Agency:

Agricultural Research Service

December 24, 1996 and July 15, 1997

The invention is aimed at various species of ants that pose significant economic and health problems to man. For example, 1) leaf-cutting ants are capable of defoliating a citrus tree overnight and destroying germinating seeds; 2) fire ants cause crop losses, damage to electrical and farm equipment, cause soil erosion and sting humans and livestock; and 3) species of foraging ants find and destroy capsules of parasitic wasps used by man as biological controls for other insects. The invention is designed to provide improved, nontoxic ant repellents based on formulations that consist of certain alcohols, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters, ketones, and/or aldehydes. The repellent could be combined with either a liquid or solid carrier, allowing it to be applied, for example, as a liquid spray, a powder and/or slow-release carrier.

Robert K. Vander Meer

Medical & Veterinary Laboratory

Gainesville, Florida 32608

(352) 374-5860 / (352) 374-5786 (fax)

Industry Keywords:

repellents specifically for ants, slow-release formulations, Myrmica Rubra, Myrmica Scabrinodis, animal protection, crop protection, food storage area, food preparation area, home and garden areas