Application of plant-derived natural components in repelling solenopsis invicta

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of prevention and control of harmful ants, and provides application of plant-derived natural components in repelling solenopsis invicta, cassia oil, cedar oil, clary sage oil and cineole are used as efficient repelling active components, and the optimal action concentration of the components is determined, namely the concentration of the cassia oil and the concentration of the cedar oil are 250-1000 ppm; when the concentration of the clary sage oil and the cineole is 30-125ppm, the repelling effect on the solenopsis invicta is optimal, so that the problems that chemical pesticides pollute the environment and are easy to induce drug resistance are solved; the compound can be prepared into liquid, emulsion, aerosol or ointment, is matched with ethanol, acetone and other solvents for use, has the advantages of environmental friendliness, low drug resistance risk and the like, and is suitable for prevention and control of solenopsis invicta in farmlands, gardens, residential areas and other scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of pest control technology, specifically the control of red imported fire ants, and involves the application of plant-derived natural ingredients in repelling red imported fire ants. Background Technology

[0002] Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are recognized worldwide as one of the most destructive invasive species. Their invasion and spread severely threaten the ecological security of the invaded areas, leading to a significant decline in local biodiversity and disrupting the original ecological balance and community structure through competition and predation. Simultaneously, red imported fire ants damage agricultural production facilities, and their bites cause burning pain, pustules, and even severe allergic reactions in humans and livestock, resulting in enormous economic losses and safety risks to agriculture, forestry, public facilities, and human health.

[0003] Current technologies for controlling red imported fire ants primarily rely on synthetic chemical insecticides, such as indoxacarb, fipronil, and lambda-cyhalothrin. While these agents can quickly and effectively kill red imported fire ants, their inherent drawbacks have become increasingly apparent during long-term, large-scale use: First, continuous selective pressure easily leads to pesticide resistance in red imported fire ant populations, significantly reducing their effectiveness; second, the residues and spread of chemical agents pollinate soil, water bodies, and other ecological environments, and indiscriminately kill beneficial non-target organisms such as pollinating insects, disrupting the ecological balance; furthermore, chemical residues also pose potential food safety risks.

[0004] Given the limitations of chemical control, developing environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative control strategies has become a current research hotspot. Among these, plant-derived pesticides, due to their origin in natural plants, exhibit great application potential due to their good environmental compatibility, ease of degradation, low likelihood of inducing resistance, and safety for non-target organisms. Plant-derived pesticides typically utilize active secondary metabolites in plants to act on pests through various mechanisms such as contact killing, antifeedant effects, repellency, and growth inhibition.

[0005] However, applying plant-derived natural ingredients specifically to repel red imported fire ants, especially screening out highly effective and specific active ingredients and determining their optimal application concentration range, remains a technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide the application of plant-derived natural ingredients in repelling red imported fire ants. By using cinnamon oil, cedar oil, perilla oil, and eucalyptol as highly effective repellent active ingredients and determining their optimal concentration range, this invention aims to solve the problems of serious environmental pollution, easy development of drug resistance, and chemical residue risks associated with existing chemical control methods.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a plant-derived composition for repelling red imported fire ants, wherein the repellent active ingredient of the composition is cinnamon oil, cedar oil, perilla oil or eucalyptol.

[0008] Preferably, the composition exhibits the best repellent effect against red imported fire ants when the concentration of cinnamon oil and cedar oil is 250-1000 ppm, and the composition exhibits the best repellent effect against red imported fire ants when the concentration of perilla oil and eucalyptol is 30-125 ppm.

[0009] The present invention further provides the application of the above composition in repelling red imported fire ants.

[0010] Preferably, the composition is used to prepare a plant-derived insecticide for repelling red imported fire ants, wherein the active ingredient of the insecticide is one or more of cinnamon oil, cedar oil, perilla oil, or eucalyptol.

[0011] Preferably, the insecticide is prepared as one or more of a liquid, emulsion, aerosol, or ointment.

[0012] Preferably, the plant-derived insecticide further includes an organic solvent.

[0013] Preferably, the organic solvent is one of ethanol, acetone, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, or n-hexane.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0015] 1. Environmental friendliness

[0016] This invention uses pure natural plant ingredients such as cinnamon oil, cedar oil, perilla oil, and eucalyptol, which are biodegradable and will not remain in the environment for a long time. This significantly reduces the risk of pollution to soil and water, and meets the development needs of green agriculture and ecological protection.

[0017] 2. Low risk of drug resistance

[0018] Plant-derived components significantly reduce the likelihood of red imported fire ants developing resistance through synergistic effects of multiple mechanisms (contact killing, repellency, and development inhibition), thus extending the effective lifespan of control technologies.

[0019] 3. Significant cost-effectiveness

[0020] The selected plant components are widely sourced and the extraction process is mature. Combined with optimized low effective concentrations, production costs are reduced while ensuring the control effect. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Unless otherwise specified, the experimental methods used in the following examples are conventional methods.

[0022] Unless otherwise specified, all materials and reagents used in the following examples are commercially available.

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0024] Application Example 1: Avoidance Experiment

[0025] 1. Method

[0026] (1) Apparatus

[0027] Two experimental setups were constructed. A petri dish with a diameter of 14.5 cm and a depth of 1.5 cm was placed flat on an experimental platform. Four 3 mm diameter holes were drilled 2 cm from the edge of the petri dish, spaced 90 degrees apart with the center of the petri dish as the center. The caps of 5 ml glass bottles were removed, and a 3 mm diameter hole was drilled in the center of the cap. Hot melt adhesive was melted and applied to the surface of the drilled glass bottle cap, then quickly attached to the bottom of the petri dish, ensuring the two holes were aligned. This method was used to attach the bottle caps to all four holes on the bottom of the petri dish, creating a multivariate selection bioassay setup. The second setup consisted of two small vials with holes on opposite sides of the petri dish, with the remaining two vials connected but without holes. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was evenly applied to the walls of the petri dish with a small brush and allowed to dry to prevent red imported fire ants from crawling out.

[0028] (2) The repellent effect of plant-derived substances on the nest-digging behavior of red imported fire ant workers.

[0029] The compound was dissolved in anhydrous ethanol to obtain different concentrations (liquid: 1000 µL / L, 500 µL / L, 250 µL / L, 100 µL / L, 60 µL / L, 30 µL / L, 15 µL / L, 7.5 µL / L, 3 µL / L; solid: 2 g / L, 1 g / L, 0.5 g / L, 0.2 g / L, 0.1 g / L, 0.05 g / L), with anhydrous ethanol (0 µL / L) as the negative control. The positions of each concentration on the culture plate were randomized, and each culture dish contained three different selected concentrations of the same compound and one negative control.

[0030] For each concentration, mix 5 ml of liquid with 50 g of sand. Stir continuously with a glass rod for 5 minutes under a fume hood until the anhydrous ethanol has completely evaporated and the sand is dry. Add 3 ml of distilled water to each mixture and stir continuously with a glass rod for 5 minutes to keep the sand moist. Fill glass bottles with the moistened sand, ensuring they are full and compacted, and weigh them (initial weight). Place the bottles at the bottom of a petri dish. Randomly select 50 worker ants and place them in the center of the petri dish. Place the dish in the dark for 24 hours. After 24 hours, empty each bottle individually, remove all ants, and kill them by freezing. Dry the sand in the bottles at 80°C for at least 12 hours, then weigh and record the data. The weight of sand carried by the red imported fire ants = initial dry sand weight - final dry sand weight. The initial dry sand weight = wet sand weight - mass of water in the wet sand. The mass of water in the wet sand = (3 g water / 50 g dry sand) * wet sand weight. Each concentration group has 15 replicates (three ant nests, 5 replicates per nest).

[0031] 2. Results

[0032] 2.1 The repellent effect of cinnamon oil on red imported fire ants

[0033] The results of the repellent effect of cinnamon oil on red imported fire ants are shown in Table 1.

[0034] Table 1. Repellent effect of different concentrations of cinnamon oil treatment

[0035]

[0036] * indicates a significant difference from the control group (0 ppm) in the same experimental group (p=0.05, LSD).

[0037] The results showed that cinnamon oil exhibited a strong repellent effect at high concentrations (250-1000 ppm), with all treatment groups (250, 500, 1000 ppm) showing significant differences from the control group (0 ppm) (p < 0.001). At medium concentrations (30-125 ppm) and low concentrations (3-15 ppm), there were no significant differences from the control group (p > 0.005).

[0038] 2.2 Repellent effect of cedar oil on red imported fire ants

[0039] The results of the repellent effect of cedar oil on red imported fire ants are shown in Table 2.

[0040] Table 2. Repellent effects of different concentrations of cedar oil treatment

[0041]

[0042] * indicates a significant difference from the control group (0 ppm) in the same experimental group (p=0.05, LSD).

[0043] The results showed that cedar oil exhibited a strong repellent effect at high concentrations (250-1000 ppm) (P<0.001). At medium concentrations (30-125 ppm), all treatment groups showed significant differences compared to the control group (p=0.002). However, at low concentrations (3-15 ppm), there was no significant difference compared to the control group (p>0.005).

[0044] 2.3 The repellent effect of perilla oil on red imported fire ants

[0045] The results of the repellent effect of sage oil on red imported fire ants are shown in Table 3.

[0046] Table 3. Repellent effects of different concentrations of perilla oil treatment

[0047]

[0048] * indicates a significant difference from the control group (0 ppm) in the same experimental group (p=0.05, LSD).

[0049] The results showed that there were no significant differences among all groups in the high concentration range (250-1000 ppm) of perilla oil (p>0.005), indicating an insignificant repulsion effect. In the medium concentration range (30-125 ppm), a significant difference was observed at 125 ppm compared to the control group. However, it is noteworthy that the mean sand transported by the 125 ppm group was higher than that of the control group, suggesting that the effect may be attraction rather than repulsion. Further validation with additional groups is needed. In the low concentration range (3-15 ppm), there were no significant differences among all groups (p>0.005).

[0050] 2.4 Repellent effect of eucalyptol on red imported fire ants

[0051] The results of the repellent effect of eucalyptol on red imported fire ants are shown in Table 4.

[0052] Table 4. Repellent effects of different concentrations of eucalyptol treatment

[0053]

[0054] * indicates a significant difference from the control group (0 ppm) in the same experimental group (p=0.05, LSD).

[0055] The results showed no significant differences among all groups in the high concentration range (250-1000 ppm) of eucalyptol (p > 0.005). In the medium concentration range (30-125 ppm), a significant difference was observed at 60 ppm compared to the control group. However, it is noteworthy that the mean sand transported by the 60 ppm group was higher than that of the control group, suggesting an attraction effect rather than a repulsion effect. Further validation with additional groups is needed. In the low concentration range (3-15 ppm), no significant differences were found among all groups (p > 0.005).

[0056] The above-described embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A plant-derived composition for repelling red imported fire ants, characterized in that: The repellent active ingredient in the composition is cinnamon oil, cedar oil, perilla oil, or eucalyptol.

2. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that: The composition exhibits the best repellent effect against red imported fire ants when the concentration of cinnamon oil and cedar oil is 250-1000 ppm, and the composition exhibits the best repellent effect against red imported fire ants when the concentration of perilla oil and eucalyptol is 30-125 ppm.

3. The use of the composition according to claim 1 in repelling red imported fire ants.

4. The application according to claim 3, characterized in that: The composition is used to prepare a plant-derived insecticide for repelling red imported fire ants, wherein the active ingredient of the insecticide is one or more of cinnamon oil, cedar oil, perilla oil, or eucalyptol.

5. The application according to claim 4, characterized in that: The insecticide is prepared as one or more of the following: liquid, emulsion, aerosol, or ointment.

6. The application according to claim 4, characterized in that: The plant-derived insecticides also include organic solvents.

7. The application according to claim 4, characterized in that: The organic solvent is one of ethanol, acetone, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, or n-hexane.

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