Multifunctional device for predatory mite packaging / releasing / field refuge safety house

Abstract

The utility model discloses a predatory mite packaging / releasing / field refuge safety house multifunctional device which comprises a prey storage bottle, an inner cover, an outer cover and at least one vent pipe, and a gauze element allowing predatory mites to pass through is arranged in the middle of the inner cover. The bottom of the vent pipe is fixedly connected with the outer cover, the top of the vent pipe is bent to form a hook, and the inside of the vent pipe is communicated with the prey storage bottle. The device is simple in structure, reasonable in design, easy to produce and manufacture, low in cost, convenient to disassemble and assemble and suitable for popularization and application in the field; the predatory mite packaging box can be used for multiple purposes, can be used as a commercialized predatory mite packaging product, can also be used as a predatory mite field release device, can also be used as a field predatory mite benefit-tending and harm-avoiding safety house, and is beneficial for improving the survival rate and reproduction rate of predatory mites.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of predatory mite field release and utilization devices, specifically to a multi-functional device for predatory mite packaging / release / field refuge safe house. Background Technology

[0002] Phytophagous mites parasitize the leaves of various crops and fruit trees, causing damage and are commonly known as pest mites (such as spider mites), which are extremely harmful to agricultural production. The main methods of pest control in the field include biological control, physical control, and chemical control. Biological control includes the use of natural enemies, biopesticides, insect hormones, and pathogenic microorganisms; physical control includes black light traps and sticky traps; chemical control mainly involves the use of various pesticides.

[0003] While chemical pesticides offer advantages such as high efficiency, ease of use, and economic benefits in pest control, they also have significant drawbacks, including: environmental pollution (long-term use of chemical pesticides leads to pesticide residues in the atmosphere, water bodies, soil, and plants and animals, threatening environmental health and human and animal health); killing natural enemies (the use of broad-spectrum chemical pesticides kills the natural enemies of pests, causing ecological imbalance and making pests prone to resurgence); pesticide resistance (long-term use of the same chemical pesticide can lead to pesticide resistance in pests, reducing control effectiveness); and toxicity to humans and animals (chemical pesticides may be toxic to humans and animals, even causing poisoning and death).

[0004] Physical pest control methods have limited effectiveness, especially in large-scale field production. They are costly, have limited impact, and cause environmental pollution. For example, insect-attracting boards are often made of PP plastic, which has a long degradation period. After a period of use, new boards need to be replaced, resulting in a large amount of plastic waste. Some insecticidal lamps have high-powered light sources, and high installation density can cause light pollution. Sound wave pest control technology can cause noise pollution in the surrounding environment of planting areas.

[0005] The use of natural enemies to control pests is currently widely applied and can effectively suppress the large-scale reproduction of pests. Predatory mites, belonging to the order Acari of the class Arachnidae, are beneficial mites that specifically prey on harmful mites, hence their name. They are natural enemies of harmful mites. Predatory mites have a wide range, including families such as Rhizoctonia, Rhizoctonia, Chloridiformes, Chloridiformes, and Phytoseioides. Adult predatory mites are nearly spherical, with a body length of 0.3-0.6 mm. They are widely distributed and can be found active and feeding on leaves with high concentrations of harmful mites. Many species of predatory mites have been identified in China, with some common species belonging to the family Phytoseioides. A key characteristic of predatory mites is their short developmental cycle, lasting only 5-7 days at 25-28℃, about half the time of common harmful mites, which is beneficial for controlling harmful mites. Predatory mites have 8-12 generations per year, overwintering as adult females in bark crevices and other locations. Eggs are found within the pest mite population; the larvae hatch and immediately begin preying, primarily feeding on the eggs and larvae of pest mites. Predatory mites control pest mites and small pests such as aphids, scale insects, and leafhoppers, as well as their eggs. Releasing predatory mites in orchards in my country is common for controlling pest mites, increasing the population of beneficial mites, maintaining a balance between beneficial and harmful mites, and keeping harmful mites within economically acceptable limits.

[0006] Currently, commercial predatory mite products are typically packaged and transported with wheat bran and prey in plastic bags and bottles. To achieve rapid release and shorten operation time, after the predatory mites are transported to the field, users need to cut open the packaging bags and secure them to fruit tree branches, or scatter the mites onto crop leaves and branches, or use drones for large-scale predatory mite spraying. However, after rapid release, if there is a shortage of prey, high temperatures, freezing temperatures, rain, snow, or strong winds, the biocontrol effect of the predatory mites will be severely affected, their living space will be squeezed, their ecological colonization will be affected, and their mortality rate will increase. Furthermore, the simple packaging bags or plastic bottles have limited structure and protection, failing to provide safe hiding places for the predatory mites in adverse weather conditions, severely restricting the effective utilization of predatory mites. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to address the above-mentioned problems by providing a multifunctional device that can be used as a packaging, release, or safe haven for predatory mites in the field.

[0008] To achieve its purpose, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0009] A multifunctional device for packaging, releasing, and sheltering predatory mites in the field includes a prey storage bottle, an inner lid, an outer lid, and at least one venting tube. The inner lid has a mesh screen in the middle that allows predatory mites to pass through. The bottom of the venting tube is fixedly connected to the outer lid, and the top is bent to form a hook. The inside of the venting tube communicates with the prey storage bottle.

[0010] Preferably, the inner cap is threaded, plugged in, or snapped into the prey storage bottle.

[0011] Preferably, the bottom of the inner cover is provided with a plug-in part, and the inner cover is plugged into the prey storage bottle through the plug-in part; the mouth of the prey storage bottle is provided with an external thread, the outer cover is provided with an internal thread, and the outer cover is connected to the prey storage bottle through the thread.

[0012] Preferably, the mesh size of the yarn is 40 mesh.

[0013] Preferably, the prey storage bottle, inner cap, outer cap, and vent tube are all made of plastic.

[0014] Preferably, the prey storage bottle contains wheat bran and is inoculated with predatory mites.

[0015] Preferably, the prey storage bottle is a narrow-mouthed bottle with a mouth diameter of 2-4 cm, a height of 13-17 cm, and a body diameter of 7-9 cm.

[0016] Preferably, the vent tube has a plurality of vent holes on its body, the vent holes having a diameter of 2 to 3 mm, and the number of vent tubes is 2 to 3.

[0017] Preferably, the hook end of the vent tube contacts a tree branch so that predatory mites can crawl back and forth between the tree and the vent tube.

[0018] Preferably, the prey storage bottle has an outer layer of heat-insulating cotton and / or a layer of sun-protective silver cloth.

[0019] The inventor's laboratory has conducted years of research on predatory mites, represented by *Neoseiu's bark*, and has also carried out large-scale breeding and sales of predatory mites. Based on years of laboratory and field research, this novel multifunctional device has been invented, which can be used as a packaging / release / field refuge for predatory mites. This invention has the following advantages:

[0020] (1) It has a simple structure, reasonable design, easy production and manufacturing, low cost, and convenient disassembly and installation, making it suitable for promotion and application in the field.

[0021] (2) It can be used for a variety of purposes, including packaging for commercial predatory mites, release devices for predatory mites in the field, and safe havens for predatory mites in the field.

[0022] (3) It is very convenient to use. This product can be hung on the branches of fruit trees. It is recommended to hang 2-3 bottles on a mature fruit tree. Predatory mites released quickly by humans or drones have a fast crawling speed and a wide crawling range. After randomly reaching the ventilation pipe of the safe house, they enter the prey breeding area through the holes and mesh to hunt, lay eggs, and colonize for a short period of time. The predatory mites inside can crawl out of the safe house at any time and reach the branches of fruit trees to prey on prey in the field. Under harsh environments (severe weather, pesticide use in orchards, etc.), the predatory mite population colonized in the safe house can be guaranteed to be unaffected, which is conducive to improving the survival rate and reproduction rate of predatory mites. In addition, this product can also be used as a packaging, transportation and release device for commercial predatory mites. After arriving in the orchard, it can be directly hung and released. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multifunctional device for packaging, releasing, and sheltering predatory mites in the field, according to this utility model.

[0024] in, Figure 1 The elements or structures indicated by the reference numerals in the attached figures are:

[0025] 1. Prey storage bottle, 2. Inner lid, 2a. Mesh, 3. Outer lid, 4. Vent tube. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the embodiments, but this does not limit the present invention.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] like Figure 1 The device shown is a multi-functional predatory mite packaging / release / field refuge safe house, mainly composed of a prey storage bottle 1, an inner lid 2, an outer lid 3, and at least one venting tube 4. The inner lid 2 has a mesh 2a in the middle that allows predatory mites to pass through. The bottom of the venting tube 4 is fixedly connected to the outer lid 3, and the top is bent to form a hook. The interior of the venting tube 4 communicates with the prey storage bottle 1. The venting tube 4 serves as a channel for predatory mites to enter and exit the prey storage bottle 1, and can also be used as a hook for hanging on fruit trees. Furthermore, because the top of the venting tube 4 is hook-shaped, the opening of the venting tube 4 faces downwards, preventing rainwater backflow and debris from entering, ensuring unobstructed passage.

[0029] In some implementations, the inner cap 2 is threaded, plugged in, or snapped onto the prey storage bottle 1. The connection method between the inner cap 2 and the prey storage bottle 1 is not limited to one type; any conventional detachable connection method can be used.

[0030] In some implementations, the bottom of the inner cover 2 is provided with a plug-in part, and the inner cover 2 is plugged into the prey storage bottle 1 through the plug-in part; the mouth of the prey storage bottle 1 is provided with external threads, and the outer cover 3 is provided with internal threads, and the outer cover 3 is connected to the prey storage bottle 1 by threads. The inner cover 2 is set on the mouth of the prey storage bottle 1, and the outer cover 3 is set outside the inner cover 2, sleeved on the mouth of the prey storage bottle 1. The connection method is simple, disassembly and installation are easy, and processing and production are easy.

[0031] In some implementations, the mesh 2a on the inner cover 2 has a mesh size of 40, which is just large enough for predatory mites to pass through while preventing other larger insects from the field from crawling into the bottle.

[0032] In some implementation schemes, the prey storage bottle 1, inner cap 2, outer cap 3, and vent tube 4 are all made of plastic. On the one hand, plastic is cheaper than materials such as glass, and it is not easily damaged during transportation. It is also lightweight and easier to hang on fruit trees stably. On the other hand, glass is heavy and is easily damaged when dropped to the ground.

[0033] In some embodiments, the prey storage bottle 1 contains wheat bran and is inoculated with predatory mites. Furthermore, when packaging predatory mites for shipment, the prey storage bottle 1 is filled with wheat bran and inoculated with predatory mites (e.g., oval flour mites). The wheat bran provides a living space for the predatory mites and their prey, allowing the predatory mites to climb and move within the gaps between the wheat bran particles, preying on the flour mites during transportation, thus enabling the bottle to withstand longer transportation and storage times.

[0034] In some implementation schemes, the prey storage bottle 1 is a narrow-mouthed bottle with a mouth diameter of 2–4 cm, a height of 13–17 cm, a body diameter of 7–9 cm, a bran pile height of 5–10 cm, and an inoculated and bred population density of >50 individuals / cm³ of oval flour-eating mites. 2 When this device is used for predatory mite packaging, each prey storage bottle 1 contains >500 predatory mites / g of wheat bran, which helps the packaged population survive in the field and is more suitable for density release in orchards.

[0035] In some implementation schemes, the ventilation tube 4 has several ventilation holes on its body, with 2 to 3 ventilation tubes 4 in total. Having multiple ventilation tubes 4 makes it more stable and less likely to fall when hung in the orchard, while the ventilation holes increase the channels for contact between the predatory mites and their prey. When used as a predatory mite packaging device, the channels of the ventilation tubes 4 can be blocked during transportation to prevent the predatory mites and their prey from escaping.

[0036] In some implementations, the length of the hook end of the vent tube 4 is preferably set to be able to contact the tree branches, so that when it is hung on the fruit tree as a release device or safe house device, the path length of the predatory mites crawling from the prey storage bottle 1 to the fruit tree or from the fruit tree into the bottle is reduced, making it easier for the predatory mites to crawl back and forth between the tree and the vent tube 4.

[0037] In some implementations, the prey storage bottle 1 is provided with a heat-insulating cotton layer and / or a sun-protective silver cloth layer on the outside of the bottle body, which can keep it warm in winter and provide sun protection and heat insulation in summer, creating a more suitable living and colonizing environment for predatory mites.

[0038] The mesh on the inner lid allows predatory mites to pass through, but prevents leaf moths, beetles, or other smaller creatures larger than predatory mites from crawling into the prey storage bottle and colonizing it, thus squeezing out the predatory mites' living space. The prey of predatory mites (such as flour mites) are similar in size to the predatory mites and can also pass through the mesh, but flour mites are slow-moving and do not like to crawl around. They prefer to gather in the substrate (such as wheat bran) inside the prey storage bottle, and have a lower risk of crawling out.

[0039] This invention presents a multifunctional device that serves multiple purposes: it can be used as packaging for commercially available predatory mites, a release device for predatory mites in the field, and a safe haven for predatory mites in the field. It is very convenient to use. Predatory mites can be packaged and transported using this device at the factory. After transportation to the field, they can be directly hung on fruit trees. The predatory mites crawl from the bottle to the inner cap, pass through the mesh, and enter the vent tube. From there, they crawl out of the prey storage bottle and onto the branches of the fruit tree. This not only releases predatory mites into the field but also provides them with a long-term safe haven. In harsh environments (such as severe weather or pesticide use in orchards), predatory mites can crawl from the fruit trees into the prey storage bottle for refuge, which helps improve their survival and reproduction rates, providing an effective refuge and breeding ground. Using this multifunctional device can significantly reduce the number of predatory mite releases and the release cycle, accelerating the promotion and application of natural enemies such as predatory mites.

Claims

1. A multi-functional device for packaging / releasing / field refuge of predatory mites, characterized in that: It includes a prey storage bottle (1), an inner lid (2), an outer lid (3), and at least one vent tube (4). The inner lid (2) has a mesh (2a) in the middle that allows predatory mites to pass through. The bottom of the vent tube (4) is fixedly connected to the outer lid (3), and the top is bent to form a hook. The inside of the vent tube (4) is connected to the prey storage bottle (1).

2. The multi-functional device for packaging / releasing / field refuge of predatory mites according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner cap (2) is threaded, plugged in, or snapped into the prey storage bottle (1).

3. The multi-functional device for packaging / releasing / field refuge of predatory mites according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of the inner cover (2) is provided with a plug-in part, and the inner cover (2) is plugged into the prey storage bottle (1) through the plug-in part; the mouth of the prey storage bottle (1) is provided with an external thread, and the outer cover (3) is provided with an internal thread, and the outer cover (3) is connected to the prey storage bottle (1) through the thread.

4. The multi-functional device for packaging / releasing / field refuge of predatory mites according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mesh number of the yarn (2a) is 40.

5. The multi-functional device for predatory mite packaging / release / field refuge safe house according to claim 1, characterized in that: The prey storage bottle (1), inner cap (2), outer cap (3), and vent tube (4) are all made of plastic.

6. The multi-functional device for packaging / releasing / field refuge of predatory mites according to claim 1, characterized in that: The prey storage bottle (1) contains wheat bran and is inoculated with predatory mites.

7. The multi-functional device for packaging / releasing / field refuge of predatory mites according to claim 1, characterized in that: The prey storage bottle (1) is a narrow-mouthed bottle with a mouth diameter of 2-4 cm, a height of 13-17 cm, and a body diameter of 7-9 cm.

8. The multi-functional device for packaging / releasing / field refuge of predatory mites according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ventilator (4) has several vent holes on its body. The diameter of the vent holes is 2 to 3 mm, and the number of ventilators (4) is 2 to 4.

9. The multifunctional device for packaging / releasing / field refuge of predatory mites according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hook end of the ventilation tube (4) contacts the tree branch so that predatory mites can crawl back and forth between the tree and the ventilation tube (4).

10. The multifunctional device for packaging / releasing / field refuge of predatory mites according to claim 1, characterized in that: The prey storage bottle (1) is provided with a heat-insulating cotton layer and / or a sun-protective silver cloth layer on the outside of the bottle body.

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