Background and summary of the invention

Insect control can be achieved by many methods known in the art. One such method is the use of gel baits. The baits are to be placed where the probability of settling of insects is high. There are bait preparations that are available as granules. But the inherent disadvantage in such preparations is that they can be used only on horizontal surfaces whereas the gel preparation like the ones described in the instant application can be used without limitation of the surface.

Insects, especially cockroaches, are omnivorous insects. These insects typically infest locations that contain sufficient food, moisture and shelter for survival. Cockroaches forage for food randomly and will examine a food prior to ingesting it. If the food does not contain ingredients that stimulate feeding of the insect, the cockroach may continue to forage for appropriate food sources.

Ants are a common insect pest in and around the home as well as in agricultural settings. Various ant species pose significant problems in the home, including wooden structures, roofs, and electrical equipment. Ant pests have also been known to introduce contamination and disease by spreading pathogens and some ant species inflict painful sting that can be life-threatening to sensitive individuals. In agriculture, some ants feed on germinating seeds and crop seedling while some domesticate and protect other pest insects that feed on crops.

US patent No. 6007832, describes the formulation of insecticide composition for cockroach control comprising Boric acid, a mixture of food bait composing from flour, milk, fructose, onions sufficient to induce ingestion of the composition by a cockroach, and gum sufficient to improve
the workability of the composition.

US patent No. 20040166138, describes the formulation ant food mixed together in a matrix suitable to be used as baits for ants are provided. It comprises protein, carbohydrate, fat and sterol as ant-preferred nutrients and uric acid as a bait enhancing agent is carried in a unique gel system that is especially attractive to insects.

US patent No. 4320130 is provided a pesticidal composition for the control of insects, such as fire ants. Also pregel defatted corn grits are blended with a solution of a toxicant in a mixture of edible oil, such as soybeans oil, and a higher fatty acid, such as oleic or stearic acid.

EP patent No. 0212226, describes a formulation of insecticidal composition for control of cockroach. The composition comprising, admixing the gallant, poly hydroxyl ethylene block copolymer, having an average molecular weight of 25,000, mp. 56°C. The composition comprising admixing at 25°C to 95°C.

Summary of the invention

An insect gel bait has been formulated that consists of food attractants at concentrations that have been found to be significantly preferred by crawling and flying insects. Examples of food attractant that are used in present invention include glucose, fructose, maltose, corn flour, powdered oats, honey, jaggery etc. Examples of anti-freezing agents that may be used in the invention include glycerin, propylene glycol, and ethylene glycol.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an effective insecticide gel bait composition utilizing for controlling harmful insects, in particularly preferred by roaches including American and German cockroaches, and which comprise active ingredient of Fipronil or Imidacloprid or Indoxacarb or Thiamethoxam within the range of about 0.01 to 10 weight percent, preferably from about 0.01 to 5 weight percent together with an amount of attractant food baits for attracting roaches to the composition.

It is further object of the present invention to provide control ants, particularly red-ants. The insect toxicant can be thiamethoxam. Within the invention is an insect gel bait including food attractants like corn flour, powdered oats and sugar. The sugar can be glucose, fructose, honey, jaggery and maltose.

It is another object of the invention to provide an insect gel bait composition that has good gel consistency even at higher temperatures (as high as 60 - 70°C)

The insect gel bait can further include an anti-freezing agent such as glycerin, ethylene glycol, and propylene glycol. The insect gel bait can also include gelling agent such as honey bee wax, hydrogenated castor oil, and ethoxylated vegetable oil.

Detailed description

The bait of the present invention is particularly useful for controlling American and German cockroaches and red-ants. The baits have composition comprises Fipronil / Imidacloprid / Indoxacarb / Thiamethoxam. The bait is developed with highly preferable food substrates the combination of which becomes highly attractive to the target insects.
The gel bait composition comprises Fipronil or Imidacloprid or Thiamethoxam or Indoxacarb within the range of about 0.01 to 10 weight percent, preferably from about 0.01 to 5 weight percent.

The composition may also comprise one or more diluents selected from alkyl pyrrolidones, polyhydric alcohols or mixtures thereof. Preferably, the diluents are selected from alkyl pyrrolidones.

The composition may further comprise gelling agents which can be selected from the group of ethoxylated vegetable oil, Hydrogenated castor oil, bees wax, paraffin wax etc. The proportion of the gelling agent in composition may vary from 10 to 60 wt %.

The composition also comprises an anti freezing agent selected from Propylene glycol, glycerin, ethylene glycol and the proportion varies from 5 to 25 wt%.

The composition may additionally contain an attractant. Suitable attractants are glucose, corn flour, sucrose, fructose, honey, honey bee wax, maltose etc and the proportion varies from 5 to 60 wt%.

The composition may additionally contain anti microbial agent s. Suitable antimicrobial agents are methyl paraben, propyl paraben,
Benzisothiazolinone etc and the proposition varies from 0 to 5 wt %.
In preferred embodiment, insect gel bait compositions are processed so as to eliminate microorganism from the compositions. For example, a gel bait composition, the composition is heated to a temperature in the range of about 60-90° C for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
According to the invention, the gel bait thus formed had good gel consistency without any oil separation even after subjecting to accelerated storage stability studies at 54 ± 2°C for 28 days.
Fipronil, Indoxacarb and Imidacloprid gel bait was tested on both American and German Cockroaches. Bio-efficacy data are as below (mean of three replications).

Blank means no gel bait was applied. Insect species were allowed to roam in a cabinet, whereas sample 1 & 2 means insect species were allowed to roam in a cabinet applied with insect gel bait. The above Gel baits according to the invention have excellent knockdown and mortality rates.

Thiamethoxam gel bait was tested on red ants and the repellency data is as below (mean of three replications)

Examples

Preparation of gel bait

Attractants and gelling agents were heated to 100-110°C for 30 minutes to form a liquid slurry. A mixture of toxicant, coloring agent (if necessary), alkyl pyrrolidones, antifreeze agents and humectant were charged to the above solution to form a thin slurry. Antifungal and antimicrobial agents were charged and the mass cooled to room temperature under constant agitation in a Silverson high shear mixer / homogenizer to form a consistent gel bait product, ready for filling in syringes.

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4

Claim:

1. We claim that invention relates to insecticide gel compositions having Fipronil /Imidacloprid /Thiamethoxam/Indoxacarb as a toxicant.