Chemical and biological agents for the control of molluscs

Abstract

Compositions and methods for controlling molluscs, members of the Gastropoda and Bivalvia classes which includes but is not limited to lactones, lactams, carbamates, amides, and/or carboxylic acid containing compounds as active ingredients and/or compounds derived from Pseudomonas and/or Erwinia. Also provided are methods and compositions for increasing the efficacy of chemical and biological control for invasive molluscs in open waters, power plants, and drinking water treatment facilities under coldwater conditions.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM[0001]This application claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 61 / 170,686, filed Apr. 20, 2009, U.S. application Ser. No. 61 / 170,790, filed Apr. 20, 2009 and U.S. application Ser. No. 61 / 170,790, filed Dec. 10, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]Compositions and methods for controlling molluscs, such as mussels and / or snails and / or slugs which includes but is not limited to lactones, lactams, carbamates, amides, and / or carboxylic acid containing compounds as active ingredients and / or compounds derived from a microbe (e.g., Pseudomonas and / or Erwinia). Also provided are methods and compositions for increasing the efficacy of chemical and biological control for molluscs, such as mussels and / or snails and / or slugs in open waters, power plants, and drinking water treatment facilities under coldwater conditions or solid surfaces.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The Zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, was origi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0023]In a related aspect, the invention is directed to the use of an inert material for increasing the efficacy of one or more substances for controlling one or more molluscs, particularly a class of molluscs selected from the group consisting of Bivalvia, particularly, mussels (e.g., Dreissana sp.) and/or Gastropoda, particularly, snails, which includes but is not limited to aquatic snails (e.g., Biomphalaria sp.) and garden snails, including but not limited to brown garden snails, white garden snails (e.g., Cantareus sp., Cornu sp., Theba sp.), and/or slugs, including but not limited to gray garden slug (e.g., Deroceras sp.), the banded or three-band slug (e.g., Lehmannia sp.), the tawny slug (e.g., Limacus sp.), and the greenhouse slug (e.g., Milax sp.), in a location where control is desired. The location may be a liquid (e.g., a body of water or paint) or solid surface, such as plastic, concrete, wood, fiberglass, pipes made of iron and polyvinyl chloride, surfaces covered with coating materials and/or paints. In p

Problems solved by technology

The ability of the mussels to quickly colonize new areas, rapidly achieve high densities and attach to any hard substratum (e.g., rocks, logs, aquatic plants, shells of native mussels, and exoskeletons of crayfish, plastic, concrete, wood, fiberglass, pipes made of iron and polyvinyl chloride and surfaces covered with conventional paints) make them to cause serious adverse consequences.

These consequences include damages of water-dependent infrastructure, increased millions of dollars in the operating expense and significant damage of the ecological systems [O'Neill, C. R., Jr.

However, it is unlikely that mussel population will be controlled by natural predation, especially in man-made structures such as pipes or pumping plants.

However, mussels can withstand this treatment for several days by closing their shells and chlorine can be only used in pipes or ducts that contain pressure sensing or other equipment due to environmen

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