Insect nesting tube

Abstract

This device consists of a tube with a barrier layer. It provides insects with a nesting site protected from parasites. The barrier layer prevents parasites from piercing the tube, thus preventing the laying of parasite eggs, whose larvae would then destroy the larvae of the insects nesting in the tube. The barrier layer can be made of aluminum, another metal, or plastic.

Description

Title of the invention: Insect nesting tube technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of osmiculture, that is to say the rearing of solitary bees (osmia). These insects intensify pollination, which makes it possible to increase the yield of agricultural production.

[0002] Osmia bees have an annual life cycle and the challenge of osmiculture is to provide the insects with nesting sites, in order to then develop and control the populations to benefit from the best possible pollination. Previous technique

[0003] For the production of plants in general, and more specifically fruits and vegetables, it is necessary to fertilize the flowers of the plants concerned by transferring pollen. This step is called pollination. Certain varieties of insects, known as pollinating insects, play a major role in the effectiveness of pollination.

[0004] It has been observed that the solitary bee (Osmia) is particularly effective for pollinating food crops, especially fruits and vegetables, while avoiding the problems observed with other insects such as bumblebees or honeybees. The most commonly used Osmia species for this application are Osmia bicolor and Osmia cornuta. There are several hundred varieties of Osmia worldwide, with varying periods of activity as adults (the insects capable of pollinating, as opposed to the egg, larva, or pupa, which are not pollinating) covering spring and summer.

[0005] Osmia bee farmers install nesting boxes near the crops to be pollinated. Once the osmia breeding season is over, the farmers store the nesting boxes in a suitable environment to promote egg development. The osmia eggs then hatch and produce larvae. These larvae go through a pupal stage before reaching adulthood. Population control is carried out at the pupal stage, during which the insect is immobile, enclosed in its cocoon. The shape, color, and size of this cocoon allow males to be distinguished from females, which is necessary for population control. In addition, veterinary checks are often carried out on the pupae to prevent the contamination of the populations.

[0006] Population control serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, it allows for the regulation of the proportion of males and females. Feedback from experience and observation have enabled growers to determine the optimal proportion of males and females for maximum productivity due to pollination that is as efficient as possible.

[0007] Population control also makes it possible to influence the end of diapause, that is, the date of pupal emergence, so that it coincides with the date for obtaining maximum crop yield. The determination of this date also results from empirical observation.

[0008] Controlling bee populations requires access to the pupae. However, insects lay their eggs in hard-to-reach places to limit parasitism. The challenge for osmiculite farmers is therefore to provide insects with nesting boxes that offer protection against these parasites, while allowing humans easy access to the pupae for population control activities.

[0009] Nesting boxes used in osmiculture must allow for the release of approximately 500 adult individuals per hectare at the time of pollination. The statistically observed loss rate, as well as the fact that only females are productive, therefore suggests that one to several thousand adult insects per hectare should be expected. The proposed nesting boxes must be sized accordingly.

[0010] The nesting boxes must have cavities with a diameter of four millimeters (4 mm) to twelve millimeters (12 mm), depending on the species, with sufficient depth to allow the female to lay several eggs. The nesting boxes must also protect the eggs / larvae / nymphs from parasites, particularly Monodontomerus obscurus. Most parasites employ similar methods. In the aforementioned case, the predator pierces the cocoon and lays its own eggs inside the mason bee larva. After the parasite's eggs hatch, the parasite larvae will feed on the mason bee larva's body, causing its death.

[0011] Among the techniques currently used to provide female mason bees with shelter for laying their eggs are wooden nest boxes, as described, for example, in the Chinese utility certificate CN 2014 44818U. According to this utility certificate, a nest box consists of a stack of wooden planks with semi-circular grooves on both sides and a system of centering pegs, arranged so that the stack of planks creates a plurality of regularly spaced circular cavities. These cavities accommodate the female mason bees when laying eggs. Beekeepers can access the pupae by separating the planks, which exposes them. This technical solution has two notable drawbacks. Firstly, it leads to the use of very heavy nest boxes, which are difficult to handle and expensive to manufacture. On the other hand, wood often releases substances that hinder the development of mason bees.

[0012] Another technique consists of making nests by stacking paper tubes, as described, for example, by Chinese patent CN 103 371 113A. The paper is Lightweight and chemically inert compared to wood, a paper tube is easy and inexpensive to make. Therefore, it is possible to arrange a large number of tubes in a container, as shown, for example, in Chinese patent CN 108 668 886A. The disadvantage of the paper tube lies in the ability of many predators to pierce the paper layer, so this type of nest does not offer sufficient protection for osmiculture.

[0013] To overcome this drawback, it is possible to increase the thickness of the paper tube. From a wall thickness of 3 mm, it has been shown that parasites are no longer able to pierce the tube. The tube thus fulfills its role of protecting the developing mason bees. However, the thickness of this wall presents a significant difficulty when harvesting the pupae. Indeed, the paper becomes very resistant due to its thickness. Extracting the pupae is not only time-consuming, but also presents a significant risk of destroying them, given the considerable effort required to access the contents of the tube.

[0014] The technical problem that this patent aims to solve consists of finding a method for producing a paper tube that can be manufactured at a low cost while exhibiting high puncture resistance, in order to constitute an effective barrier against parasites of mason bees. At the same time, this tube must have low tear resistance to allow for easy harvesting of the pupae. It must be made of chemically neutral, solvent-free materials so as not to hinder the development of the mason bees from the egg stage to the pupal stage. Description of the invention

[0015] The invention relates to a tube made of paper using the technique employed for the production of paper straws. Paper is understood to mean any sheet material made from cellulose, particularly wood-based material, using traditional papermaking techniques. The paper is cut into strips which are wound around a core and held together by glue. One of the layers forms a barrier against puncture (the barrier layer). The barrier layer may consist of a metal sheet, typically aluminum, or a plastic sheet.

[0016] Several copies of this tube can be grouped in a container, which will be placed in the mason bee's habitat so that they can lay their eggs there. This container can then be collected by the operator and stored until the mason bees reach the pupal stage of their life cycle.

[0017] At this point, the tubes will be removed from their container and carefully torn open to provide access to the nymphs. The operator can then carry out the tests necessary for population control and to prepare the nymphs for their deployment in the area to be pollinated.

[0018] The nymphs thus controlled can be stored in an environment allowing control of the date of their hatching.

[0019] In one embodiment, the tube is obtained by spirally winding layers of paper, one of which is laminated with aluminum. Paper with a density of eighteen to two hundred and forty grams per square meter (18-240 g / m²) gives good results. The aluminum layer is at least five micrometers (5 µm) thick. At this minimum thickness, an aluminum layer is sufficient to prevent perforation by predators.

[0020] It has been found that the winding of two layers of paper of one hundred and twenty grams per square meter (120g / m2) and a laminate of paper of a density of twenty three grams per square meter (23g / m2) and aluminum of six point thirty-five micrometers (6.35pm) thick - to obtain a total of four (4) layers, called quad-layer tube - provides a good compromise between strength and resistance to puncture by predators on the one hand and on the other hand ease of opening the tubes to extract the nymphs.

[0021] In one embodiment, the paper is cut into strips ten to thirty millimeters (10-30mm) wide, before being rolled up to form the tubes.

[0022] The strips must be joined or slightly overlapping. It is particularly important that the barrier layer be perfectly joined to prevent any intrusion of pests.

[0023] For the production of the aluminum barrier layer, the use of aluminum-laminated paper simplifies the handling of the aluminum. Indeed, a layer of aluminum alone, five micrometers (5 µm) thick, is very fragile and difficult to handle in an industrial environment. The paper to which it is laminated provides it with additional strength, which is advantageous from the point of view of the manufacturing process of the tube that is the subject of the invention. However, it is entirely possible to apply the aluminum alone, without lamination onto paper before its integration into the tube that is the subject of the invention, provided that the know-how relating to its handling is mastered.

[0024] In one embodiment, the barrier layer is made of an aluminum alloy, which offers a good compromise between cost and recyclability. The use of other metals is also possible, particularly copper. Aluminum has the advantage of being readily available on the market in thicknesses compatible with the intended application. Moreover, paper-aluminum laminate is also available on the market in the desired thicknesses, which simplifies manufacturing.

[0025] In one embodiment, the barrier layer consists of a copper foil five micrometers (5 µm) thick. As with aluminum, this is the minimum thickness required to block interference. In another embodiment, the barrier layer consists of a tin or silver foil. The recommended minimum thickness is always five micrometers (5 µm), particularly because thinner metal foils are difficult to find on the market.

[0026] In one embodiment, the barrier layer is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic. A thickness of eighteen microns (18 µm) provides a barrier against penetration by predators. This solution is less advantageous because the plastic is likely to release substances that inhibit insect development.

[0027] In one embodiment, the barrier layer is located outside the tube. This protects the paper from moisture, simplifies gluing, and allows for visual inspection of the barrier layer to verify that it is free of defects. However, other combinations are possible.

[0028] In one embodiment, the tube measures between four and twelve millimeters (4-12mm) in internal diameter. For Osmia cornuta, for example, it has been found that the diameter giving the best results is eight point four millimeters (8.4mm).

[0029] In one embodiment, the tube length is between fifty and three hundred millimeters (50-300 mm). For this embodiment, two to four (2-4) layers of paper, supplemented by the barrier layer, provide sufficient resistance to protect the mason bees from parasites, while allowing easy extraction of the pupae during population control. It should be noted that the tube length influences the behavior of the mason bees and the ratio between males and females.

[0030] In one embodiment, the tube is used to collect the eggs of mason bees, but this invention is usable for the eggs of other insects.

[0031] In one embodiment, the tube has a constant circular cross-section over its entire length, it constitutes a cylinder.

[0032] In one embodiment, the successive layers are made up of strips having different widths, to promote overlapping, and therefore the mechanical resistance of the tube and the effectiveness of the barrier layer against predators.

[0033] In one embodiment, the successive layers are wound with an offset of the strips, to improve resistance.

[0034] In one embodiment, the different layers of paper are glued together using vinyl glues of the PVA (polyvinyl acetate) or EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) type, possibly solvent-based in alcohol, but most often in water. This type of glue is known for not hindering the development of insects such as mason bees. Glues solvent-based in acetone should be avoided, as this substance is known to disrupt insect development.

[0035] In one embodiment, the paper-aluminum laminate is held together by a two-component PU2K (polyurethane) adhesive. Generally, food-grade certification of an adhesive provides assurance that it contains no substances that could hinder the development of eggs / larvae / nymphs contained in the tube, resulting from insect oviposition.

[0036] The adhesive used must have sufficient heat resistance, as the tubes will be exposed to sunlight. Hot-melt adhesives (HMAs) based on thermoplastic polymers should therefore be avoided. Description of figures

[0037] In [Fig. 1], a tube referred to as the object of the invention is shown. This is the four-layer tube described as an embodiment.

[0038] In part 2 of [Fig. 1], the tube is shown in its final form, while part 1 shows two cutaway views of the tube, in which one (right) or two (left) winding layers are not shown, thus illustrating the underlying layers. [Fig. 1] corresponds to the embodiment where the barrier layer is located on the outside and consists of aluminum-laminated paper.

[0039] References 3 and 4 respectively designate two wound layers in the aforementioned four-layer tube embodiment. The strips wound on the first layer (reference 3) and on the second layer (reference 4) have different widths to improve the mechanical structure of the tube, as shown in one embodiment.

[0040] Reference numbers 5 and 6 designate the two parts of the paper-aluminum laminate used to make the two outer layers, including the barrier layer made of an aluminum foil, located on the outside (reference number 6). The paper layer laminated with the aluminum corresponds to reference number 5.

[0041] Reference marks 7 and 8 designate the edge of the strip used to create the layer. The width of the strip can be measured by the distance between the two edges designated by reference marks 7 and 8. These reference marks also illustrate the fact that the barrier layer must be at least contiguous, or even slightly overlapping, to ensure perfect isolation of the inside of the tube against parasites, which could exploit any weakness in the barrier layer to reach the contents of the tube.

Claims

[Claim 1] Demands Tube for collecting insect eggs in the field of osmiculture, made up of layers rolled one on top of the other and glued to form this tube, with an internal diameter between 4 and 12mm, characterized in that one of the layers of the winding is made of a sheet of metal, the others being made of cellulosic material.

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