Use of benzyl benzoate in repelling solenopsis invicta

Abstract

This invention discloses the application of benzyl benzoate in the preparation of repellents for red imported fire ants. Experiments verified that after treatment with benzyl benzoate at a concentration of 1 μL / mL or higher for 0.5 h, the feeding and repellency rate of red imported fire ant workers reached 92.74%. After 12 h of treatment, benzyl benzoate at a concentration of 10 μL / mL or higher still maintained a good repellent effect, indicating that benzyl benzoate has a long-lasting repellent activity against red imported fire ants. After treatment with benzyl benzoate at a concentration of 50 μL / mL or higher for 24 h, the burrowing behavior of red imported fire ant workers was significantly reduced. Benzyl benzoate at a concentration of 10 μL / mL or higher showed good repellent effects against red imported fire ants and can be used in future red imported fire ant protective agents; benzyl benzoate at a concentration of 50 μL / mL or higher can be used in red imported fire ant soil repellents.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of green control technology for red imported fire ants, specifically relating to the application of benzyl benzoate in repelling red imported fire ants. Background Technology

[0002] Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren) are listed as one of the world's 100 most harmful invasive species, posing serious threats to public safety, the ecological environment, agricultural and forestry production, and human health. They are extremely aggressive and invasive, launching fierce attacks on the source of disturbance when their nests are disturbed, posing a significant threat to human and livestock safety. When red imported fire ants establish themselves in an area, they indiscriminately prey on other plants and animals, severely threatening local biodiversity. A sting from a red imported fire ant causes a burning pain, and white blisters resembling burns appear approximately 24 hours later. People with mild allergies to red imported fire ant venom may experience itching and fever after being stung; a small number of people with moderate allergies may experience dizziness and swelling; and in rare cases, severe allergies can lead to shock and even death. Red imported fire ants have a wide range of invasive habitats, appearing not only in wastelands and grasslands, but also in farmland, orchards, pond edges, and even roadside green belts and parks with high pedestrian traffic. Furthermore, red imported fire ants are attracted to warm and electric environments, which can damage electrical facilities. Their invasion seriously affects people's work and lives. While pesticides can effectively suppress the spread of red imported fire ants, their effects are not rapid. Therefore, the search for substances with repellent activity against red imported fire ants is receiving increasing attention.

[0003] Insect repellents are substances that interfere with the sensory organs of pests, preventing them from recognizing or locking onto their targets, or stimulating insects to move away from their targets, thereby protecting the targets from pest infestation. An ideal red imported fire ant repellent can significantly reduce the occurrence of red imported fire ant-related incidents. To date, various chemical components have been proven to repel red imported fire ants. However, existing irritating chemical repellents are not suitable for use in ecologically sensitive areas such as nature reserves and organic farming areas, as well as in public places with high pedestrian traffic. In recent years, the concept of "green agriculture" has appeared more frequently, and green control technologies for red imported fire ants have attracted increasing attention from researchers. More and more researchers are focusing on biological control methods using natural plants and insects that compete with red imported fire ants, hoping to develop new, green, and environmentally friendly control methods. However, in my country, research on ant repellents started relatively late, and most existing insect repellents on the market are for sanitary pests such as mosquitoes, flies, mites, and ticks; currently, almost no repellents specifically for red imported fire ants have been commercially available. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome at least one deficiency of the prior art and to provide the application of benzyl benzoate in repelling red imported fire ants.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is:

[0006] This invention provides the application of benzyl benzoate in the preparation of red imported fire ant repellents.

[0007] In some instances, the red imported fire ant repellent is used to deter red imported fire ants from foraging.

[0008] In some instances, the red imported fire ant repellent is used to deter red imported fire ants from digging and building nests.

[0009] In some instances, the red imported fire ant repellent is used to repel attacks from red imported fire ants.

[0010] In some instances, the amount of benzyl benzoate in the red imported fire ant repellent is not less than 50 μL / mL.

[0011] In some instances, the red imported fire ant repellent also includes an acceptable carrier.

[0012] In some instances, the carrier is acetone.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0014] After treatment with benzyl benzoate at a concentration of 1 μL / mL or higher for 0.5 h, the feeding and repellency rate of red imported fire ant workers reached 92.74%. After 12 h of treatment, benzyl benzoate at a concentration of 10 μL / mL or higher still maintained a good repellency effect (100% repellency rate), indicating that benzyl benzoate has a long-lasting repellent activity against red imported fire ants. After treatment with benzyl benzoate at a concentration of 50 μL / mL or higher for 24 h, the digging behavior of red imported fire ant workers was significantly reduced. Benzyl benzoate at a concentration of 10 μL / mL or higher has a good repellent effect on red imported fire ants and can be used in future red imported fire ant protective agents; benzyl benzoate at a concentration of 50 μL / mL or higher can be used as a soil repellent for red imported fire ants. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is the apparatus used in the feeding and avoidance experiment in the embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 The apparatus used in the excavation and avoidance experiment in this embodiment is shown.

[0017] Figure 3 The figure shows the results of the feeding and avoidance experiment in the example.

[0018] Figure 4 The image shows the results of the excavation and avoidance experiment in the example. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The following disclosure provides many different implementations or examples for different ways of implementing the present invention.

[0020] Example

[0021] 1) Feeding and avoidance experiment

[0022] To determine the feeding and repellent effects of benzyl benzoate on red imported fire ants, a self-made device 1 ( Figure 1 The test was conducted. Two plastic boxes were used as the living area and the feeding area, respectively, and connected by a connecting tube. Polytetrafluoroethylene was coated on the edges of the boxes to prevent the red imported fire ants from escaping.

[0023] Before the experiment, the experimental red imported fire ant worker ants (collected from Huadu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province) were subjected to a 12-hour starvation treatment. At the start of the experiment, 3 ± 0.1 g of the experimental red imported fire ant worker ants were weighed and placed in the living area of ​​the apparatus to acclimatize to the unfamiliar environment. Subsequently, 1 ± 0.1 g of ham sausage (Shuanghui, Henan Shuanghui Investment and Development Co., Ltd.) was weighed and placed in the center of a 7 cm filter paper, and 600 μL of the reagent was evenly dropped onto the filter paper. The solvent of the reagent was acetone with a concentration ≥99.5%, and the solute was benzyl benzoate. The concentration gradient of benzyl benzoate in the reagent was set at 1 μL / mL, 10 μL / mL, and 100 μL / mL, with the addition of acetone as a control. Filter paper, moistened with reagents of varying concentrations, was placed on an arc centered on the feeding area of ​​the connecting tube, ensuring that each filter paper treated with different concentrations was 10 cm from the outlet. The position of the filter paper was adjusted to ensure equal distances between adjacent sheets. At the start of the experiment, the cap of the small connecting tube was opened and timing began. The number of foraging red imported fire ants on the filter paper was observed and recorded every 0.5 hours for a total of 2 hours, followed by a final record after 12 hours.

[0024] 2) Excavation and avoidance experiment

[0025] To determine the repellent effect of benzyl benzoate on the digging behavior of red imported fire ants, a self-made device 2 ( Figure 2 To conduct the test, take a 14cm diameter petri dish and evenly coat the inner wall of the petri dish with polytetrafluoroethylene to prevent the red imported fire ants from escaping. Fix a 5mL sample bottle (purchased from Haimen Zhongrui Experimental Equipment Store) at two vertical diameters 4cm away from the center of the dish at the bottom of the petri dish. Use a small electric drill to drill a small hole from the side of the petri dish to the side of the sample bottle (just enough for the red imported fire ants to pass through), connecting the petri dish and the sample bottle.

[0026] Quartz sand (20-40 mesh, Tianjin Huasheng Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.) was dried to constant weight. Then, 5 mL of the reagent was poured into 50 g of quartz sand and stirred evenly for 5 min. Next, 5 mL of distilled water was added and stirred evenly for another 5 min to ensure thorough mixing. The mixture was then allowed to stand for 5 min. The solvent for the reagent was acetone with a concentration ≥99.5%, and the solute was benzyl benzoate. The concentration gradient of benzyl benzoate was set at 50 μL / mL, 100 μL / mL, and 200 μL / mL, with acetone solution as a control. Each sample vial contained quartz sand treated with different reagents (50 μL / mL, 100 μL / mL, and 200 μL / mL benzyl benzoate, with acetone solution as a control). The weight of the treated quartz sand added was 5 ± 0.1 g. Finally, 50 experimental red imported fire ant worker ants were placed in the petri dish, and the apparatus 2 was placed in the dark and left to stand for 24 hours. The sample bottles were then removed, and the weight of the remaining quartz sand in each bottle was weighed and recorded.

[0027] 3) Data processing and analysis

[0028] In the feeding and repellency experiment, R = [(CT) / (C+T)] × 100%; R represents the repellency rate; C represents the number of insects remaining on the control filter paper; and T represents the number of insects remaining on the treatment filter paper.

[0029] In the excavation and avoidance experiment, ΔD = Di - Dp; ΔD represents the excavation volume, Di represents the initial mass of quartz sand, and Dp represents the weight of the remaining quartz sand.

[0030] The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to test the normality of the data on red imported fire ant worker population (T) and quartz sand excavation volume (ΔD) in the treatment area. For data conforming to a normal distribution, one-way ANOVA was used to test for homogeneity of variance. For data with homogeneity of variance, one-way ANOVA was used, followed by the Tukey test for multiple comparisons. For data not conforming to a normal distribution and with unequal variances, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used. All data analysis procedures were run on SPPSS 27.0.

[0031] 4) Conclusion Analysis

[0032] Under indoor conditions, the feeding and digging repellency activities of different concentrations of benzyl benzoate on red imported fire ant worker ants were determined. The experimental setup was as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown.

[0033] In feeding avoidance experiments (e.g.) Figure 3At the same observation time, after 0.5 h of treatment, the number of foraging red imported fire ant worker ants in the treated area was significantly lower than that in the control area (P < 0.001). The repellency rates of each treatment group were: 92.74% for 1 μL / mL; 10 μL / mL and 100 μL / mL both reached 100%. After 2 h of treatment, the repellency rate of the 1 μL / mL treatment group decreased to 75.20%; the repellency rate of the 10 μL / mL treatment group decreased to 96.90%; while the repellency rate of the 100 μL / mL treatment group remained at 100%. After 12 h of treatment, it was observed that only in the 1 μL / mL concentration area did the number of foraging red imported fire ant worker ants increase, and the repellency rate decreased to 35.60%, while the 10 μL / mL and 100 μL / mL concentration areas still maintained a 100% repellency rate.

[0034] In excavation and avoidance experiments (such as) Figure 4 After 24 hours, most of the quartz sand in the control group (CK) was excavated and removed, while the amount of quartz sand excavated in the treatment groups (50 μL / mL, 100 μL / mL, and 200 μL / mL benzyl benzoate) was significantly lower than that in the control group (200 μL / mL, P = 0.007; 100 μL / mL, P = 0.005; 50 μL / mL, P = 0.033). There was no significant difference in the amount of quartz sand excavated among the treatment groups.

[0035] The above is a further detailed description of the present invention and should not be considered as a limitation on the specific implementation of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, simple deductions or substitutions without departing from the concept of the present invention are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. The application of benzyl benzoate in the preparation of red imported fire ant repellent, characterized in that, The amount of benzyl benzoate in the red imported fire ant repellent is not less than 50 µL / mL.

2. The application according to claim 1, characterized in that, The red imported fire ant repellent is used to repel red imported fire ants from foraging.

3. The application according to claim 1, characterized in that, The red imported fire ant repellent is used to prevent red imported fire ants from digging and building nests.

4. The application according to claim 1, characterized in that, The red imported fire ant repellent is used to repel attacks from red imported fire ants.

5. The application according to claim 1, characterized in that, The red imported fire ant repellent also includes an acceptable carrier.

6. The application according to claim 5, characterized in that, The carrier is acetone.

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