Khapra
beetle (Trogoderma
granarium), larder beetle (Dermestes lardarius), lesser grain borer
(Rhyzopertha dominica),
maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais), mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), Mediterranean
flour moth
(Anagasta kuehniella), merchant grain beetle (Oryzaephilus mercator), red
flour beetle
(Tribolium castaneum), rice moth (Corcyra cephalonica), rice weevil
(Sitophilus oryzae), rusty
grain beetle (Cryptolestes ferrugineus), sawtooth grain beetle (Oryzaephilus
surinamensis),
warehouse beetle (Trogoderma variable), and the like.
[0076] As used herein, the term "vapor" has the meaning as defined by the
Merriam Webster
dictionary, of a "substance that is in the form of a gas or that consists of
very small drops or
particles mixed with the air." Examples of vapors include, without limitation,
gases, aerosols,
mist, smoke, steam, fog, fumes and fumigants.
[0077] As used herein, the term "substrate" refers to any substance that
contains or is
impregnated with a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition. The substrate
provides a medium for absorbing a liquid plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition and releasing vapors of the plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition.
[0078] As used herein, the term "gel" refers to a solid or semi-solid material
having a
substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the
steady-state.
29
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0079] As used herein, the term "liquid" refers to a substance that has a
definite volume but no
fixed shape. The "viscosity" of a liquid refers to the resistance of a liquid
to gradual deformation
by shear stress or tensile stress. A liquid with a higher viscosity is a
relatively thicker (slower
flowing) liquid.
[0080] As used herein, the term "diffuse" or "diffusion" refers to the
spreading out of a
substance through a volume of space, generally from regions of high
concentration to regions of
lower concentration. "Passive diffusion" refers to naturally occurring
diffusion of a gas or
aerosol unaided or influenced by application of an outside force, whereas
"active diffusion"
refers to diffusion that is aided or facilitated or influenced by the
application of an outside force,
agent or device.
[0081] As used herein, the term "phoretic mites" means mites living on adult
bees, outside of the
brood cells where the bees matured.
[0082] As used herein, the terms "control" or "controlling" include, but are
not limited to, any
killing, growth regulating, signaling or communication interruption,
disruption or alteration,
knockdown or pestistatic (inhibiting or otherwise interfering with the normal
life cycle of the
pest) activities of a composition against a given pest. Further activities
intended to be
encompassed within the scope of the terms "control" or "controlling" include
preventing larvae
from developing into mature progeny, modulating the emergence of pests from
eggs including
preventing eclosion, degrading the egg material, suffocation, reducing gut
motility, inhibiting the
formation of chitin, disrupting mating or sexual communication, and preventing
feeding
(antifeedant) activity. "Knockdown" is the inability of an arthropod to make
coordinated
movement, which eliminates its ability to locate food, shelter and/or host
organisms.
[0083] Some embodiments of the present invention provide plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active compositions that release vapors (via evaporation,
aerosolization, etc.) having
effective plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active activity against
pests and their eggs. Some
embodiments provide substrates impregnated with a plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control
active composition such that the substrate releases plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
vapors over time. Some embodiments provide devices comprising a liquid or
gelled plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition or a substrate impregnated with
a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition, wherein the device actively or
passively diffuses
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors.
[0084] In some embodiments, the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active composition is
applied in liquid form to a substrate such that the substrate contains,
absorbs or is impregnated
with the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition and
serves as a vehicle for
release of the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition in
vapor form. Examples
of such substrates include any kind of cloth, paper, textile, wipe, pad,
sponge, mat, filter,
honeycomb, or other porous or absorbent material. In some alternative
embodiments, the
substrate may comprise a container, ampoule, frangible reservoir, or other
vessel or chamber
which may contain a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition, and is adapted to
release the composition in vapor form, such as by breaking, fracturing,
tearing, crushing,
bending, rupturing, puncturing, perforating or otherwise opening or venting
the vessel or
chamber so as to release the composition in vapor form, for example.
[0085] In some example embodiments, the substrate comprises a naturally
occurring polymer,
such as cellulose (for example in the form of cotton, paper, wood, wood pulp,
or the like), wool,
felt, chitin, silk or the like. Natural plant fibers can also be
'manufactured' into an artificial
material where they are processed into pulp and then extruded like synthetic
fibers like
polyethylene, polyester or nylon to produce an artificial fiber like rayon or
viscose, and these
materials can be used as substrates in some example embodiments.
[0086] In some embodiments, the substrate is non-woven, for example, cotton
batting and filter
paper are examples of non-woven cellulose substrates. In some embodiments, the
substrate is
woven, for example, cotton cloth, wool or silk are examples of a woven
cellulose substrates.
[0087] As used herein, a "woven" substrate refers to a substrate formed by
weaving or knitting
fibers together. The fibers can be synthetic (e.g. polyester or polypropylene)
or natural (e.g.
plant-derived like pulp or cotton or animal derived like wool or silk).
31
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0088] As used herein, a "non-woven" substrate is a substrate that is not
woven. In some cases,
naturally-occurring non-woven substrates will be produced naturally or with
some human
processing, for example in the case of cotton and paper. In some cases, fabric-
like materials can
be made through processing techniques that do not result in the formation of a
woven substrate,
and hence are non-woven, for example, some fabric-like materials are made from
long fibers
bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat or solvent treatments, for
example felt.
[0089] In some example embodiments, the substrate is a synthetic polymer, such
as polyester,
copolyester, cellulose acetate, olefins, nylon, modacrylate, polyphenylene
sulfide, rayon, nylon,
polypropylene, polyethylene, polybutylene terephthalate, polyurethanes,
acrylic polymers, latex,
styrene/butadiene, a silicone, or the like. In some embodiments, the synthetic
polymer is woven.
In some embodiments, the synthetic polymer is non-woven.
[0090] In some example embodiments, the substrate is a non-woven synthetic
material, such as
polyester, copolyester, cellulose acetate, olefins, nylon, modacrylate,
polyphenylene sulfide,
viscose, rayon, or the like. In some example embodiments, the substrate is a
woven synthetic
polymer, for example, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, or the
like.
[0091] In some embodiments, the synthetic material can be partly or fully
biodegradable.
[0092] In some embodiments, the substrate is a sponge. In some embodiments,
the sponge is
made from a synthetic material, for example, a foamed plastic polymer, a low
density polyether,
polyvinyl acetate (PVA), silicone or polyurethane foam, polyester, or the
like. In some
embodiments, the sponge is manufactured from a naturally occurring material
such as cellulose,
including cellulose obtained from wood.
[0093] In some embodiments, the substrate is a natural or manufactured
cellulose material. In
some embodiments, the natural cellulose material is in granular form, for
example, corncob,
wood, wood pulp, nut shells, chips, bark or the like.
32
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0094] In some embodiments, the substrate is a mineral, such as zeolite,
diatomaceous earth,
clay, sepiolite, bentonite clay, silica, silicate, silicon dioxide, or the
like. In some embodiments,
the mineral is provided in granular form.
[0095] In some embodiments, the substrate is a carrier such as a wax, such as
an animal wax
(e.g. beeswax), a plant wax (e.g. carnuba wax), or a petroleum-based wax (e.g.
paraffin wax).
[0096] In some embodiments, the substrate is porous. In some embodiments, the
pores have an
average diameter of from about 5 to about 500 micrometers, or any amount or
range there
between, for example from about 10 to about 200, or from about 50 to about 150
micrometers,
including any value therebetween, e.g. 25,50,100,150,200,250,300,350,400 or
450
micrometers.
[0097] In some embodiments, the substrate is a porous plastic. In some
embodiments, the porous
plastic comprises polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate or polyester
fibres. The fibres may be
felted or glued, or fused to provide an open cell or porous structure that is
non-woven.
[0098] The substrate should be selected to be compatible with the plant
health, pesticidal, or pest
control active solution to be released, and should be mechanically strong to
retain a porous
structure and be resistant to degradation such by an active ingredient,
solvent, carrier or
emulsifier and/or adjuvant compound. Without being bound by theory, it is
believed that any
material that provides appropriate gaps between the fibers for receiving and
absorbing a plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition can be used in some
embodiments of the
present invention, regardless of whether the material is woven or non-woven.
The gaps are
believed to provide a space for receiving (i.e. absorbing) the liquid plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition, and the fibers are believed to assist with
transporting the liquid
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition throughout the
substrate to facilitate
release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors.
[0099] In some embodiments, the pesticide-impregnated substrate is replaced
with a gelled plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition, i.e. a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
33
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
active composition which has been provided with a solid or semi-solid gel
consistency by the
addition of appropriate gelling agents.
[0100] In some embodiments, the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active composition is
formulated into a solid or gel that serves as a vehicle for releasing plant
health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors. For example, alginate, agar or any other gelling or
thickening agent may
be used to gel an aqueous solution containing a plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition, including for example suitable polymers. The gel may comprise
natural gelling
agents, or synthetic gelling agents, or a combination thereof. Examples of
natural gelling agents
include starches, agars, gums, pectin, proteins, collagen, gelatin,
furcellaran, saccharides,
hydrocolloids, and the like. Examples of synthetic gelling agents include
silicones, polyethylene
glycol (PEG), polyvinyl alcohol, or the like.
[0101] Addition of a gelling agent to an aqueous solution forms a weakly
cohesive internal
structure, to form a homogeneous gel (which may be solid or semi-solid, or
creamy or pasty in
some embodiments) from a solution of a plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition. Plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors are then
released from the gel.
[0102] In some embodiments, the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active composition is
absorbed or impregnated into a porous solid substrate or provided as a gel. In
some
embodiments, the solid substrate or gel compositions assist with controlling
the rate of release of
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors. While the embodiments
described below
are described with reference to the use of a substrate impregnated with a
plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active composition or a liquid plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition contained in some suitable manner, in some embodiments, the
substrate or the
liquid composition are replaced with a plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active composition
in gel form.
[0103] In some embodiments, the substrate is adapted to provide a visual
indication of the
relative amount of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition remaining within
the substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate changes dimensions (for
example, by swelling
34
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
111
or enlarging), when the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition is applied to
the substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate changes dimensions (for
example, by
shrinking), as the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition is released as a
vapor from the substrate (for example, by evaporation). Thus, a visual
inspection of the relative
dimensions of the substrate can provide a visual indication of the relative
amount of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition remaining within the substrate.
[0104] In some embodiments, the substrate includes an indicator, dye, or co-
evaporating colored
substance, so that the color of the substrate changes and provides a visual
indication of the
absorption and release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition from the
substrate.
[0105] In some embodiments in which the carrier solvent for the plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active composition comprises an alcohol, an oxidative-reductive
approach can be used as
an indicator to provide a visual indication of the absorption and release of
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition from the substrate. For
example, chromic acid
derivatives can be used for oxidizing primary and secondary alcohols, such as
Jones reagent (a
solution of sodium dichromate in aqueous sulfuric acid) and pyridinium
chlorochromate,
C5H5NH(+)CrO3C1(¨), commonly known as PCC. Both reagents involve the use of
chromium
in which it is reduced from Cr+6 to Cr+3 in the presence of the alcohol and
acid. Cr+6 is
yellowish orange in color and when it is reduced to Cr+3, the color is changed
to blue-green.
[0106] In some embodiments, a chromic acid derivative and a suitable acid such
as sulphuric
acid or hydrochloric acid are preloaded on an indicator paper associated with
the substrate
impregnated with a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition comprising an
alcohol as a carrier solvent, and the alcohol vapor released from the
substrate as plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors are released should react with the
preloaded chromic acid
derivative indicator paper to cause the paper to change color from yellow to
green. The color
change from yellow to green can be used as a visual indicator of the relative
amount of plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition remaining in the
substrate (i.e. when the
color has changed from yellow to green, this indicates that most or all of the
plant health,
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
pesticidal, or pest control active composition has been released from the
substrate). In alternative
embodiments, rather than using a separate indicator paper, the indicator is
integrated with the
substrate.
[0107] In some embodiments, an indicator covered by a soluble coating that
dissolves in the
presence of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors is used to
provide a visual
indication of the amount of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition remaining.
As plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapor is released from a
release device, the
soluble coating is exposed to and dissolved by the plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active
vapors. Once the coating has dissolved, the indicator is rendered visible. The
thickness and/or
composition of the coating can be adjusted so that the coating is dissolved
after a majority of the
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition in the release
device has been released
as a vapor. Thus, the visibility of the indicator provides a visual indication
that most or all of the
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition has been released
from the substrate.
[0108] In some embodiments, the release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors
from a substrate proceeds by passive means, such as diffusion, evaporation,
vaporization,
aerosolization, or other natural process.
[0109] In some embodiments, the release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors
from a substrate proceeds by active means, i.e. the natural release of plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active vapors from the substrate is enhanced by another
mechanism, for example,
heating, air exchange (for example by the operation of a fan), sonication,
addition of a chemical
compound or enzyme that stimulates release of plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
vapors from the substrate or produces an exothermic reaction, addition of a
gas such as CO2,
application of electrical current, or the like.
[0110] In some embodiments, an effective concentration of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors are used to control a pest. In some embodiments, plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active vapors are contained within a treatment enclosure to
enhance the efficacy of
treatment of a particular pest infested article (e.g. as compared with
allowing the free diffusion of
36
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors into the external
environment). In some
embodiments, the treatment enclosure is sealable, such that plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors are released and contained within a confined space. In
some embodiments,
the treatment enclosure is permeable to plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors, so
that plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors can diffuse out
of the treatment
enclosure. In some such embodiments, the permeable treatment enclosure slows
the rate of
diffusion of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors out of
the treatment enclosure,
as compared with the rate of diffusion of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors in
open air. In some such embodiments, the permeable treatment enclosure helps to
retain a
sufficiently high vapor concentration within the treatment enclosure for a
sufficiently long period
of time to control any pests within the treatment enclosure.
[0111] In some embodiments, the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors are
released from a liquid solution containing a plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition that is appropriately contained, for example by being contained
within a membrane
that is permeable to plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors
but not to liquid, or by
being contained within a reservoir of a device for releasing plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors, for example as described with reference to example
embodiments of such
devices below. In some embodiments, a viscosity-modifying agent is added to
the liquid, to
modulate the rate of release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors from the
liquid and/or to modulate the rate of flow of the liquid by modifying its
viscosity. In some
embodiments, petroleum jelly, liquid silicones, polyethylene glycol (PEG),
polyvinyl alcohol,
sulfonates, sodium or calcium salts, or the like are used as viscosity-
modifying agents to
modulate the viscosity of a liquid source of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors.
In some embodiments, modulating the viscosity of a liquid source of plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active vapors can adjust the rate of release of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors from the liquid composition.
[0112] FIG. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of a plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control
active or pest control device 10 for releasing plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active or pest
control active vapors. Plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active or
pest control device 10 has
37
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
an absorbent substrate 16 that has been impregnated with a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active composition or material that produces a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapor. Plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active or pest control
device 10 has an
impermeable membrane 18 provided on one edge of the impregnated substrate 16.
In
embodiments where it is provided, impermeable membrane 18 may act as a backing
to help
prevent the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition
contained within
impregnated substrate 16 from contacting surfaces on which plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active or pest control device 10 is placed.
[0113] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, impregnated substrate 16 has a
plurality of
dimples 12. Dimples 12 create a waffled surface. In some embodiments, dimples
12 may serve as
wells to retain an applied (or pre-dosed) plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition to aid in absorption of that plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition into impregnated substrate 16. For example, dimples 12 may serve
to prevent an
applied liquid plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition
from running off
substrate 16 while the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition is absorbed into
substrate 16. In some embodiments, dimples 12 may be formed as a result of the
process of
manufacturing substrate 16 and/or device 10, and may be a pressure point
binding multiple
layers of substrate 16. In some embodiments, dimples 12 may be formed as a
result of using a
peg, optionally of the same material as substrate 16, to bind multiple layers
of substrate 16
together. In some additional embodiments, ridges, waves, depressions, or other
surface shapes or
forms may be formed in the surface of the impregnated substrate 16.
[0114] In some example embodiments, an absorbent multi-layered substrate 16
comprises
fibrous material that has been 'felted' together with pressure and/or friction
in specific locations
to produce dimples 12. In some embodiments, spot applications of adhesive are
applied,
penetrating multiple of layers to anchor them together, while leaving the
majority of the surface
and layers available for absorption of the applied plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active
composition. In some example embodiments, mechanical aids such as dowels could
be inserted
through multiple layers of substrate 16, to help bind the separate layers
together. In other
embodiments, multiple layers of substrate 16 can be held together in any
suitable manner.
38
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0115] In some embodiments, a base of the impregnated substrate is covered by
an impermeable
membrane 18 to prevent the release of moisture or vapors through that side so
as to protect the
surface on which the substrate is placed. With reference to FIG. 2,
illustrating an alternative
device 10A, in some embodiments, the base 18 of the substrate comprises an
adhesive strip 22
for securing the substrate, for example within a treatment enclosure. In some
embodiments, a
side of the substrate comprises a removable cover strip 20 covering adhesive
strip 22, to protect
adhesive strip 22 and help it retain its adhesive properties until device 10
is deployed and the
removable cover strip 20 removed by a user. In some embodiments, both an
impermeable
membrane 18 and an adhesive strip 22 are provided with the impermeable
membrane 18
interposing adhesive strip 22 and impregnated substrate 16.
[0116] In some embodiments, a side of the substrate comprises a removable
adhesive cover strip
that is impermeable to prevent the release of moisture or vapors from the
substrate until after the
removable adhesive coverstrip is removed (e.g. after a user has removed the
removable adhesive
strip to activate the device). In some embodiments, the side of the substrate
comprising the
removable adhesive cover strip is the side opposite to the side of the
substrate on which the
impermeable membrane 18 is provided.
[0117] With reference to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, one or more impregnated
substrates 16
or devices 10 are contained within an impermeable sealable package to prevent
the release and
escape of vapors when not in use. In the illustrated embodiment, an exemplary
impermeable
sealed package has a body 24 and an end 28 with a resealable opening 30. In
alternative
embodiments, the sealed package may just have a body with a resealable
opening, with no
distinct or clearly definable end like end 28 defined thereon. The resalable
opening 30 can have
any suitable resealable closure, for example a releasable port, a zipper-like
seal, a pressure seal, a
reusable adhesive seal, or the like). In the illustrated embodiment,
resealable opening 30 has a
resealable pressure seal 32 such as that commonly found in small plastic bags
sold generally to
consumers.
39
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0118] In some embodiments, each substrate is pre-dosed with an appropriate
quantity of plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition for easy application
within a given
treatment volume. In some embodiments, the substrates 16 are pre-dosed with
between 10 mL
and 100 mL of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition. In
some such
embodiments, the substrates 16 are intended for use in a treatment enclosure
having a volume in
the range of 10 L to 1000 L, including any volume therebetween e.g.
100,200,300,400,500,
600,700,800 or 900 L. In some embodiments, a plurality of pre-dosed substrates
16 are
packaged together in a suitable resealable package, and can be removed
individually from a
package when needed.
[0119] In some embodiments, a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition in
liquid form is contained in a vessel or reservoir from which vapors are
releasable. In some
embodiments, vapors are released passively by a wick, diffuser or through a
permeable
membrane. In some embodiments, diffusion and/or evaporation may be actively
aided by a
heater, fan, aerator, pump, or other electrical or mechanical means. In some
embodiments,
evaporation is actively increased or controlled by lowering or modifying the
surface tension of
the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition via
electrical or mechanical means.
In some embodiments, evaporation is actively increased by adding a chemical
agent to the plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition. In some such
embodiments, the chemical
agent catalyzes release of vapors of the plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition from the device. In some embodiments, the chemical agent causes an
exothermic
reaction that enhances release of vapors of the plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition from the device.
[0120] Some embodiments comprise a means for actively diffusing a plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active vapor, such as a fan, pump, or other such mechanical
diffuser, an ultrasonic or
humidifying diffuser, an evaporative diffuser, a heat diffuser, or other such
diffusion-aiding
components. Some embodiments comprise a means for increasing or controlling
the rate of
evaporation of vapors, such as a heater, fan, aerator (e.g. a device for
passing air or gas through
or over a solution containing a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active composition),
aerosolizer (e.g. an atomizer or other device for creating a mist of a plant
health, pesticidal, or
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
pest control active composition), pump, etc. Some devices comprise mechanical
and/or electrical
components to achieve the functions described herein.
[0121] Devices according to some embodiments of the present invention comprise
a portable
housing containing a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition, gel or substrate
as described above. In some embodiments, this housing comprises mesh, slits or
holes or other
openings (i.e. apertures) through which vapors may be released. In some
embodiments, these
openings may be opened and closed by appropriate means. In some embodiments,
these
openings are adjustable to control the rate of release of vapors. In some
embodiments, the
housing comprises a permeable membrane or porous material that allows vapors
to be released
while containing any liquid or solid contents of the device. In some
embodiments, the permeable
membrane or porous material allows for the controlled release of vapors at a
desired rate or dose.
In some embodiments, the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition within the
device is refillable.
[0122] With reference to FIG. 4a, an example embodiment of a device for
passively releasing
vapors of a pesticide through a permeable membrane has an enclosure 40 with a
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 received therein. In some
embodiments, the
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 is provided in
enclosure 40 on an
impregnated substrate or other vehicle for gradually releasing plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors. In some embodiments, the plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition is spotted on a substrate in liquid form within enclosure 40, and
diffuses outwardly
within the absorbent substrate, as indicated by dashed line 45 showing the
extent of diffusion of
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 on the
substrate in FIG. 4a.
Enclosure 40 has a permeable membrane 42 on one edge thereof affixed at a lip
44 to the main
body of enclosure 40, so that plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
vapours can diffuse
out of enclosure 40. In alternative embodiments, a reservoir such as reservoir
55 described below
can be provided in enclosure 40 for receiving a plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition in liquid form and releasing vapors therefrom via permeable
membrane 42. In
alternative embodiments, a gelled plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active composition can
41
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
replace the substrate impregnated with a plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition.
[0123] In the illustrated embodiment, enclosure 40 has a lip 44. In some
embodiments,
permeable membrane 42 is coupled to enclosure 40 via lip 44 in any suitable
manner. In some
embodiments, permeable membrane 42 is coupled to lip 44 by a suitable
adhesive, melting or
welding process, pressure or fusion method, solvent melt, or the like. In some
embodiments, lip
44 is bevelled, for example to avoid having any sharp edges on enclosure 40
that might puncture
a bag or other structure that is used to contain enclosure 40, or other
enclosures 40 stored
together.
[0124] Enclosure 40 is generally cuboid in shape, with one edge of the cuboid
being defined by
permeable membrane 42. This configuration allows a pesticide-impregnated
substrate to be
inserted inside enclosure 40, while permeable membrane 42 allows plant health,
pesticidal, or
pest control active vapors to diffuse from the pesticide-impregnated
substrate. In some
embodiments, the sides of enclosure 40other than the side defined by permeable
membrane 42
are made from a non-permeable material (e.g. glass or a suitable plastic), so
that enclosure 40
can be placed on a surface without releasing pesticide onto that surface, e.g.
to avoid causing
damage to that surface. While the exemplary embodiment has been illustrated as
generally
cuboid, enclosure 40 could be provided with any suitable shape, e.g. spheroid,
oval, cylindrical,
pyramidal, or the like.
[0125] With reference to FIG. 4b, an example embodiment of an alternative
enclosure 40A for
delivering plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors is
illustrated. Enclosure 40A is
similar to enclosure 40, but has a perforated or mesh surface 48 having a
plurality of apertures
49therethrough that allow for non-adjustable release of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors from a substrate impregnated with a plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition 46 instead of a permeable membrane 42. In some embodiments,
perforated or mesh
surface 48 is supported on lip 44 so that surface 48 does not contact the
substrate impregnated
with plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition.
42
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0126] With reference to FIG. 4c, an example embodiment of an alternative
enclosure 40B for
adjustably delivering plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors
is illustrated.
Enclosure 40B is similar to enclosure 40A, but has an adjustment shield 50
slidably mounted
thereon. Perforated or mesh surface 48 on enclosure 40B allows plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors to diffuse from a substrate impregnated with a plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition 46. Adjustment shield 50 is slidable over
perforated or mesh
surface 48 to obscure some or all of the apertures 49 therethrough. A user can
slide adjustment
shield 50 to cover more or fewer of apertures 49 to decrease or increase,
respectively, the rate of
release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 as
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors out of enclosure 40B.
[0127] In alternative embodiments, perforated or mesh surface 48 could be
replaced with a
permeable membrane 42.
[0128] With reference to FIG. 5a, an example embodiment of a device for
actively diffusing
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors from a substrate
impregnated with a plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 (or a gelled plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition, or a reservoir containing a liquid plant
health, pesticidal, or pest
control active composition in alternative embodiments) is illustrated.
Enclosure 40C has a
permeable membrane 42 for allowing release of plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
vapors therefrom, and a bevelled region 44 connecting permeable membrane 42 to
the main body
of enclosure 40C. Enclosure 40C further includes a diffusion/evaporation aid
54. Examples of
diffusion/evaporation aids that could be used in some embodiments include a
heater, fan, aerator,
pump, or other electrical or mechanical means. Diffusion/evaporation aid 54,
when operated, acts
to enhance or increase the rate of release of plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active vapors
from enclosure 40C. In some embodiments, a user can control the level of
operation (e.g. the
temperature setting of a heater, or the speed of rotation of a fan) or the
length of time that
diffusion/evaporation aid 54 is operated to enhance the release of plant
health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapours to a desired level. In some embodiments, a user can
provided a
directionality to the operation of diffusion/evaporation aid 54, for example
by adjusting a
43
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
direction of output of a fan, for example in order to direct vapors to a
specific area or to
concentrate vapors in a specific region.
[0129] With reference to FIG. 5b, another example embodiment of a device for
actively diffusing
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors from a substrate
impregnated with a plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition is illustrated.
Enclosure 40D is similar to
enclosure 40C, but rather than having a permeable membrane 42, enclosure 40D
has a non-
adjustable perforated or mesh surface 48 to facilitate venting (i.e. release)
of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition 46 through apertures 49 therein. A diffusion/evaporation aid 54 is
provided to
enhance or increase the rate of release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors
through apertures 49 when operated.
[0130] With reference to FIG. 5c, another example embodiment of a device for
actively diffusing
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors having an adjustable
venting method is
provided. Enclosure 40E is generally similar to enclosure 40D, but is further
provided with an
adjustment shield 50 that can be slid by a user to cover some or all of
apertures 49 on perforated
or mesh surface 48, so that a user can regulate the rate of release of plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition 46 by another mechanism other than regulation
of
diffusion/evaporation aid 54.
[0131] With reference to FIG. 6, a further example embodiment of a non-passive
device for
releasing plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors is
illustrated in cross-section.
Enclosure 40F includes a permeable membrane 42 for allowing release of plant
health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors from a reservoir 55 with a plant
health, pesticidal, or pest
control active composition 46 contained therein. Enclosure 40F includes a
diffusion/evaporation
aid 54 for stimulating the release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors from
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46, to enhance
the release of plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors through permeable membrane
42. Enclosure 40F
further includes a refilling port 56, which allows a user to add further plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition 46 to enclosure 40F.
44
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[0132] In some embodiments, plant health, pesticida], or pest control active
composition 46 is
provided as a "puck", i.e. a substrate impregnated with a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active composition, or a solution of a plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active composition
contained within a permeable membrane that contains the liquid form of the
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition but allows diffusion of vapours
therefrom, or a gel
containing a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition, and
refilling port 56
allows a user to remove a spent puck from enclosure 40F and insert a fresh
puck therein. In other
embodiments, refilling port 56 provides an access pathway so that a user can
use a pipettor or
other dispensing device to add additional liquid plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition 46 to reservoir 55.
[0133] With reference to FIG. 7, a further example embodiment of a non-passive
device is
illustrated. Enclosure 40G has a reservoir 55 for receiving a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active composition 46. At least a portion of the perimeter of
reservoir 55 (and the entire
perimeter in the illustrated embodiment) is provided with a diffusion member,
for example, a
wick, diffuser or permeable membrane, illustrated schematically as 58. In some
embodiments,
diffusion member 58 is formed of the same materials as permeable membrane 42,
or from any
suitable substrate. Diffusion member 58 facilitates diffusion of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors from plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition 46.
Enclosure 40G also includes a diffusion/evaporation aid 54, to further enhance
the release of
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors from plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active composition 46. Enclosure 40G also includes a refilling port 56, to
allow additional plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 to be introduced
therein. In the
embodiment of enclosure 40G, plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition 46
would typically be provided as a liquid composition that could flow into the
wick, diffuser or
permeable membrane 58.
[0134] With reference to FIG. 8, a further example embodiment is illustrated.
Enclosure 40H has
a reservoir 55 for containing a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active composition 46. The
reservoir 55 is partially bounded by a diffusion member 59, such as a wick,
diffuser or permeable
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
membrane. Diffusion member 59 is generally similar to diffusion member 58,
except that it is
provided along only a portion of reservoir 55. A surface tension modification
device 60 is
provided associated with reservoir 55, for modifying the surface tension of
the plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 contained in reservoir 55.
In some example
embodiments, suitable means for modifying the surface tension include a
mechanism for
bubbling air or another gas through reservoir 55, a vibrator, a sonicator, an
impeller or other
agitator, electrodes, or the like. In some embodiments, decreasing the surface
tension of a liquid
contained in reservoir 55 may allow the plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition 46 to flow more easily through fibres or across a membrane or
other surface, in
order to increase the rate of vapor release from that composition. This is
another means of active
diffusion. In the embodiment of enclosure 40H, plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition 46 would be provided as a liquid composition.
[0135] In some embodiments, some devices allow for easy assessment by users of
the quantity of
product remaining. Some devices with a liquid store of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active composition allow for visual windows onto the fill level or for floats
to indicate the
amount of liquid remaining. Devices which incorporate a composition-
impregnated substrate
may have the substrate change color depending on its moisture level. In yet
other embodiments,
gel substrates may co-evaporate with or otherwise degrade with the evaporation
of the plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition, such that the quantity
of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition remaining is indicated by the
quantity of substrate
remaining. In other embodiments, solid substrates may degrade with the
evaporation of the plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition, so that the quantity
of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition remaining is indicated by the
quantity of substrate
remaining.
[0136] FIGS. 9a, 9b and 9c illustrate example embodiments of non-passive
devices for releasing
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors. These example
embodiments include visual
indicators to indicate the amount of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active composition 46
remaining in the device.
46
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0137] The example embodiment of an enclosure 401 illustrated in FIG. 9a has a
viewing
window 62 that allows a user to visually ascertain the level 63 of a liquid
plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active composition 46 within a reservoir 55 of the device. In
some such
embodiments, a refilling port similar to refilling port 56 is provided, so
that a user can refill the
liquid plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 within
reservoir 55 when the
level 63 is observed to fall below a predetermined level.
[0138] The example embodiment of an enclosure 40J illustrated in FIG. 9b has a
visual indicator,
a float 66 in the illustrated embodiment, that provides a visual indication on
the outside of
enclosure 40J of the level 63 of liquid plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active composition
46 remaining in reservoir 55. In some such embodiments, a refilling port
similar to refilling port
56 is provided, so that a user can refill the liquid plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active
composition 46 within reservoir 55 when the level 63, as indicated by float
66, is observed to fall
below a predetermined level.
[0139] The example embodiment of an enclosure 40K shown in FIG. 9c has a
colored co-
evaporating substance 68 that evaporates at the same or a similar rate as
plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active composition 46 contained within reservoir 55. Thus, a
user can ascertain
the level 63 of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition
46 remaining in
reservoir 55 by viewing the level of the colored co-evaporating substance 68.
In some such
embodiments, a refilling port similar to refilling port 56 is provided, so
that a user can refill the
liquid plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 within
reservoir 55 when the
level 63, as indicated by visual inspection of colored co-evaporating
substance 68, is observed to
fall below a predetermined level. In alternative embodiments, a similar
colored visual indication
of the level of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition
remaining in the device
could be provided by the use of a color-changing substrate (i.e. a substrate
that changes color as
it dries out), or by providing a separate reservoir of a colored volatile
compound that evaporates
at a rate similar to plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition 46.
[0140] Some embodiments of the present invention allow for a controlled
release of a particular
dose of a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapor. Some devices
according to the
47
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
present invention include a means for monitoring and/or self-regulating the
dose of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapor that is released over time. In some
devices, this
monitoring and/or self-regulating is accomplished by measuring a weight change
over time of
the device or the substrate or composition contained in the device.
[0141] FIG. 10 shows an example embodiment of a non-passive device for
releasing plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors with a monitoring and/or self-
regulating component 70.
Enclosure 40L has a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition 46 contained
within a reservoir 45, and a diffusion/evaporation aid 54 to promote release
of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors. Enclosure 40L further includes a
monitoring and/or self-
regulating component 70, which is a device for measuring the change in weight
over time of the
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46contained in
reservoir 55. Enclosure
40L also includes a refilling port 56. In some embodiments, a user can add
more plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 to enclosure 40L through
refilling port 56 in
response to a signal or indication by monitoring and/or self-regulating device
70 indicating that
the level of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46
in reservoir 55 has
dropped below a predetermined level. Such a signal can be generated by any
suitable means, e.g.
a visual indication, an audible indication, an electrical signal transmitted
by wired or wireless
means to a monitoring station, or the like.
[0142] FIG. 11 shows an example embodiment of a non-passive device, enclosure
40M, having
an activation agent 72 that enhances the release of plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active
vapors from plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46.
In some
embodiments, including the illustrated embodiment, activation agent 72 is
contained in a well,
reservoir, or other structure such as reservoir 74, that can be placed in
fluid communication with
reservoir 55. Activation agent 72 can be any suitable agent that interacts
with plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 to enhance the release of
vapors therefrom, for
example, a catalyst, enzyme or other reaction initiator, or a chemical
compound that causes an
exothermic reaction to heat plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition 46 and
thereby increase the rate of release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors
therefrom. In some embodiments, enclosure 40M also includes a
diffusion/evaporation aid 54, to
48
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
1,1
further assist in increasing the release of vapor from plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active composition 46. In some embodiments, enclosure 40M includes a refilling
port 56, to
facilitate adding additional plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition 46 to
enclosure 40M.
[0143] In some devices, the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition or
impregnated substrate is formulated to release vapors upon contact with an
activation agent. The
activation agent may chemically react with the plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition or substrate, or serve as a catalyst to a chemical reaction, that
releases vapors. In
some embodiments the activation agent is water or another solvent. Without
being bound by
theory, water or another solvent may act as an activation agent by (1)
dissolving or emulsifying
an insecticidal composition which then enters a vapor phase with evaporating
water; (2) water
may be miscible with at least one component of an plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition and when combined, the water and the component co-evaporate at a
higher rate
and/or lower temperature than the component would evaporate at if not combined
with water;
and/or (3) exothermic reactions with water (e.g. an acid-base reaction) can
heat the plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition to increase its evaporation
rate. In some
embodiments, the user triggers the release of vapors by adding the activation
agent to the device,
or otherwise causing the activation agent to come into contact with the plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition or substrate in the device.
[0144] In some embodiments, the activation agent is a chemical compound that
causes an
exothermic reaction, for example, calcium oxide, nitrocellulose potassium
nitrate, peroxide of
potassium permanganate, or the like, as described in JP 394189382 and TW
201306740A, both
of which are incorporated by reference herein. In some embodiments, in a
device for releasing
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors, a chemical compound
that causes an
exothermic reaction is added to a water bath that surrounds and/or contacts a
substrate
impregnated with a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition via an interposed
impermeable layer, so that heat from the water bath is transferred to the
substrate.
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[0145] In some embodiments, a device for providing vapors of a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active composition has a pump or other discharge mechanism for
releasing a controlled
amount of a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active solution from a
liquid reservoir onto a
substrate from which plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors
can be released from
the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active solution. In some such
embodiments, the pump
is set to deliver a pre-determined amount of liquid plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active
composition to the substrate to replace the plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition that is being released as a vapor at approximately the same rate
that the plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition is released as vapor. In some
such embodiments,
the pump is set to deliver a pre-determined amount of liquid plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active composition to the substrate to maintain a substantially
constant concentration of
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapor within a treatment
enclosure. In some
embodiments, the pump is set to deliver a pre-determined amount of liquid
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition to the substrate periodically
over time, to
periodically deliver an effective amount of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapor
within a treatment enclosure to control pests within the treatment enclosure
on an ongoing basis
or at multiple time intervals. In some embodiments, the pump is set to deliver
a pre-determined
amount of liquid plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition
for a prolonged
period of time, for example from 1 day to 6 months, or any period of time
therebetween, e.g. 15
days, 30 days, 45 days, 60 days, 3 months, 4 months or 5 months. In some
embodiments, the
pump is set to deliver a pre-determined amount of liquid plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active composition a specified intervals, e.g. for 2 days every month on an
ongoing basis.
[0146] With reference to FIG. 12a, an example embodiment of a pillow-packaged
substrate 200
that provides a device for releasing plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors is
illustrated. Pillow-packaged substrate 200 has an outer housing 202 made from
an impermeable
material, containing a substrate 204 impregnated with a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active composition therein. In the illustrated embodiment, outer housing 202
is formed from top
and bottom layers of impermeable material, sealed together along their edges
to define a space
therein for receiving substrate 204. FIG. 12a shows the substrate 204 and
outer housing 202
adjacent one another to better show the features of pillow packaged substrate
200. In some
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
embodiments, substrate 204 is impregnated with plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition and placed inside outer housing 202, which is then sealed. Outer
housing 202
remains sealed until a user is ready to use substrate 204 to release plant
health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors. The user then opens outer housing 202 in any suitable
manner and
removes substrate 204 for use.
[0147] Examples of suitable impermeable materials that can be used to form
outer housing 202
include any suitable plastic or similar impermeable material, including
polyesters like
polyethylene, low/medium and high density polyethylene, biaxially-oriented
polyethylene
terephthalate (e.g. MylarTm ), polypropylene, biaxially oriented
polypropylene, metalized
polyester, nylon, biaxially oriented nylon, paper poly foil poly, ethylene-
vinyl acetate, film foil
laminations, poly extrusion laminations, and the like.
[0148] FIG. 12b shows an example embodiment of a pillow-packaged substrate
200A. Pillow-
packaged substrate 200A is generally similar to pillow-packaged substrate 200,
except that outer
housing 202A includes a peel strip 206 one face thereof. Peel strip 206 can be
peeled back from
the main body of outer housing 202A to reveal a perforated surface 208 of
outer housing 202A.
Perforated surface 208 is provided with a plurality of apertures 210. When
peel strip 206 is in the
sealed position, perforated surface 208 (and more specifically, all of
apertures 210) are sealingly
covered by peel strip 206. In some embodiments, substrate 204 is impregnated
with a plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition and placed inside outer
housing 202A,
which is then sealed. Outer housing 202A remains sealed, until a user is ready
to use substrate
204 to release plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors. The
user then peels back peel
strip 206 to expose some or all of apertures 210 on perforated surface 208, so
that plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors can be released from pillow-packaged
substrate 200A via
apertures 210.
[0149] FIG. 12c shows an example embodiment of a pillow-packaged substrate
200B. Pillow-
packaged substrate 200B is generally similar to pillow-packaged substrate
200A, except that a
window 212 is provided in place of perforated surface 208. In the illustrated
embodiment,
window 212 comprises a generally rectangular opening in outer housing 202B
that is initially
51
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
sealingly covered by peel strip 206. Peel strip 206 can be pulled back to
uncover window 212,
thereby exposing substrate 204. In some embodiments, substrate 204 is
impregnated with a plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition and placed inside
housing 202B, which is
then sealed. Outer housing 202B remains sealed until a user is ready to use
substrate 204 to
release plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors. The user then
peels back peel strip
206 to expose all or part of window 212, so that plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
vapors can be released from pillow-packaged substrate 200B.
[0150] In alternative embodiments, rather than covering perforated surface 208
or window 212
with a peel strip 206, outer housing 202A or 202B could instead be provided
with a series of cut
lines, and a user could cut or tear along the cut lines to remove a portion of
outer housing 202
and expose perforated surface 208 and/or window 212.
[0151] In alternative embodiments, rather than peel strip 206 being made of a
flexible material,
outer housing 202A or 202B could be provided with a rigid resealable closure,
for example in the
nature of rigid resealable plastic closures provided on packaging of consumer
wet wipes and/or
antibacterial wipes. The rigid resealable closure could be opened and closed
by a user to expose
perforated surface 208 or window 212 only at desired times, and could contain
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors within substrate 204 to preserve
pillow-packaged
substrate 200A or 200B for future uses. An example of such an embodiment is
illustrated in FIG.
12d, in which pillow-packaged substrate 200A has a rigid plastic resealable
closure 214 covering
perforated surface 208 (including apertures 210 and substrate 204) instead of
a peel strip 206.
[0152] FIG. 27 shows a top view of a related exemplary pillow-packaged
substrate treatment pad
device 372, showing a protective peel-off strip 374 sealing over one or more
vapor release
apertures (not shown), and enclosing a substrate (not shown) adapted for
absorption of a plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active formulation, according to an
embodiment of the present
disclosure. In one such embodiment, the pillow-package housing of the device
372 may
comprise one or more suitable impermeable materials that can be used to form a
substantially
vapor-impermeable outer housing of device 372, and in some embodiments may
comprise any
suitable plastic or similar substantially impermeable material, including but
not limited to
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
polyesters like polyethylene, low/medium and high density polyethylene,
biaxially-oriented
polyethylene terephthalate (e.g. MylarTm ), polypropylene, biaxially oriented
polypropylene,
metalized polyester, nylon, biaxially oriented nylon, paper poly foil poly,
ethylene-vinyl acetate,
film foil laminations, poly extrusion laminations, and the like. In some
embodiments, peel strip
374 may comprise any suitable substantially impermeable material adapted for
sealing over one
or more vapor release apertures, such as a suitable flexible film or sheet
material which may be
adhesively or otherwise suitable sealed to the outer housing of device 372, or
alternatively may
be integral with or form part of the outer housing of device 372 and be
adapted for peeling away
from the remainder of the outer housing, such as by release of a peelable
releasable adhesive, or
by separation (such as but not limited to separation of one of a plurality of
layers of material)
from the outer housing of device 372 such as to reveal at least a portion of
the vapor release
aperture(s) for facilitating release of vapors of the plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active
formulation, for example.
[0153] FIG. 28 shows a top view of an exemplary pillow-packaged substrate
treatment pad
device 382 after opening by removing a protective peel-off strip, showing an
exemplary pattern
of vapour release apertures 384, and enclosing a substrate (not shown) adapted
for absorption of
a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active formulation for release of
plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active vapors through the apertures, according to an
embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0154] FIG. 29 shows a top view of an alternative pillow-packaged substrate
treatment pad
device 390, showing exemplary visual elements 394 and an exemplary instructive
indicia 396 for
opening of a protective peel-off strip 398 sealing over one or more vapour
release apertures (not
shown), for enclosing a substrate (not shown) adapted for absorption of a
plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active formulation, according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0155] FIG. 30 shows a top view of a further exemplary pillow-packaged
substrate treatment pad
device 402, showing exemplary visual elements and an exemplary instructive
indicia for opening
of a top protective peel-off strip sealing over one or more vapour release
apertures (not shown),
and enclosing a substrate (not visible under strip) adapted for absorption of
a plant health,
53
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
pesticidal, or pest control active formulation, according to an embodiment of
the present
disclosure.
[0156] FIG. 31 shows a top view of the exemplary pillow-packaged substrate
treatment pad
device 402 shown in FIG. 40, showing the top protective peel-off strip
partially removed to show
an exemplary pattern of one or more vapour release apertures, and enclosing an
exemplary
substrate adapted for absorption of a plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active formulation
and for release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors
through the apertures,
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0157] FIG. 32 shows a top view of the exemplary pillow-packaged substrate
treatment pad
device 402, after opening by removing a peel-off strip, showing an exemplary
pattern of vapour
release apertures, and enclosing an exemplary substrate adapted for absorption
of a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active formulation for release of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors through the apertures, according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0158] FIG. 33 shows a perspective view of the pillow-packaged substrate
treatment pad device
402, showing the side and top of the pad after opening by removing a peel-off
strip, showing an
exemplary pattern of vapour release apertures, and enclosing an exemplary
substrate adapted for
absorption of a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active formulation
for release of plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors through the apertures,
according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0159] FIG. 34 shows a side or edge view of the pillow-packaged substrate
treatment pad device
402 showing the side or edge of the pad after opening by removing a peel-off
strip, showing an
exemplary pattern of vapour release apertures, and enclosing an exemplary
substrate adapted for
absorption of a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active formulation
for release of plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors through the apertures,
according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
54
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
111
[0160] FIG. 35 shows a bottom view of a pillow-packaged substrate treatment
pad device 402,
adapted for enclosing a substrate (not shown) adapted for absorption of a
plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active formulation, according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0161] FIG. 36 shows a top view of an exemplary alternative pillow-packaged
substrate
treatment pad device 462, showing visual elements and an instructive indicia
for opening of a top
protective peel-off strip sealing over one or more vapour release apertures
(not visible under
strip), and enclosing a substrate (not shown) adapted for absorption of a
plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control active formulation, according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0162] Some embodiments of the present invention provide methods for killing
or controlling a
pest comprising placing a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition, substrate or
device as described above in the vicinity of a target pest, such that the pest
is exposed to the
vapors released from the composition, substrate, or device.
[0163] In some embodiments, methods comprise placing the composition,
substrate or device in
an enclosed volume of space (i.e. a treatment enclosure) such that released
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors accumulate within the enclosed space
and effectively kill
or control any target pest within the space over a period of time. In some
embodiments, the
enclosed space is a sealable container containing plants or other objects that
are infested or
potentially infested by a target pest. In some embodiments, the enclosed space
is a container that
can be partially enclosed containing objects that are infested or potentially
infested by a target
pest. In some embodiments, the enclosed space is a container that is only
partially permeable to
pesticide vapors, and the container contains objects that are infested or
potentially infested by a
target pest. Examples of enclosed spaces or sealable containers that can
provide a treatment
enclosure in some embodiments include bags, garbage bags, garbage or recycling
bins, boxes,
suitcases, back packs, duffel bags, clothes bags, cabinets, totes, barrels,
pet kennels and crates,
shipping containers (including intermodal, standard, high-cube, hard top,
ventilated, refrigerated,
insulated and tank containers and the like), vehicles such as cars, trucks,
buses, boats, train cars,
recreational vehicles, motorhomes, cube vans, transport trucks, boats and the
like, including
public transportation vehicles, closets, rooms, hotel rooms, offices,
dormitories, storage lockers,
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
warehouses, greenhouses, plant growth chambers or rooms or enclosures,
terrariums, plant cold
frames, plant germination and/or propagation enclosures, public auditoriums
(for example,
theaters, concert halls, lecture halls and the like), refrigerators/freezers,
bee hives, food storage
containers, pre-sealed packages containing food or non-food items, retail food
bags, food storage
structures (e.g. silos and the like, including fruit storage containers),
library shelves enclosed in
sheets of plastic, book bins, and the like.
[0164] In some embodiments, the sealable containers are made of a material
that is impermeable
to vapors. In some embodiments, the enclosed space or sealable containers are
sealed by
wrapping or affixing an impermeable membrane around the space or over any
areas through
which vapors may leak out. In some embodiments, this impermeable membrane is
stretchable
plastic wrap or tape. In some embodiments, the enclosed space or sealable
container is further
placed within a sealed room or chamber. In some embodiments, the period of
time the container
is sealed or left in its enclosed state is at least 15 minutes, at least 30
minutes, at least 1 hour, at
least 2 hours, at least 4 hours, at least 6 hours, at least 8 hours, at least
12 hours, at least 16 hours,
or 1,2,3,4,5,6, or 7 days, or more.
[0165] In some embodiments, a treatment enclosure is provided on a live
animal, for example a
mammal such as a companion animal, livestock or a human, by providing an
impermeable
membrane such as plastic around at least a portion of the animal. For example,
external parasites
such as fleas, lice, ticks, bog-flies, mites or the like, can be treated on an
animal by providing a
bag around the animal from which its head protrudes. The bag can be sealed
around the infested
portion of the animal, and plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
vapors released within
the bag to control pests located directly on the animal. In some embodiments,
an impermeable
cap, similar to a shower cap, is provided that can be placed on the head of a
human as a treatment
enclosure to contain plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors
to control a pest located
in the hair or scalp of the human, for example lice or ticks. In some
embodiments, the animal is a
dog, cat, mouse, hamster, guinea pig, bird, horse, cow, sheep, goat, pig,
duck, turkey, chicken or
the like.
56
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[O166] In some embodiments, a treatment enclosure is provided on one or more
live plants. For
example, a plant (e.g. a potted house plant or a single agricultural or
horticultural or ornamental
plant) or a group of plants (e.g. a row of plants, or a container of plants,
for example) is covered
by a bag or other impermeable membrane, an enclosure such as a box, container,
tent, canopy,
tarp, cylinder, hoarding, shrinkwrap, or other suitable such enclosure, and
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors are released inside the impermeable
membrane to control
one or more pests associated with the plant. Examples of pests that can be
controlled in this
manner include all life stages of aphids, ants, spider mites and other mites,
thrips, beetles, moths,
scales, mealybugs, and other arthropods that may infest plants. In some
further embodiments,
examples of further pests that can be controlled in this manner further
include fungi, bacteria,
viruses, molluscs, acari (mites) and insects in general. In a particular
embodiment, where vapor
released can penetrate into the root mass/soil of the plant, nematodes may
also be treated in this
manner. In some embodiments, the amount of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
vapor released within the treatment enclosure is selected to effectively
control a particular
targeted undesirable pest. In some further embodiments, the amount of plant
health, pesticidal or
pest control active vapor released within the treatment enclosure is selected
to differentially
control an undesirable pest, while not harming one or more other beneficial
species, for example
beneficial arthropods, such as ladybugs (which are predators of pests such as
aphids) or bees or
other pollinators. In some embodiments associated with agricultural and/or
horticultural plants,
it may be desired to control or reduce exposure of or residue in the plant of
the active plant
health, pesticidal or pest control active, such as to reduce pesticidal or
other residues in a crop, or
to reduce or control potential phytotoxicity of one or more vapor treatments.
In some such
embodiments, one or more substance effective to constrict or at least
partially close at least a
portion of the stomata of a plant under treatment may be provided as part of
or preceding the
vapor treatment of the plant, such as to at least partially close the stomata
and desirably reduce or
control exposure of the plant to the plant health, pesticidal or pest control
vapors. In some
embodiments, a vapor or gas substance such as nitric oxide may be released or
otherwise applied
to the plant within an enclosure, so as to at least partially contract the
guard cells surrounding the
stomata of the plant, thereby at least partially closing the stomata and
reducing the exposure of
the plant to the plant health, pesticidal or pest control vapors. In one such
embodiment, the
stomata constriction substance may be released prior to the plant health,
pesticidal or pest control
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
vapors, such as to contract the stomata prior to the exposure to the vapor
treatment dose.
Alternatively, in other embodiments, such as for use with some plant health
vapor treatment
compositions, it may be preferable to increase the exposure of the plant to
the plant health or
other active and instead one or more substance that may be effective to at
least partially dilate or
open the stomata may be released within the enclosure, such as to increase the
exposure, residue
or effect of a plant health or other active on the plant to be treated within
the enclosure, for
example.
[0167] In some embodiments, a method is provided for treating plants or other
objects that are
infested or potentially infested by pests comprising placing the infested
plants or objects in a
container or other enclosure, placing a plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active composition,
substrate or device as described above into the container or enclosure, and
sealing the container
or enclosure for a sufficient time to allow the vapors of the plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active composition to kill or otherwise control the pests and/or its
eggs.
[0168] With reference to FIG. 13, an example embodiment of a treatment
enclosure 80 in which
a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 is used to
treat a target pest 82 is
schematically illustrated. The target pest 82, and/or a plant or an article
infested with a target pest
82, and a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition 46 that
releases plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors are placed together within a
treatment enclosure 80. The
source of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors from plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition 46 is left in treatment enclosure 80 for a
sufficient period of time
to control the target pest 82.
[0169] In some embodiments, a device for releasing plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control
active vapors, a pesticide-impregnated substrate, or a gelled plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active composition is provided as an integral part of a treatment
enclosure into which
infested plants or other articles can be inserted for treatment. With
reference to FIG. 14a, an
example embodiment of a treatment enclosure 250 is illustrated. Treatment
enclosure 250 has an
impermeable or substantially impermeable outer layer 252. In some embodiments,
impermeable
outer layer 252 is a plastic bag. At least one substrate, gel or device 254
for releasing an effective
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
amount of a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapor is adhered
to or otherwise
provided within outer layer 252. In some embodiments, the substrate, gel or
device 254 is
covered by a protective mesh or wire housing 255, to prevent direct contact
between infested
articles inserted in outer layer 252 and vapor release device 254. In some
embodiments,
protective mesh or wire housing 255 is directly secured on the inside surface
of outer layer 252.
In some embodiments, a plurality of substrates, gels and/or devices 254 are
provided within outer
layer 252.
[0170] In the illustrated embodiment, outer housing 252 is provided with a
resealable opening
256. In use, a user can open resealable opening 256, insert infested plants or
other articles inside
outer housing 252, re-seal resealable opening 256, leave opening 256sea1ed for
a predetermined
treatment period (e.g. 1 hour, 1 day, one week, or any time interval
therebetween) to control
pests associated with the infested articles, and then open resalable opening
256 to remove the
treated plants or other articles.
[0171] In some embodiments, including the illustrated embodiment, outer
housing 252 is
provided with a tear strip 258 or other suitable member that sealingly covers
opening 256, to
prevent the inadvertent release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors from
treatment enclosure 250 before a user is ready to insert plants or other
infested articles. For
example, tear strip 258 could be a partially perforated section of plastic or
the like, which is
initially sealed, but which can be easily torn off by a user to access opening
256 when it is
intended to use treatment enclosure 250 (e.g. similar to tear away plastic
coverings over
resealable openings on commercially sold food items).
[0172] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 14b, an example embodiment of a
multi-layered
treatment enclosure 250A is illustrated. Treatment enclosure 250A has an
impermeable or
generally impermeable outer housing 252, and an inner substrate lining 260
that is a substrate
impregnated with a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition. Inner substrate
lining 260 sits inside outer housing 252 and lines the inside surface of
treatment enclosure 250,
to release plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors to treat
infested plants or other
articles placed therein. Inner substrate lining 260 is pre-dosed with an
effective amount of a plant
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111
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition to provide an effective
vapor concentration
to control pests associated with infested plants or other articles inserted in
treatment enclosure
250A. As in the illustrated embodiment, in some embodiments, a permeable inner
membrane 262
is provided on the inside surface of inner substrate lining 260, to prevent
infested plants or other
articles from coming in direct contact with inner substrate lining 260 while
allowing plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors to permeate throughout the volume of
the treatment
enclosure 250A. In some embodiments, permeable inner membrane 262 is omitted.
Treatment
enclosure 250A is provided with a resealable opening 256, so that a user can
insert and seal
infested plants or other articles within treatment enclosure 250A for a
treatment period.
[0173] With reference to FIG. 14c, an example embodiment of a reusable
treatment enclosure
250B is illustrated. Treatment enclosure 250B has an outer impermeable layer
252 and a
resealable opening 256, to allow a user to insert and remove infested plants
or other articles from
treatment enclosure 250B after a suitable treatment period. Treatment
enclosure 250B further has
at least one side pocket 264, and may have a plurality of side pockets 264.
The outer surface of
side pocket 264 is continuous with outer impermeable layer 252, or is
sealingly engaged
therewith. The inner surface of side pocket 264 comprises a permeable membrane
266. A source
of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors 270, which can be a
device for releasing
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors, a substrate
impregnated with a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition, or a gel of a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active composition, can be placed within pocket 264 via a resealable opening
268. Vapors
released from the source of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
vapors 270 can diffuse
into the interior of treatment enclosure 250B via permeable membrane 266. In
use, a user inserts
infested plants or other articles into enclosure 250B via resealable opening
256, and inserts a
source of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors into side
pocket 264 via resealable
opening 268. Both openings 256 and 268 are sealed, and the infested plants or
other articles are
left within the sealed treatment enclosure 250B for a predetermined treatment
period to control
pests on the infested articles. The plants or other articles can then be
removed from treatment
enclosure 250B, and the spent source of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors 270
can be removed from side pocket 264 and disposed of in a suitable manner.
Treatment enclosure
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
250B is then ready for subsequent re-use to control pests on plants or other
infested articles by
repeating the above steps.
[0174] In some embodiments, outer layer 252 of treatment enclosure 250B is a
pliable
impermeable membrane, such as a plastic bag. In some embodiments, outer layer
252 of
treatment enclosure 250B is a more durable material, for example rigid plastic
or rubber, metal,
wood, cardboard, expanded polystyrene, glass or the like to facilitate long
term re-use of
treatment enclosure 250B. In some embodiments, professional pest control
personnel may
maintain a stock of reusable treatment enclosures similar to treatment
enclosure 250B, to
facilitate repeated treatment of infested plants or other articles.
[0175] With reference to FIG. 14d, a single-layer treatment enclosure 250C is
illustrated.
Treatment enclosure 250C comprises a single layer 252C that is impermeable or
generally
impermeable to plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors. Single
layer 252C is also
impregnated with a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition, so that when
infested plants or other articles are placed within treatment enclosure 250C,
the infested plants or
other articles will be exposed to an effective amount of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapor to control pests on the infested plants or other articles.
Treatment enclosure 250C
can be closed in any suitable manner, for example using a resealable opening
such as resealable
opening 256. In the illustrated embodiment, treatment enclosure 250C can be
closed via a
drawstring 272, to enclose infested plants or other articles within treatment
enclosure 250C.
While plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors will be released
both inside and
outside of treatment enclosure 250C, the concentration of pesticide
impregnated within single
layer 252C is sufficient to provide effective control of pests enclosed inside
treatment enclosure
250C. Some embodiments such as treatment enclosure 250C may be particularly
advantageous
in outdoor applications, for example in the treatment of a plant infested with
aphids or other
pests, where there is limited concern for any odor released by the plant
health, pesticidal, or pest
control active treatment.
[0176] In some methods, the enclosed space in which pests are to be controlled
is a bee hive
wherein bees are infested by a parasitic pest such as varroa mites. In some
embodiments, vapors
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released by a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition,
substrate, or device are
effective in selectively controlling a parasitic pest without causing
significant harm to its
beneficial host. For example, some embodiments of the present invention can be
used to control
varroa mites within honey bee colonies by differentially killing and/or
controlling the mites more
readily than the bees. In some embodiments, the plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
vapors may disrupt or inhibit feeding, growth or reproductive functions of the
varroa mites, or
they may cause the mites to detach from the bees.
[0177] With reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, an example embodiment of a treatment
enclosure that
is a Langstroth bee hive 100is illustrated. Bee hive 100 has an outer cover
102, an inner cover
104, a honey super 106, two vertically stacked brood chambers 108, a bottom
board 110, and a
hive stand 112. Arrows 114 represent potential locations where a generally
flat substrate 16
impregnated with a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition, or other device
for releasing plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors, could
potentially be inserted
within bee hive 100, and FIG. 16 shows an example placement of such a
substrate on top of
frames 118 of a honey super 106 within the hive.
[0178] Hive 100 is an example of a treatment enclosure that is at least
partially permeable to
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors. In particular, hive
100 includes openings
116 to allow bees to enter and exit hive 100. In the illustrated embodiment,
opening 116 has been
illustrated as being positioned at the bottom of the lower-most brood chamber
of the hive (just
above the ground). Such openings are typically 1-3 cm tall and can vary in
width in typical hives.
However, openings 116 can be provided at any desired location, for example, at
the gap between
or drilled into the front face of any of the brood chambers or honey super
chambers. Plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors released by substrate 16 are
generally contained within
hive 100, but there is some escape of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors from
hive 100 (i.e. hive 100 is not airtight).
[0179] In some example embodiments, a vapor-release device or substrate such
as any of those
described above is inserted within a bee hive, and the substrate or reservoir
of the release device
is in fluid communication with a source of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
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composition, for example a hose or other form of tubing is connected at a
first end to an external
reservoir containing a solution of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active composition, and
a second end of the hose or other form of tubing is positioned to release
liquid plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition onto the substrate or into the
reservoir. A manual
hand pump or an electrically activated pump is supplied to allow plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active composition to be pumped from the external reservoir onto the
substrate or into the
reservoir of the vapor release device. In use, an operator can periodically
manually actuate the
hand pump and/or the electrically activated pump can be periodically or
continuously actuated to
deliver a periodic or ongoing supply of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active composition
to the substrate or reservoir. Such an apparatus facilitates the ongoing
and/or repeated delivery of
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors within the bee hive,
without the need to
periodically open up the hive and replace a pesticide-impregnated substrate,
which can
potentially disrupt the bees within the hive. The apparatus also reduces the
labor costs that would
be associated with periodically manually replenishing the source of plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active vapors inside the hive.
[0180] In some embodiments, the volume of the container is variable such that
the volume of
space in the container may be reduced or expanded as desired to facilitate
treatment. For
example, some methods comprise placing plants or other objects in a variable-
volume container
with a device for releasing plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
vapors, removing a
quantity of excess air from the variable-volume container, and sealing the
container for a
sufficient time to allow the vapors of the plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition to kill or control the target pests and/or its eggs. Reducing the
volume of space to be
treated in this way can allow for a higher vapor concentration to be achieved
in the container for
a given dose of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors, or
can allow for a smaller
dose to be delivered to achieve a given vapor concentration. The variable-
volume container can
be a bag made of flexible plastic or any other non-rigid, impermeable
material.
[0181] Although reducing the volume of the treated space in this way can be
beneficial,
preferably sufficient space is left around the treated plants or other objects
to allow for the flow
of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors to circulate evenly
throughout the space.
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
In some embodiments, the variable-volume container includes a means for
maintaining some
space between the plants or other objects within the container and the walls
of the container. For
example, the variable-volume container may comprise an adjustable internal
ribbing for
supporting the walls of the container some distance away from the plants or
other objects within
the container.
[0182] In some embodiments, the container includes a valve through which air
may be removed
from the container, and/or plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
vapors may be added to
the container. In some embodiments, air is removed through the valve by
squeezing in the walls
of the container. In other embodiments, air is removed using a device such as
a vacuum or a
pump. In some embodiments, a device for releasing plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
vapors is attachable to the valve such that plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors
are releasable into the sealed container.
[0183] In some methods, a pump is used to pump plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
vapors into a sealed container. The pump may allow the concentration of plant
health, pesticidal,
or pest control active vapors in the container to be increased more quickly
and to a higher level
than could be achieved by passive diffusion. Increased vapor pressure can in
turn result in faster
mortality of target pests and a shorter overall treatment period. In some
methods, the pump is
used to increase the vapor concentration in the container above a desired
threshold or within a
desired range. The pump may be manual, electric or otherwise motorized.
[0184] In some methods, a pump and/or valve is first used to remove air from a
sealed container
and then is used to add plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
vapors into the container.
Such methods can further increase the relative concentration of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active vapors in the container and reduce the availability of clean
air for the target pests
to breathe.
[0185] In some embodiments, a treatment container is provided that has a
device for releasing
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors built-in. The
treatment container may be
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
variable-volume as described above. The treatment container may include a
valve and/or pump
as described above.
[0186] Examples of objects that may be treated according to embodiments of the
present
invention include books, art-work, toys, clothing, linens, footwear,
documents, DVDs,
electronics, computers, phones, furniture, luggage, bedding, pallets, crates,
lumber, firewood,
soil, plants (including but not limited to agricultural, crop, horticultural
and ornamental plants),
pets, items being shipped in a shipping container, bee hives, food, food
storage containers, or any
other object that may be infested with a target pest. In some embodiments,
such infested objects
are refened to as infested articles.
[0187] In some embodiments, the effectiveness of the plant health, pesticidal,
or pest control
active vapor in controlling a target pest is enhanced by the release of a
stimulation agent before,
after, or at the same time as the release of the plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
vapors. The stimulation agent may act as stimulant or attractant to the target
pest, such that the
pest moves about more, moves closer to the release of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors and/or moves out of safe harborages into open space. The
stimulation agent may
act to increase the metabolic rate and/or the breathing rate of the target
pest, such that its bio-
uptake of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors is
increased. The stimulation
agent may otherwise serve to stimulate the target pest to be more active than
it would be without
the presence of the stimulation agent, thereby increasing the likelihood it
will be exposed to and
affected by the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors.
[0188] In some embodiments, the stimulation agent is carbon dioxide (CO2),
nitrogen (N2), a
propellant, or an inert gas. In other embodiments, the stimulation agent is a
pheromone,
kairomone, allomone, repellent, or other semiochemical, or a phagostimulant.
In other
embodiments, the stimulation agent is heat. In other embodiments, the
stimulation agent is
moisture or water vapor. In other embodiments, the stimulation agent is light,
darkness, vibration
or air movement. In other embodiments, the stimulation agent is color. In
other embodiments, the
stimulation agent is ultrasound.
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0189] In some embodiments, the volume within the treatment enclosure (which
is a sealed
container in some embodiments) is in the range of 10 L to 200 L and the amount
of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition used is in the range of 10 mL
and 200 mL. In some
embodiments, for example where the treatment enclosure is a shipping
container, the treatment
enclosure has a volume in the range of 300,000 to 1,000,000 L, including any
value
therebetween. In some embodiments, the amount of plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition used is in the range of 10 mL to 100 mL per 100 L of volume of the
treatment
enclosure. In one example embodiment, a treatment enclosure having a volume in
the range of
100 L to 1200 L (for example, a sufficiently large volume to accommodate a
king size mattress)
is provided, and between about 100 mL to 1 L of plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition is provided on a pre-dosed substrate, or split among a plurality
of pre-dosed
substrates, for insertion into the treatment enclosure.
[0190] In some methods, the vapor concentration within the treatment enclosure
(which is a
sealed container in some embodiments), expressed as the percent of the amount
of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition evaporated relative to the
total volume of the
container, is greater than 0.01%. In some methods, the vapor concentration
within the sealed
container, expressed as the amount of plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active composition
applied relative to the total volume of the container, is in the range of
0.01% to 0.2%. In some
embodiments in which it is desired to control an undesirable arthropod pest
while not harming a
beneficial arthropod species, the vapor concentration within the sealed
container, expressed as
the amount of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition
applied relative to the
total volume of the container, is in the range of 0.01% to 0.15%.
[0191] Some embodiments of the present invention can be used to control pests
that are
arthropods, including insects and arachnids, and/or other pests. Some
embodiments of the
present invention can be used to control sucking and biting pests, including
bed bugs, mites,
ticks, fleas, ants, lice, mosquitoes and cockroaches, as well as plant insect
pests such as chewing,
piercing/sucking, and other plant insect and/or acari (mite) pests, for
example. Exemplary results
are presented in this specification demonstrating the control of a number of
arthropod pests using
vapors of a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition,
including bed bugs, varroa
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
mites, bees, cockroaches, ants, granary weevils, beetles and earwigs. Based on
the similarity of
terrestrial arthropods, including insects, with respect to organism size,
cellular respiration, and
other morphological respiratory structures, it can be soundly predicted that
plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active compositions and devices as described
herein can be used to
control other terrestrial arthropod pests, including subterranean arthropod
pests.
[0192] Some embodiments can be used to control pests by killing the pests,
repelling the pests,
preventing or reducing feeding, preventing or reducing oviposition, preventing
or reducing
eclosion of their eggs, or the like. Some embodiments exhibit effective plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active activity as a vapor. Some embodiments provide methods of
killing or
controlling pests comprising moistening or otherwise impregnating a substrate
with the
composition and placing the material in the vicinity of the pests such that
they are exposed to the
vapors of the composition as they are released from the substrate.
[0193] Some embodiments of the present invention provide plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active compositions comprising at least one pesticidal natural oil or
other pesticidal
natural extract, and optionally at least one solvent. In some such
embodiments, the at least one
solvent may comprise one or more of a polar or non-polar aromatic solvent, an
aryl ketone, aryl-
aryl ketone, an aryl-alkyl ketone, an aryl-alkyl ketone, an aryl alcohol, an
aryl-aryl alcohol, an
aryl-alkyl alcohol, an aryl aldehyde, an aryl ester, an aryl carboxylic acid,
an aryl ether, or
combinations thereof, for example. In some further embodiments, the plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition may comprise at least one pesticidal natural
oil selected from the
list comprising: neem oil, karanja oil, clove oil, peppermint oil, mint oil,
cinnamon oil, thyme oil,
oregano oil, geranium oil, lime oil, lavender oil, anise oil, eugenol, garlic
oil and/or components,
derivatives and/or extracts therefrom, or any combination thereof. In further
exemplary such
embodiments, the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition
may comprise at
least one extract or active component of neem oil or karanja oil, such as but
not limited to:
azadirachtin, azadiradione, azadirone, nimbin, nimbidin, salannin,
deacetylsalannin, salannol,
maliantriol, gedunin, karanjin, pongamol, or derivatives thereof, for example.
In some
embodiments, the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition
may comprise at
least one of neem oil, karanja oil, or an extract or active component of at
least one thereof, and a
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
polar aromatic solvent comprising one or more of a phenone such as but not
limited to 4'-
methylacetophenone, 2' ,4'-dimethylacetophenone, 3' ,4'-dimethylacetophenone,
acetophenone,
propiophenone, 4'-methylpropiophenone, butyrophenone, isobutyrophenone,
valerophenone,
hexanophenone, 4'-hydroxyacetophenone, 2'-hydroxyacetophenone, cyclohexyl
phenyl ketone,
or 2,2'-4,4'-tetrahydroxybenzophenone, and optionally further in combination
with any suitable
diluent. In some embodiments, the diluent may comprise an organic or inorganic
solvent.
Commonly used organic liquid diluents include, but are not limited to,
ethanol, isopropyl
alcohol, benzene, butanol, 1-propanol, hexanol, other alcohols, glycerol,
glycerides, lactic acid or
dimethyl ether. Commonly used liquid inorganic diluents include, but are not
limited to, water,
ammonia, or sulphur dioxide. In some other embodiments, a polar aromatic
solvent may
comprise one or more of d-limonene,l-limonene, for example.
[0194] Some embodiments can be used to control pests by killing the pests,
preventing or
reducing feeding, preventing or reducing oviposition, preventing or reducing
eclosion of their
eggs, or the like. Some embodiments exhibit effective knockdown plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active activity, effective residual plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active activity
and/or effective plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active activity as
a vapor. Some
embodiments provide methods of killing or controlling pests comprising
applying a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active composition so that pests or their eggs may
contact or otherwise
be exposed to vapor of the composition. In some embodiments, pests are killed
by exposure to
vapors released from a substrate that has been moistened or otherwise
impregnated with a plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition.
[0195] Some embodiments of the present invention pertain to compositions that
can be used to
control a variety of pests. Some embodiments contain a repellent or attractant
to 'push' or 'pull'
the pest to direct them to a treatment area or to otherwise influence pest
behavior to effect better
treatment. In some such embodiments, the plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
composition may comprise one or more pest signaling chemical such as a
pheromone,
semiochemical, attractant, repellent, or other pest behavioural or signaling
active, for example.
Some embodiments of the present invention can be used to control arthropods,
including mites,
and/or other pests. Some embodiments of the present invention can be used to
selectively control
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
a parasitic pest infecting a beneficial host. For example, some embodiments of
the present
invention can be used to control varroa mites within honey bee colonies,
differentially killing
mites more readily than bees.
[0196] Some embodiments of the invention pertain to methods for the control of
pests such as
mites. In some embodiments, the pests are differentially controlled relative
to a beneficial
species, i.e. a greater proportion of the pests are killed or otherwise harmed
than are members of
the beneficial species. In some embodiments, vapors of a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active composition are used to control pests such as mites. Some embodiments
include the use of
a device or structure that allows the controlled release of plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors. Some embodiments contain a repellent or attractant to influence
pest movement as
well as a pesticide. Some embodiments include a vapor dosage indicator. Some
embodiments
allow honey bee brood frames to be placed to allow the circulation of treated
air.
[0197] Some embodiments of the present invention can be used to selectively
control a parasitic
pest infecting a beneficial host. Some embodiments exhibit effective plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active activity against a target pest species while not
significantly harming a
similarly exposed beneficial insect species. Some embodiments contain a
repellent or attractant
to 'push' or 'pull' the pest from hard to treat areas and direct them to a
treatment area or to
otherwise influence pest behavior to effect better treatment. Some embodiments
can be used to
control pests including arthropods such as mites. Some embodiments can be used
to control
varroa mites within honey bee colonies, differentially killing the mites at a
much greater
percentage (i.e. with a much higher efficacy) than the bees (i.e. killing a
high percentage of mites
and only a small percentage or none of the bees).
[0198] In some embodiments, a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition is
provided that can selectively control an undesirable pest while causing little
or no harm to a
beneficial species. In some embodiments, both the undesirable pest and the
beneficial species are
exposed to the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition.
In some embodiments,
both the undesirable pest and the beneficial species are arthropods. In some
embodiments, the
undesirable pest is an arachnid that is a member of the Subclass Acari. In
some embodiments, the
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
beneficial species is an insect that is a member of the Family Apidae. In some
embodiments, the
undesirable pest is a mite. In some embodiments, the beneficial species is a
bee or other
pollinating insect. In some embodiments, the undesirable pest is a Varroa
mite. In some
embodiments, the beneficial species is a honey bee. In some embodiments, the
undesirable pest
has a smaller mass than the beneficial species.
[0199] Some embodiments include the use of a device or structure that allows
the controlled
release of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors. Some
embodiments contain a
repellent or attractant to influence pest movement as well as a pesticide.
Some embodiments
include a vapor dosage indicator. Some embodiments can be used to control
pests including
arthropods such as mites. Some embodiments can be used to control varroa mites
within honey
bee colonies, differentially killing the mites at a much greater percentage
than the bees. In some
embodiments, a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition as
defined herein is
applied inside a honey bee colony to selectively control an undesirable pest
therein, for example
varroa mites, without significantly harming the honey bee colony. Some
embodiments allow
honey bee brood frames to be placed to allow the circulation of treated air.
In some embodiments
air circulation is optimized for a brood nest temperature of between
approximately 10 C to 35
C, including any value therebetween, e.g. 12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28,30 or 32
C.
[0200] In some example embodiments where the pests to be treated are varroa
mites and it is
desired to control the varroa mites while not significantly adversely
affecting a beneficial
species, e.g. honey bees, any of the devices, methods or compositions
described above are used
to introduce plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors within a
hive containing honey
bees. In some such embodiments, the treatment enclosure is a bee hive.
[0201] In some embodiments, the bee hive is a Langstroth, WBC (William
Broughton Carr),
Long-box, Dartington, Wane, Perone, Dadant, British National, or Commercial
type of hive. In
some embodiments, the hive is a nucleus colony box. In some embodiments, the
bee hive has
any number or arrangement of brood chambers or honey supers. In some
embodiments, the bee
hive has a plurality of brood chambers and/or honey supers contained therein.
In some
embodiments, the brood chambers and/or honey supers are arranged in any
suitable arrangement.
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
In some embodiments, for example as illustrated in FIG. 15, the bee hive has
two vertically
stacked brood chambers and one vertically stacked honey super.
[0202] In some embodiments, the bee hive provides a treatment enclosure that
is permeable to
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors. In some embodiments,
the plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors can escape through openings in the
bee hive (for
example, the entrances of the hive, the bottom of the hive, and air gaps
between chambers). In
some embodiments, some or all of the openings are partially or fully sealed to
restrict the escape
of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors from the hive. In
some embodiments,
such sealing is achieved by tying, taping, stapling, heat-sealing, gluing,
plugging, capping,
lidding, coating, or otherwise fully or partially closing the openings. In
some embodiments, the
bottom of the hive is fully or partially sealed by affixing a board or other
generally planar object
over the bottom (or a portion of the bottom) of the hive.
[0203] In some embodiments, the presence of wood, wax, honey and/or other
structures within a
hive decreases the concentration of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active vapors within
the hive, as compared with a hive that does not include the presence of such
structures. Without
being bound by theory, in some embodiments, the presence of wood, wax, honey
and/or other
structures within a hive provides a protective effect, that helps to prevent
the honey bees from
being harmed and/or killed by the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control
active vapor while the
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapor retains its efficacy
against a target pest such
as van-oa mites.
[0204] Some exemplary embodiments of the present invention are further
described with
reference to the examples below, which are intended to be illustrative and non-
limiting.
Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the particular plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active compositions or concentrations described in the examples
below. In addition
to the particular concentrations set forth below, other broad ranges of
concentrations of
ingredients are believed to be effective as well. For example, embodiments of
the present
invention include plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
compositions comprising neem in
the range of 0.2 to 40 percent by weight. Other embodiments of the present
invention include
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su
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active compositions comprising
acetophenone in the range
of 10 to 99.8 percent by weight. Embodiments of the present invention are also
not limited to
compositions comprising ethoxylated castor oil, isopropyl alcohol, water or
any other particular
surfactant, carrier, emulsifier, diluent, fragrance or other additive. Any
suitable surfactant,
carrier, emulsifier, diluent, fragrance or other additive could be used in
alternative embodiments.
EXAMPLES
Example 1.0
Efficacy of Volatile Plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
Solutions Applied in an
Enclosed Treatment Enclosure
Example 1.1
Description of Compositions and Substrates Used
[0205] The following examples utilize three plant health, pesticidal, or pest
control active
compositions referred to as 'Solution A', 'Solution B', and 'Solution C'.
'Solution A' contained
5.5% cold pressed neem oil by weight, 18.25% acetophenone by weight, and 1.25%
ethoxylated
castor oil by weight and used water as a diluent (75% by weight). 'Solution B'
contained 5.5%
cold pressed neem oil by weight, 18.25% acetophenone by weight, and 1.25%
ethoxylated castor
oil by weight and used isopropyl alcohol (IPA) as a diluent (75% by weight).
'Solution C'
contained 5.5% cold pressed neem oil by weight, 18.25% acetophenone by weight,
1.25%
ethoxylated castor oil by weight, and 1% fragrance by weight with isopropyl
alcohol (IPA) used
as a diluent (74% by weight).
[0206] All experiments were conducted at a temperature of 21 2 C. unless
otherwise indicated.
Without being bound by theory, changes in temperature may affect the release
of vapor from the
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition, so lower
concentrations may be
effective at higher temperatures, and higher concentrations may be required at
lower ambient
temperatures. Based on experiments conducted by the inventors, the
compositions tested in these
examples maintain efficacy at temperatures of 15 C. or higher, and can
reasonably be expected
to remain effective at lower temperatures, although higher treatment
concentrations may be
required at lower temperatures.
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[0207] A variety of different substrates were tested for their ability to
release plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control active vapors. Characterization of the pore size
of some of the texted
substrates was performed by measuring the pore diameter of 10-20 pores per
substrate using a
light microscope.
[0208] The laboratory mat used in some experiments is made from flattened
cotton batting, and
is an example of a non-woven naturally occurring polymer that is derived from
plants. Cotton is
a cellulose substrate. The pore size of exemplary laboratory mat was measured
to range between
about 100-500 pm, with an average pore size of 260 pm. Total pad thickness was
approximately
3 mm.
[0209] Commercially available cellulose pads known as Zap pads from Paper Pak
Industries
(product code Z-21001) were used in some experiments. These substrates have
twelve layers of
non-woven cellulose pressed together into a high-crepe pad open on four sides
with a thick
plastic backer pad, and are an example of a non-woven, naturally occurring
polymer of plant
origin. The pore size of exemplary pads was measured to range between about 50-
100 pm, with
an average pore size of 100 m. The total pad thickness was approximately 2.2
mm.
[0210] Filter paper used as a substrate in some experiments was a single layer
of pressed
cellulose, and is an example of a non-woven naturally occurring polymer
providing a cellulose
substrate. The pore size of exemplary filter papers was measured to range
between 60-1200 tun,
with an average pore size of 396 m. The total thickness of the substrate was
approximately 0.2
mm.
[0211] Cotton cloth used as a substrate in some experiments is an example of
woven fibers of a
naturally occurring polymer, namely cotton, which is a form of cellulose. The
pore size of
exemplary cloth was measured to range between 20-100 um, with an average pore
size of
approximately 33 um.
Example 1.2
Efficacy of Vapors Against Bed Bugs in Petri Dish
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[0212] Previous laboratory studies have demonstrated that adult bed bugs
consistently exhibit
100% mortality within 24 hours when placed in contact with Solution A-treated
filter papers
within a sealed Petri dish. This study was designed to determine if Solution A
vapors can cause
bed bug mortality.
[0213] Solution A formulation (1.39% v/v) was applied evenly to each 9 cm
diameter filter paper
using a micro-applicator and allowed to dry for 4 hours. 1 ml of Solution A
liquid was applied
inside a 72 ml Petri dish as a treatment enclosure, to yield a percentage
concentration of pesticide
of 1.39% (v/v, calculated as the volume of pesticide relative to the volume of
the Petri dish that
provided the treatment enclosure). A negative control paper was treated with
water but was not
exposed to Solution A. The untreated paper was placed on the bottom of a Petri
dish in contact
with bed bugs and sealed with a lid (negative control). The treated paper was
suspended from the
top of a Petri dish out of reach of bed bugs and sealed with a lid. Each Petri
dish and paper was
exposed to ten adult bed bugs (approximately half male and half female)
immediately after the 4-
hour drying period. The outside circumference of the Petri dishes was sealed
with ParafilmTM.
[0214] Bed bugs were observed for signs of toxicity, mortality and oviposition
at 1, 2, 4, 6, and
24 hours after bed bugs were introduced to filter papers, then daily for 14
days. Bed bugs that
were exposed to 1.39% v/v Solution A-treated paper, but prevented from
contacting the paper,
exhibited 100% mortality within 24 hours, indicating that toxic vapors emitted
by Solution A can
cause bed bug mortality, and that direct contact with treated surfaces are not
necessary to induce
mortality. This result is unexpected because typically plant health,
pesticidal, or pest control
active natural oils such as neem oil are effective only as contact killers
(i.e. actual contact is
required for plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active activity).
Example 1.3
Efficacy of Vapors Against Bed Bugs Eggs in Petri Dish
[0215] This study was designed to determine whether vapors of a plant health,
pesticidal, or pest
control active composition comprising neem oil and acetophenone would be
effective against
bed bug eggs and to assess the time period that bed bug eggs must be exposed
to vapors before
100% efficacy is achieved.
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[0216] Groups of five healthy bed bug eggs (each 2-day old) were each adhered
to 9 cm diameter
Petri dishes using a small drop of honey. Filter papers were treated with 260
ft2/gal (1.39% v/v,
i.e. 1 mL of Solution A in a 72 mL Petri dish, which provided a treatment
enclosure) of Solution
A. Filter paper is an example of a naturally occurring non-woven polymer that
is an example of a
cellulose substrate. A single treated filter paper was adhered to the roof of
each egg-infested dish
either immediately after dosing (0 hour dry time) or for 1, 5, 15, 30, 60
minutes, 4 hours, or 24
hours. Eggs were prevented from physically contacting treated filter papers,
but each egg-
infested dish was sealed with parafilm to ensure that treatment vapors
permeated the dish. One
egg infested dish served as a negative control and therefore was not exposed
to Solution A
vapors. Egg mortality was observed and recorded daily for 14 days
(confirmation observations
were performed for 20 days), until all eggs had eclosed or died.
[0217] As shown in FIG. 17, bed bug eggs exposed to 1.39% v/v Solution A
vapors for 1 minute
or 5 minutes exhibited 40% and 60% mortality, respectively. Eggs that were
exposed to 1.39%
v/v Solution A vapors for 15, 30 or 60 minutes, 4 hours, or 24 hours,
exhibited 100% mortality.
These results suggest that within confined spaces treated with 260 ft2/gal
(1.39% v/v) Solution
A, bed bug eggs can be controlled with Solution A vapors, and do not require
direct contact with
Solution A. These results also suggest that bed bug eggs should be exposed to
vapors for at least
15 minutes at the tested concentration for maximum efficacy.
[0218] FIG. 17 shows percent mortality of bed bug eggs exposed to vapors from
filter paper
treated with 260 ft2/gal (1.39% (v/v)) Solution A (0 hour dry time) for
1,5,15,30,60 minutes, 4
hours, or 24 hours. Control eggs (untreated) were not exposed to Solution A
vapors.
Example 1.4
Efficacy of Vapors Against Bed Bug Eggs Under Layers of Upholstery
[0219] This study was designed to test the efficacy of Solution A against bed
bug eggs in
environments where eggs are typically difficult to treat (such as under
fabrics, carpet, etc.). Bed
bug eggs were adhered to filter paper in a Petri dish and covered with either
1, 2, or 3 pieces of
upholstery fabric (each 9 cm diameter, 1.5 mm thickness). The top-most piece
of fabric was
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
sprayed with 400 ft2/gal Solution A (Ø8% v/v of Solution A (0.64 mL)
relative to the volume
of the Petri dish (72 mL)), and the Petri dish was covered with a nylon mesh
(open-air) or a
plastic lid (closed-dish), and eclosion was observed for 20 days. In the case
where the Petri dish
is covered with a nylon mesh, the void-space is effectively closed by the
upper-most layer of
upholstery but there will inevitably be some leakage of vapor, thus lowering
the vapor
concentration slightly. In other words, the nylon mesh covered dish provides a
partially
permeable treatment enclosure. Two egg-infested pieces of paper were left
untreated to serve as
negative controls. Dead eggs were defined as those which failed to eclose
after the 20 day
observation period, and appeared dried or swollen when observed
microscopically.
[0220] Eggs exhibited 100% mortality when covered with 1, 2, or 3 pieces of
upholstery in open-
air and closed-air Petri dishes. These results indicate that in an open- or
closed-air environment
(i.e. in a sealed or permeable treatment enclosure), multiple layers of
upholstery do not protect
bed bug eggs from 0.8% v/v Solution A vapors. Without being bound by theory,
it is
hypothesized that the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors
can pass through the
layers of upholstery to some extent, and further the fabric may trap the
vapors within the Petri
dish and enhance vapor efficacy.
Example 1.5
Efficacy of Vapors Released from Various Substrates in Sealed Containers
[0221] This series of studies was designed to assess the bio-efficacy of
various substrates
impregnated with a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active
composition comprising neem
oil and acetophenone when placed inside sealed plastic bags or containers with
various objects
infested with bed bugs and eggs (such as books and electronics). Substrates
tested included paper
towels, cloth rags, pine wood shavings, and polyester cloth. Release of plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active vapors from alginate gels was also examined. These studies
specifically
examined the efficacy of the vapor-phase of the plant health, pesticidal, or
pest control active
composition, as the bed bugs and eggs were not sprayed directly or exposed to
direct contact
with the treated substrate.
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[0222] The purpose of using an impregnated substrate or gel is to create a
vapor-releasing
vehicle that could be used to treat items that would be difficult to treat
otherwise. Alternatively, a
device for releasing plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors
from a liquid
comprising a plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition can
be provided to
supply the vapors. For example, vapors are ideal for treating items such as
electronics, art-work
and books that can be damaged by direct application of a liquid spray. Vapors
also have the
advantage of penetrating into small and difficult to reach areas, such as
cracks, crevices and
cavities where insects may hide. The impregnated substrate would be placed
into a sealed bag or
container along with the sensitive items that require treatment.
[0223] The table below summarizes the results of multiple studies conducted to
test varying
substrates and gels, compositions, containers and contents.
TABLE 1
Summary of Container Studies using various Substrates
Study Substrate/Gel Pesticidal Dose Container Container Length %
Composition (mL) Volume (L) contents of study
Mortality
(days)
1 Alginate (10g) Solution A 30 17.3 Empty 2 100
2 Alginate (20g) Solution A 30 94.4 Hard 4 100
plastic
clutter
40 94.4 90
50 94.4 100
60 94.4 100
3 Polyester Solution A 72 94.4 Books 5 60
cloth
4 Pine wood Solution B 50 85 Books 17 h 100
shavings
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Cotton rag Solution B 36 85 Books 17 h 100
6 Cotton rag in Solution B 34 85 Books 1 100
plastic
housing
85 Books 3 90
7 Paper towel / Solution C 42 85 Books 5 100
cotton rag
8 Paper towel / Solution C 36 85
Electronics 5 100
cotton rag
9 Cotton Rag Solution C 3 oz. 85 Clothing 5
100
(90
mL)
Cotton Rag Solution C 1 oz. 85 Shoes 5 100
(30
mL)
[0224] Efficacy was tested against bed bugs and (in studies #7, 8 and 10)
their eggs. In all
studies, bed bugs were observed for signs of toxicity, mortality, and
oviposition after the
indicated time period had elapsed. Dead insects were defined as those which
were unable to
move after being stimulated. All studies included negative controls which
exhibited 0%
mortality.
[0225] Alginate is a natural gelling agent. Alginate molds in studies #1 and 2
of Table 1 were
created by adding different volumes of Solution A (0.032-0.173% v/v,
calculated based on the
applied volume of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active solution as
indicated in Table 1
above and the final volume of the sealed container that provided the treatment
enclosure) and
water to alginate powder to achieve different concentrations. The liquid
alginate solution was
mixed in a glass beaker before transferring to an aluminum foil mold. Each
mold was allowed
one hour to set. Each treatment had ten bed bugs placed inside a 50 mL plastic
tube containing a
folded piece of filter paper and enclosed with a mesh top (allowing vapors to
enter but
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preventing bed bugs from escaping). Each tube was placed in a plastic
terrarium (approximately
3 cubic feet in volume).
[0226] In study #1, the terrarium was otherwise empty. In study #2, the
terrarium was filled with
various forms of plastic clutter. The alginate substrate was placed in the
terrarium at opposite
ends from the tube of bed bugs and the terrarium was closed with a fitted lid
and placed inside a
large non-porous plastic garbage bag that provided a treatment enclosure.
[0227] In study #3 of Table 1 (Ø076% v/v), a polyester cloth was used a
substrate and the
terrarium was filled with assorted books. Polyester cloth is an example of a
woven synthetic
polymer substrate. The terrarium was closed with a fitted lid and placed
inside a large non-
porous plastic garbage bag that provided a treatment enclosure.
[0228] In study #4, pine wood shavings dosed in Solution B (Ø059% v/v,
calculated as volume
of Solution B relative to the volume of the plastic bag that provided the
treatment enclosure)
were used as a substrate. Pine wood shavings are an example of a naturally
occurring form of
cellulose substrate and are a non-woven polymer. The shavings were housed in a
plastic
container having multiple slits to allow the release of vapors. This housing
was placed in a 30"
by 38" clear plastic bag as a treatment enclosure filled with assorted books
and a mesh-enclosed
container of bed bugs. 100% mortality was observed after 17 hours.
[0229] In study #5 of Table 1, a cotton cloth dosed with 36 ml of Solution B
(Ø04% v/v,
calculated as the amount of solution B applied relative to the calculated
final volume of the clear
plastic bag that provided the treatment enclosure) was used as a substrate.
Cotton is a naturally
occurring polymer that is a form of cellulose substrate. The cotton cloth is a
woven substrate.
Bed bugs were contained in a Mason jar lid over which a nylon stocking was
stretched taut and
tied. This was then placed at the bottom of a 30" by 38" clear plastic bag and
surrounded by ten
randomly selected books. The treated cotton cloth contained in a slitted
plastic housing was
placed in the bag and 100% mortality was observed after 17 hours.
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[0230] In study #6 of Table 1, plastic bags were filled with 35 assorted
books. In one bag, a
container enclosed with a stretched nylon stocking holding 10 bed bugs was
placed amongst the
books. In another bag, 10 bed bugs were infested directly on a book that was
enclosed with a
stretched nylon stocking. A cotton cloth was impregnated with Solution B
(=0.04% v/v,
calculated based on the volume of Solution B applied and the calculated volume
of the plastic
bag that provided the treatment enclosure) and placed into a custom-made
plastic housing having
multiple slits to allow evaporating vapors to be released. Cotton is a
naturally occurring polymer
that is a form of cellulose substrate. The cotton cloth is an example of a
woven polymer. The
purpose of the housing was to prevent direct contact between the moistened
cloth and the objects
to be treated. The cloth in its plastic housing was then placed in each bag,
and 100% mortality
was observed in less than 24 hours for bed bugs in the nylon enclosed
container, while the nylon
enclosed book achieved 90% mortality in 3 days.
[0231] In study #7 of Table 1, books were infested with adult bed bugs and
their eggs and placed
inside large plastic storage bags. In one bag a cotton rag substrate was
tested, and in another bag
a paper towel substrate was tested. Cotton and paper towel are both examples
of naturally
occurring polymers that are different forms of cellulose substrates. The
cotton cloth is a woven
polymer and the paper towel is a non-woven polymer. Books were infested by
encasing them in
a stretched nylon stocking along with 10 live bed bugs and a piece of filter
paper to which eggs
were affixed. The infested books were then placed inside a 31"x42" clear
plastic bag as a
treatment enclosure along with 35 other books of random shapes and sizes. The
cotton rag or
paper towels (7 sheets) were treated with 35 g of Solution B (=0.049% v/v,
calculated as the
volume of Solution B applied relative to the calculated volume of the plastic
bag that provided
the treatment enclosure) and placed on top of the books and the bag was sealed
for 5 days. 100%
adult and egg mortality was observed for both the paper towel and cotton rag
substrates.
[0232] In study #8 of Table 1, a computer was infested with adult bed bugs and
their eggs and
placed in a bag with a keyboard and desktop telephone. Both cotton rag and
paper towel
substrates were tested. Cotton and paper are both examples of naturally
occurring polymers that
are different types of cellulose substrates. The cotton rag is a woven polymer
and the paper towel
is a non-woven polymer. Bed bugs were placed in a housing consisting of nylon
stocking
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=
stretched taut over the ring of a Mason jar lid or a piece of cardboard of a
similar size. A similar
housing containing filter paper mounted with eggs was placed within a Mason
jar lid ring inside
a stretched nylon stocking. The computer housing was removed and the bed bug
and egg samples
were placed within the computer. The cotton rag or paper towel was treated
with Solution B
(=0.042% v/v, calculated as volume of Solution B applied relative to the
calculated volume of
the bag that provided the treatment enclosure) and placed on top of the
electronics and the bag
that provided the treatment enclosure was sealed for 5 days. Both paper towel
and cotton rag had
100% mortality on both adult bed bugs and their eggs.
[0233] In study #9 of Table 1, articles of clothing were infested with bed
bugs and place in a
sealed bag. Three cotton rags were treated each with one ounce (30 mL) of
Solution B. Cotton is
a naturally occurring polymer that is an example of a cellulose substrate, and
the cotton rags are
an example of a woven polymer. One rag was placed at the bottom, middle and
top of the
clothing in the bag that provided a treatment enclosure (concentration of
Solution B=0.105% v/v,
calculated as the volume of Solution B applied relative to the calculated
volume of the bag that
provided the treatment enclosure). Seven articles of clothing were place in
the bag in total, four
of which were infested with bed bugs. 100% mortality was observed after 5
days.
[0234] In study #10 of Table 1, ten pairs of footwear were placed in a bag,
five of which were
infested with adult bed bugs and eggs. A cotton rag was treated with one ounce
(30 mL) of
Solution B and placed on top of the footwear inside the sealed plastic bag as
a treatment
enclosure (concentration of Solution B=0.035% v/v, calculated as the volume of
Solution B
applied relative to the calculated volume of the bag that provided the
treatment enclosure).
Cotton is a naturally occurring polymer that is an example of a cellulose
substrate, and the cotton
rag is an example of a woven polymer. 100% mortality was observed after 5
days.
[0235] The pesticide concentration to which the bed bugs and eggs were exposed
in these studies
may be estimated based on the volume of the treatment enclosure and the
initial dose of plant
health, pesticidal, or pest control active solution. In Table 2 below, vapor
concentrations for each
of the ten studies above are expressed as the percent of the amount of plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition relative to the total volume of the container.
Note that for the
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studies using plastic bags, the volume of space inside the sealed bags was
estimated to be
approximately 3 cubic feet (approximately 85 L) based on the proportions of
the bag, although
an exact volume was not measured. Also note that the volumes shown in the
table below do not
take into account the volume of the contents of the container, and hence
reflect the entire space
enclosed within the container rather than the actual volume of remaining air
space (i.e. void
space).
TABLE 2
Summary of Vapor Concentrations
Study # Container Container Container Dose (mL)
Pesticide
Type Contents Volume (L)
Concentration (%
pesticidal
solution/treatment
volume)
1 Terrarium Empty 17.3 30 0.173%
2 Terrarium Hard plastic 94.4 30 0.032%
clutter
94.4 40 0.042%
94.4 50 0.053%
94.4 60 0.064%
3 Terrarium Books 94.4 72 0.076%
4 Plastic Bag Books 85 50 0.059%
Plastic Bag Books 85 36 0.042%
6 Plastic Bag Books 85 34 0.040%
Books 85 34 0.040%
7 Plastic Bag Books 85 42 0.049%
8 Plastic Bag Electronics 85 36
0.042%
9 Plastic Bag Clothing 85 89 0.105%
Plastic Bag Shoes 85 30 0.035%
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Example 1.6
Dose Response of Solution C Vapors on Bed Bug-Infested Books Sealed Inside
Bags
[0236] Groups of 10 adult bed bugs and 5 bed bug eggs were each sealed into
gas permeable,
nylon mesh cages and placed inside or amongst items inside a plastic garbage
bag (42 gallon,
approximately 158 L) as a treatment enclosure. Each garbage bag (n=5
bags/treatment) contained
bed bug adults and eggs, along with 50 assorted soft and hard cover books.
Each bug infested
bag (filled with materials) received 1-2 perforated polyethylene housings
containing absorbent
cellulose substrate that was dosed with 2 ounces (60 mL) of Solution C, or
absorbent cellulose
substrate (Zap pad) dosed with 2 ounces (60 mL) of water (untreated control).
The absorbent
substrate and housing was placed on top of the materials within each bag, out
of physical contact
with the bed bugs or eggs. The bags were then sealed and 0.037-0.074% (v/v)
Solution C
(calculated as the volume of Solution C applied relative to the volume of the
garbage bag that
provided the treatment enclosure) was allowed to evaporate over 5 days, at 20-
22 C. The bags
were then opened and adult bed bug mortality was observed. The mass of
Solution C remaining
on the absorbent substrate (compared to its initial mass) was also measured.
Eclosion of treated
bed bug eggs was observed daily for 14 days after removal from the bag, or
until control eggs
had all hatched.
[0237] Vapors emitted from 4 ounces (120 mL) (0.074% v/v) of Solution C killed
100% of adult
bed bugs and bed bug eggs in bags filled with books, vapors emitted from 2
ounces (60 mL)
(0.038% v/v) of Solution C killed 83% of adults and 76% of eggs in bags filled
with books over
five days (FIG. 18). These results indicate that bed bug and egg mortality
increases with the
concentration of evaporated Solution C vapors inside the bag that provides the
treatment
enclosure.
[0238] FIG. 18 shows the percent mortality of bed bug adults and eggs after
exposure to Solution
C vapors inside sealed 158 L (42 gallon) garbage bags filled with hard-cover
and soft-cover
books (mass-remaining of Solution C after 5-day exposure is also shown). Bugs
and eggs were
exposed for 5 days to vapors emitted from 2 ounces (60 mL) (0.037% v/v) or 4
ounces (120 mL)
(0.074% v/v) of liquid Solution C applied to absorbent cellulose pads (Zap
pads) as a substrate
(10 adults and 5 eggs per bag; n=5 bags per treatment, 3-4 bags per control).
Lines above bars
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indicate standard error of adult and egg mortality; asterisks above bars
indicate treatment
mortality that is significantly higher than control mortality (Chi-square
test; *p<0.05; 1 d.f.).
Example 1.7
Efficacy of Solution C Vapors on Bed Bugs Sealed Inside Bags with Different
Types of Material
[0239] Groups of 10 adult bed bugs and 5 bed bug eggs were each sealed into
gas permeable,
nylon mesh cages and placed inside or amongst items inside a 158 L (42 gallon)
plastic garbage
bag as a treatment enclosure. Each garbage bag (n=5 bags/treatment) contained
bed bug adults
and eggs mixed with the following materials: a) 50 assorted soft and hard
cover books; b) one
large electronic device (printer, computer, DVD or VHS player) and a mix of
telephones, other
small electronic items as well as DVD's, CD's and VHS tapes; c) eight pairs of
shoes and three
handbags; d) 20 items of clothing comprised of various different fabrics. Each
bug-infested bag
(filled with materials) received 1 perforated polyethylene housing containing
absorbent cellulose
substrate that was dosed with 2 ounces (60 mL) of Solution C(=0.037% v/v,
calculated as the
amount of Solution C applied relative to the 158 L (42 gallon) volume of the
garbage bag that
provided the treatment enclosure), or absorbent cellulose substrate (Zap pad)
dosed with 2
ounces (60 mL) of water (untreated control). The absorbent substrate and
housing was placed on
top of the materials within each bag, out of contact with the bed bugs or
eggs. The bags were
then sealed and Solution C vapor was allowed to evaporate over 5 days, at 20-
22 C. The bags
were then opened and adult bed bug mortality was observed. The mass of
Solution C remaining
on the absorbent substrate (compared to its initial mass) was also measured.
Eclosion of treated
bed bug eggs was observed daily for 14 days after removal from the bag, or
until control eggs
had all hatched.
[0240] Vapors emitted from 2 ounces (60 mL) of Solution C(=0.037% v/v) killed
100% of adult
bed bugs and bed bug eggs in bags filled with electronics or footwear and
handbags, and killed
83% of adults and 76% of eggs inside bags filled with books (FIG. 19). The
presence of books,
footwear or handbags inside the sealed bag resulted in a lower mass of
Solution C remaining on
absorbent cellulose pads (Zap pads) compared to the mass remaining when less
absorbent
materials such as electronics were placed inside the bag. This increased mass
loss may derive
from the books, footwear or handbag's ability to absorb Solution C vapors from
the void space.
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The resulting lowered concentration of Solution C vapors in the void space
results in lower adult
and egg mortality when vapor-absorbing items are placed inside the bag. In
comparison, non-
absorbent items such as electronics do not lower the vapor concentration (and
resulting efficacy)
as readily.
[0241] FIG. 19 shows the percent mortality of bed bug adults and eggs after
exposure to 0.037%
v/v Solution C vapors inside sealed 158 L (42 gallon) garbage bags filled with
hard-cover and
soft-cover books, footwear & handbags, or electronics (mass-remaining of
Solution C after 5 day
exposure is also shown). Bugs and eggs were exposed for 5 days to vapors
emitted from 2
ounces (60 mL) of liquid Solution C applied to absorbent cellulose pads (Zap
pads) (0.037% v/v;
adults and 5 eggs per bag; n=5 bags per treatment, 3-4 bags per control).
Lines above and
below bars indicate standard error of adult and egg mortality; Asterisks above
bars indicate
treatment mortality that is significantly higher than control mortality (Chi-
square test; *p<0.05; 1
d.f. (degree of freedom)).
Example 1.8
Efficacy of Solution C Vapors on a Bed Bug-Infested Suit Inside a Sealed Suit
Bag
[0242] Six groups of 5 healthy adult bed bugs were each encased in a gas-
permeable nylon
mesh-covered ring which were each placed in a different location in and around
a man's suit (at
the top of the suit bag, under pants on the hanger, outside of the breast
pocket, inside the jacket's
internal pocket, outside the lower pocket, and at the bottom of suit bag.
Thirty ml (=0.043% v/v)
or 60 ml (=0.086% v/v) of Solution C (calculated as volume of Solution C
applied relative to the
suit bag that provided the treatment enclosure) was poured onto an absorbent
polymer pad (15x6
inches2) (38x15 cm2) adhered to a liquid-impermeable polypropylene backing
(the absorbent
polymer pad was cotton, a naturally occurring polymer that is a form of
cellulose, that is a
portion of absorbent laboratory spill matting, which is a non-woven
substrate). The absorbent
pad was draped over a wire coat hanger (backing-side-down), over the shoulders
of the suit
jacket, out of physical contact with bed bugs (FIG. 20). A sealable, gas-
impervious polymer suit
bag having a volume of approximately 70 L was then placed over the suit to
contain the vapors
and suit within for 24 hours. An additional group of 5 adult bugs remained
untreated, within a
gas-permeable cage placed outside of the sealed suit bag. FIG. 20 is a
photograph illustrating
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
how the absorbent pad was draped over the suit (left image) and how the suit
and pad were
sealed inside a suit bag (right image).
[0243] 0.043%-0.086% v/v Solution C vapors emitted from an absorbent substrate
inside a
sealed suit-bag successfully killed 100% of adult bed bugs (all significantly
higher than untreated
control mortality) in all locations within the sealed suit bag except for
those located at the very
top of the bag (FIG. 21). Solution C vapors are denser than air, therefore,
those bugs at the
extreme top of the bag were likely exposed to a lower concentration of vapors
than bugs at lower
locations, where vapors should tend to accumulate. Active movement of vapors
within the bag,
changing the orientation of the bag (e.g. laying the bag flat), using a lower
density formulation,
or longer vapor-exposure time would likely kill 100% of all life stages of
insects and other
arthropods, even in the uppermost locations.
[0244] FIG. 21 shows the percent mortality of adult bed bugs exposed to vapors
emitted from 30
ml (Ø043% v/v) or 60 ml (Ø086% v/v) of liquid Solution C for 24 hours
inside a sealed suit-
bag. The sealed suit bag contained a man's suit jacket and pants, along with
gas-permeable cages
containing adult bed bugs which were placed in various locations within the
suit bag (n=5
bugs/treatment location). An additional group of 5 adult bugs remained
untreated, within a gas-
permeable cage placed outside of the sealed suit bag. Asterisks above bars
indicate treatment
mortality that is significantly higher than control mortality (Chi-square
test; *p<0.05; 1 d.f.).
Example 1.9
Efficacy of Solution C Vapor on a Bed Bug-Infested Suitcase Sealed within a
Plastic Bag
[0245] Suitcases (7.8 ft2) were each infested with 20 adult bed bugs and 10
bed bug eggs (10
adults and 5 eggs placed inside the suitcase, and 10 adults and 5 eggs placed
on the outer wall
and pockets of the suitcase). Bed bug-infested suitcases (unzipped) were each
placed inside a
sealed 158 L (42 gallon) garbage bag as a treatment enclosure, along with 2
absorbent cellulose
pads (Zap pads), placed out of physical contact with bed bugs inside the
suitcase; one pad was
dosed with 30 ml of Solution C and placed on the inside of the suitcase (on
the bottom when the
suitcase is standing upright), and a second pad was dosed with 30 ml of
Solution C and placed on
top of the upright suitcase (=0.037% v/v applied per bag, calculated as the
volume of Solution C
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applied relative to the volume of the garbage bag that provided the treatment
enclosure). Three
bed bug-infested suitcases were not exposed directly or indirectly to any
treatment, to act as
untreated controls. Adult bed bugs were observed for mortality 5 days after
initial treatment to
Solution C liquid or vapors. Eclosion of treated bed bug eggs was observed
daily for 14 days
after removal from the bag, or until control eggs had all hatched. Results are
summarized in
Table 3.
[0246] After 5 days exposure to 0.037% v/v Solution C vapor, all bed bug
adults on the inside
and outside of the suitcases were killed (compared to 10.6% average mortality
of untreated
control adults). Similarly, after 5 days exposure to Solution C vapors, all
bed bug eggs on the
outside of the suitcases were killed (compared to 7% mortality on the outside
of untreated
control suitcases). Egg mortality inside suitcases could not be determined. It
was observed that
bed bug adults had laid eggs on the control suitcases but not on the treatment
suitcases,
suggesting Solution C liquid or vapors prevent oviposition by causing rapid
death of the adult
bed bugs. These results indicate that 0.037% v/v Solution C vapors are capable
of killing bed bug
eggs laid on suitcases and by killing adults inside and outside of suitcases,
oviposition can be
prevented.
TABLE 3
Suitcase % Adult % Eclosion on
Mortality Outside of the
Inside and Suitcase
Outside of the
Suitcase
1 (untreated) 12% 100%
2 (untreated) 15% 100%
3 (untreated) 5% 80%
1 (treated) 100% 0%
2 (treated) 100% 0%
3 (treated) 93%** 0%
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**One bed bug was moribund and died one week after initial observations
Example 1.10
Efficacy of Solution C Vapor Against Various Insect Pests Inside a Sealed
Plastic Bag
[0247] Groups of 5 healthy, adult German cockroaches (Blattella germanica),
pavement ants
(Tetramorium caespitum), granary weevils (Sitophilus granarius), Dermestid
beetle larvae
(Dermestes maculatus) or earwigs (Forficula auricularia) were each caged
inside a gas-
permeable nylon-mesh cage. Each cage was placed inside an empty, transparent
plastic garbage
bag (158 L, 3 mil thickness) as a treatment enclosure along with 1
polyethylene housing
containing a pair of stacked absorbent cellulose pads (Zap pads, each 15.5x11
cm) dosed with 2
ounces (60 mL) of Solution C (=0.037% v/v, calculated as volume of Solution C
applied relative
to the volume of the treatment enclosure), or with 2 ounces (60 mL) of water
(to serve as an
untreated control). Solution C treated pads were placed out of physical
contact with insects
inside each bag. All insects were exposed to vapors inside sealed bags for 5
days, during which
time they were observed for mortality. Four replications (5 insects of each
species per bag) were
performed for each treatment.
[0248] Insects were observed for signs of toxicity and mortality at 0, 1, 2,
3, 4 and 24 hours after
initial exposure to treatment vapors, then daily for 5 days thereafter. Dead
insects were defined
as those which did not move and were unable to move when the bag was gently
agitated. The
percent mortality observed after 24 hour exposure to treatment vapors was
compared to mortality
of untreated control insects using Chi-square analysis.
[0249] All insect species exhibited 100% mortality after 24 hours of exposure
to vapors emitted
by 60 ml (2 ounces) of Solution C(=0.037% v/v) inside an empty sealed plastic
bag. Pavement
ants were the most susceptible to vapors, exhibiting 100% mortality 1 hour
after initial exposure
to vapors; German cockroaches and earwigs exhibited 100% mortality 3 hours
after initial
exposure to vapors, and granary weevils and Dermestid beetle larvae exhibited
100% mortality
24 hours after initial exposure to vapors. Mortality of each insect species
was significantly higher
than control mortality (FIG. 22). These results indicate that Solution C
vapors are capable of
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killing multiple insect species from a variety of taxonomic orders. Based on
the similarity of
other arthropods to insects with respect to organism size, cellular
respiration and other
morphological respiratory structures, it can be soundly predicted that
Solution C vapors would
similarly be capable of killing other species of terrestrial arthropods,
including subterranean
arthropods.
[0250] FIG. 22 shows the mortality of German cockroaches, Dermestid beetle
larvae, pavement
ants, granary weevils and earwigs after exposure to vapors emitted by 60 ml
Solution C(=0.038%
v/v) inside a sealed plastic bag (n=20 insects of each species per treatment,
5 insects per bag).
Mortality observations were made at 0, 1, 2, 3,4, and 24 hours after initial
exposure to vapors,
then daily for 5 days. Lines above and below data points indicate standard
error mortality and
asterisks indicate insect mortality after 24 hours vapor-exposure that is
significantly higher than
control mortality of the same species. (Chi-square test; *p<0.01; 1 d.f.).
Example 1.11
Measure of Vapor Concentration, Release-Rate and Corresponding Bed Bug
Mortality for
Volatile Components of Solution C
[0251] 0.25,0.5, 1,2, or 4 ounces (7.5, 15, 30, 60, or 120 mL) (=0.0046%,
0.009%, 0.019%,
0.037% and 0.07% v/v relative to treatment enclosure volume) of Solution C was
applied to a
single- or stacked pair of absorbent cellulose pads (Zap pads, each 15.5x11
cm), contained
within a perforated polyethylene housing. Each absorbent pad and housing was
then sealed
inside a 158 L (42 gallon) plastic garbage bag as a treatment enclosure that
remained empty, or
was filled with 50 assorted soft and hard cover books. Pads dosed with
treatment liquid were
placed on top of the books in book-filled bags.
[0252] Dosed pads were allowed to evaporate inside sealed bags at 19-21 C.
for 5 days. The
head space from the inflated bags was sampled at 0.5, 1, 1.5,2, 2.5, 3, 4 and
24 hours after
Solution C absorbent pads were initially placed into each bag. Sampling was
performed by
piercing the bottom of the bag and drawing 100 pL of head space gas using a
gastight syringe.
The piercing was then re-sealed with tape. Each head-space vapor sample was
injected into a gas
chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID: HP 6850;
column: Varian
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
CP-Wax 52CB. 24 mx320 iimx1.20 pm; injector temperature: 250 C.; detector
temperature:
250 C.; oven temperature program: 60 C.>250 C. at 20 Chnin.>hold 1
minute.). Head space
samples were analyzed for isopropyl alcohol vapor concentration as determined
by peak areas.
Three replicates were performed for each Solution C concentration tested.
[0253] Isopropyl alcohol was selected for gas-chromatographic detection
because it is the most
abundant compound in the tested Solution C, and is therefore easier to observe
via gas
chromatography. The concentration of isopropyl alcohol is correlated to the
volume of liquid
formulation placed inside the treatment enclosure, and the isopropyl alcohol
concentration, and
the concentration of other formulation vapors, are greatly influenced by the
presence of
absorptive materials within the container. Thus, monitoring isopropyl alcohol
concentration
allows an assessment of the impact of the presence of absorptive materials
within the treatment
enclosure on the plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapor
concentration therein.
[0254] In parallel, groups of 5 adult bed bugs and 5 bed bug eggs (caged
inside gas-permeable
nylon mesh) were each sealed into a 158 L (42 gallon) plastic bag as a
treatment enclosure along
with either 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 ounces (0,7.5, 15, 30,60, 120 mL) of
Solution C(Ø0%,
0.0046%, 0.009%, 0.019%, 0.037% and 0.07% v/v) applied to absorbent cellulose
pads (Zap
pads contained with a perforated polyethylene housing). Pads were placed out
of physical contact
with adult bugs or eggs. Three treatment replicates were performed for each
volume of Solution
C that was tested. After 5 days exposure to Solution C, a head-space sample
was drawn from
each bag and analyzed for isopropyl vapor concentration (method described
above). At the same
time, adult bed bugs and eggs were removed from each bag and assessed for
mortality. Adult
mortality was defined as bugs which did not move and which did not cling to
the mesh cage after
light agitation; egg mortality was defined as eggs that did not eclose 14 days
after initial
placement within the bag. Eclosion and survival of treated bed bugs and eggs
was compared to
that of untreated controls using Chi-square analysis.
[0255] FIG. 23 shows the relative isopropyl alcohol vapor concentration (as
determined by peak
area) when 0.25, 0.5, 1,2, or 4 ounces (7.5, 15, 30,60 or 120 mL) (Ø0046%,
0.009%, 0.019%,
0.037% and 0.07% v/v) of Solution C is poured onto an absorbent cellulose pad
and sealed inside
CA 3028690 2018-12-31
an empty 158 L (42 gallon) plastic bag (n=3 bags per volume of Solution C
tested). Lines above
and below data points indicate standard deviation peak area. FIG. 24 shows
relative isopropyl
alcohol vapor concentration (as determined by peak area) when 0.25,0.5, 1, 2,
or 4 ounces (7.5,
15, 30, 60 or 120 mL) (=0.0046%, 0.009%, 0.019%, 0.037% and 0.07% v/v) of
Solution C is
poured onto an absorbent cellulose pad and sealed inside a 158 L (42 gallon)
plastic bag filled
with books (n=3 bags per volume of Solution C tested). Lines above and below
data points
indicate standard deviation peak area. FIG. 25 shows mean mortality of adult
bed bugs and bed
bug eggs after 5-day exposure to various vapor concentrations emitted by
0.25,0.5, 1, 2, or 4
ounces (7.5, 15, 30, 60 or 120 mL) (=0.0046%, 0.009%, 0.019%, 0.037% and 0.07%
v/v) of
Solution C inside a sealed 158 L (42 gallon) plastic bag (n=5 bugs per bag; 3
bags per
concentration tested). Solution C vapor concentrations are displayed as
relative isopropyl alcohol
vapor concentration (determined by gas-chromatographic peak areas analyzed
from samples of
each bag's head-space). Lines above and below data points indicate standard
error mortality of
adult bugs and eggs.
[0256] Evaporation of Solution C inside empty bags resulted in isopropyl
alcohol vapor
concentration increasing with the volume of Solution C applied to absorbent
cellulose pads. At
each volume tested, after 4 hours of evaporation within empty bags, the
isopropyl alcohol vapor
concentration begins to stabilize as the void-space becomes saturated (FIG.
23). When plastic
bags contain books, the maximum concentration of isopropyl alcohol vapor that
is detected after
evaporation from Solution C dosed pads is significantly lower than that
observed inside empty
bags (FIGS. 23 and 24). Within book-filled bags, the isopropyl alcohol
concentration is maximal
after 0.5-4 hours of evaporation, then rapidly decreases and begins to
stabilize at 24 hours,
remaining stable for the next 4 days (FIG. 24). This rapid decrease in vapor
concentration after
24 hours is not observed in empty bags treated with the same volume of
Solution C, and the
resulting isopropyl alcohol vapor concentration within empty bags remains at a
level that is 3-20
times higher than the vapor concentration within book-filled bags. Without
being bound by
theory, the lowered maximum concentration and rapid decrease of isopropyl
alcohol vapor is
believed to be caused by the absorbent cellulosic nature of the books within
the bag. As
isopropyl alcohol evaporates from the pad, the vapor is quickly absorbed by
the books and
therefore, cannot reach the same maximum concentration observed inside empty
bags treated
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with the same volume of Solution C. Once maximal evaporation has occurred
(between 0.5-4
hours), the books continue to absorb vapor (causing a rapid lowering of vapor
concentration)
until the books become saturated (causing a stable, but lower vapor
concentration within the
bag). This vapor absorbing phenomenon is likely to occur when bags are filled
with other
absorbent substrates such as clothing.
[0257] Bed bug adults exhibited 100% mortality after 5-day exposure to a
relative isopropyl
alcohol peak area of 743 emitted from Solution C vapors. Bed bug eggs
exhibited 100%
mortality after 5-day exposure to a relative isopropyl alcohol peak area of
459. Lower relative
peak areas resulted in lower adult bed bug and egg mortality, indicating that
a threshold vapor
concentration must be maintained to achieve 100% mortality (FIG. 25). These
results also
indicate that bed bug eggs are affected by lower concentrations of Solution C
vapor than are bed
bug adults, and emphasize the importance of exposing adults and eggs to an
appropriate volume
of plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active composition for an
extended period, taking into
account the absorptive nature of the materials within the sealed container.
Example 1.12
Efficacy of Solution C Vapors Against Granary Weevil-Infested Grain Inside a
Sealed Bag
[0258] Groups of 20 healthy adult granary weevils, Sitophilus granarius, were
caged above or
within the middle of a 100 g column of grain (7.5 cm tall grain column inside
a 10 cmx4.5 cm
diameter jar) by placing a gas-permeable, nylon mesh barrier within the grain
column that filled
the jar. Grain and weevils were then sealed into 158 L (42 gallon) plastic
bags as a treatment
enclosure along with 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, or 1 ounce (0, 0.75, 1.5,
3, 7.5, 15, or 30 mL)
of Solution C liquid dosed onto an absorbent cellulosic pad (Zap pad, =0.0%,
0.0005%, 0.001%,
0.002%, 0.0046%, 0.009% and 0.019% v/v). Weevils and grain jars were each
placed inside an
empty, transparent plastic garbage bag (158 L, 3 mil thickness) along with 1
polyethylene
housing containing a pair of stacked absorbent cellulose pads (each 15.5x11
cm) dosed with
0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, or 1 ounce (0.75, 1.5, 3, 7.5, 15 or 30 mL) of
Solution C liquid, or
with 1 ounce (30 mL) of water (to serve as an untreated control). Solution C
treated pads were
placed out of physical contact with insects and grain inside each bag. All
insects were exposed to
vapors inside sealed bags for 3 days, after which time weevils were observed
for mortality. Four
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replications (20 weevils per jar) were performed for each treatment volume.
After 3 days of
exposure to Solution C vapors, weevils were removed from bags and grain, and
observed for
signs of mortality. Dead weevils were defined as those which did not move and
were unable to
move when gently prodded with forceps. The percent mortality observed after 3
day exposure to
each treatment volume was recorded and graphed to determine the minimum
effective dose
achieved in this system.
[0259] Results are shown in FIG. 26, which shows mean mortality of granary
weevils, Sitophilus
granarius, after exposure to vapors emitted by 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1, or
0.25 ounces (0,0.75,
1.5,2.25, 3, or 7.5 mL) (0.0%, 0.0005%, 0.001%, 0.0015%, 0.002% or 0.0046%
v/v). Solution C
inside a sealed plastic bag having a volume of 158 L (n=20 weevils per jar, 4
jars per treatment
volume). Mortality observations were made after 3 days exposure to vapors.
Lines above and
below data points indicate standard error mortality and asterisks indicate
insect mortality after 24
hour vapor-exposure that is significantly higher than control mortality of the
same species. (Chi-
square test; *p<0.01; 1 d.f.).
[0260] Weevils on top of the grain surface exhibited 45%, 30% and 100%
mortality when
exposed to vapors emitted from 0.025,0.05, and 0.1 ounce (0.75, 1.5 and 3 mL)
of Solution C,
respectively. Weevils within the middle of the grain column exhibited 15%, 68%
and 100%
mortality when exposed to vapors emitted from 0.025,0.05, and 0.1 ounce (0.75,
1.5 and 3 mL)
of Solution C, respectively. All weevils exposed to 0.1 ounce (3 mL) or higher
volumes of
Solution C exhibited 100% mortality regardless of position within the grain
column (FIG. 26).
These results indicate that Solution C vapors are capable of entering the void-
spaces of a grain
column, and can kill weevils residing within those void-spaces.
Example 1.13
Mass-Loss and Relative Isopropyl Alcohol Vapor Concentrations Released from 3
Solution C-
Treated Substrates
[0261] Polyester sponges, cellulose fiber pads and wax pads (n=3 per
substrate) were each
loaded with 50 grams of Solution C liquid (Ø04% v/v relative to the volume
of the treatment
enclosure) and allowed to evaporate inside a sealed 158 L (42 gallon) bag.
Polyester sponges are
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an example of a synthetic non-woven polymer. The cellulose fiber pads were Zap
pads. The wax
pads are an example of a wax substrate, and were made from beeswax, which is a
wax derived
from an animal. Twenty four hours after each substrate was sealed into a bag,
a sample of the
bag's head-space volatiles were drawn and analyzed for isopropyl alcohol vapor
concentration,
and mass-loss from each substrate (due to evaporation of Solution C) was
recorded.
[0262] After 24 hours, sponge, cellulose-pad and wax substrates exhibited a
loss of 18%, 20%
and 3% of Solution C due to evaporation, respectively. Each substrate also
emitted a relative
isopropyl peak area at or above 1860 inside each bag. These results indicate
that Solution C
evaporates faster from sponge and cellulose fibers, than from wax, but within
the sealed system
sufficiently lethal vapor concentration accumulated regardless of the
substrate used (Table 4).
TABLE 4
Mean mass-loss and relative isopropyl alcohol peak area emitted from sponge,
cellulose-pad or
wax substrates dosed with 50 g of Solution C placed inside a sealed bag for 24
hours.
Mean relative
Mean % mass loss (g)
Substrate IPA peak area
after 24 hours
after 24 hours
Sponge 17.8%( 0.5%) 2835 ( 1131)
Cellulose
Pad 19.5%( 2.5%) 1867 ( 127)
Wax 2.5% ( 0.7%) 3061 ( 627)
[0263] This example demonstrates that sponges and wax can be used as
substrates for releasing
plant health, pesticidal, or pest control active vapors in some embodiments of
the present
invention. Cellulose-based substrates were selected for further testing in the
examples described
herein because the density of the tested sponge substrate was lower, and
therefore a larger
volume of sponge would be required to absorb a Particular dose of plant
health, pesticidal, or
pest control active composition; however, other types of sponges may be more
absorbent than
the tested polyester sponge.
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CA 3028690 2018-12-31
[0264] While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed
above, those
of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations,
additions and sub-
combinations thereof. To the extent that they are not mutually exclusive,
embodiments described
above can be combined with one another to yield further embodiments of the
invention. It is
therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter
introduced are not to
be limited by the exemplary embodiments set forth herein, but are to be given
the broadest
interpretation consistent with the specification as a whole.
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