Insect baits having feeding stimulants for control of nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis and methods

Abstract

The present invention discloses insect baits having feeding stimulants for control of nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis and methods therein. Such baits include a water-based glycerol solution, in liquid form, to serve as a feeding stimulant for the flies in the absence of any sugar source and any other sugar alcohols. The bait may further include a lethal agent to serve as an insect control component for killing the flies. The bait may further include optical-target components to serve as visual attractants for enabling the flies to better locate bait droplets of the solution on a given surface. Such bait formulations retain their three-dimensional shape without evaporative loss, drying, or shrinking. Such visual attractants may be in the form of dark-colored pellets to cause the droplets to agglomerate around the pellets to increase the degree of overall feeding of an exposed fly population over a given time period.

Description

[0001] INSECT BAITS HAVING FEEDING STIMULANTS FOR CONTROL OF NUISANCE

[0002] FLIES THAT FEED VIA A PROBOSCIS AND METHODS THEREIN

[0003] CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0004] This patent application claims priority under PCT Art. 8(1), PCT Rule 4.10(a), and 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 202441066538, filed September 3, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0005] FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention relates to insect baits having feeding stimulants for control of nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis and methods therein. Such flies include biting flies (particularly mosquitoes of the genera Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles,' sand flies; horse flies; Tsetse, and biting midges) as well as other agricultural flying pests from the order Diptera that feed via a proboscis, irrespective of their active feeding mode (i.e., sugar-based vs. blood-based feeding).

[0007] Biting flies such as mosquitoes are known for their blood-feeding behavior, which makes them vectors of pathogens. However, while female biting flies predominantly need blood for egg production, and sugar as their main source of energy, most male biting flies do not feed on blood, and are completely dependent on sugar. On the other hand, Tsetse flies rarely engage in such sugar feeding as a last resort.

[0008] It has been shown that generalizations can be made across various species of bloodsucking flies that are sugar-feeding, indicative of predictability in the art. A hierarchy of attraction cues has been shown which agrees largely with the model presented by Bradbury and Bennett (1974), emphasizing the role of visual cues in close-range attraction. Nevertheless, huge disparities in behavioral response exist regarding attraction and feeding among various members of the insect world (e.g., roaches, ants, bees, wasps, and bedbugs) when compared to such biting flies, rendering such efforts unpredictable and worthless.

[0009] The requirement for sugar-feeding influences longevity, fecundity, dispersal, hostseeking behavior, and ultimately blood-feeding that facilitates disease transmission, as known in the art (see Literature section). Biting flies do not find sugar sources randomly; they rather search for sugar sources actively by following olfactory cues.

[0010] Nectar and blood hosts are both initially located on the basis of their odors (e.g., Vargo and Foster, 1982). Once within close range, visual cues may be used as well. Upon landing on a host, different search tactics are employed as a consequence of differences in location. Nectar is generally concentrated at a single source (e.g., flower nectary), whereas blood is much more evenly distributed throughout the host.

[0011] This dependence on sugar of biting flies was only recently exploited for control measurements. In recent times, Attractive Toxic Sugar Bait (ATSB) was developed to attract and kill biting flies in the field. These baits basically include an attractive component, sugar as a feeding stimulant, and an oral toxin. Currently, bait stations are one of the most interesting and promising insect control techniques.

[0012] A bait station is a device that is installed in a way that the targeted insects can feed on the bait, either outdoors or indoors. Typical prior-art bait is a viscous substance or aqueous-gel mixture having an attractant, a substance that the insect uses as food (e.g., sugar, a carbohydrate solution, blood, or substitutes and surrogates thereof), and a toxin (e.g., boric acid, spinosad, and dinotefuran) or biologic agent (e.g., B. sphericus and entomo fungi). The bait formulation may further include preservatives and colorants. Such lures attract insects to feed on the bait, while the toxin enters the insect body during feeding (either by ingestion or contact), causing its death. A major drawback of prior-art bait technologies is the sensitivity to outdoor environments, such as sunlight, dust, rain, dew, and cold flow due to gravity. Cold flow of bait causes loss of material and uneven distribution along the dimensions of the bait. Baits having no outer, protective film tend to dry out rapidly and accumulate dust that sticks to the bait, while the sunlight’s radiation (particularly in the UV range) can cause severe degradation over a period of time of outdoor exposure.

[0013] In prior-art studies (see Literature section) in the absence of a suitable attractant, a nonattracting, toxic sugar solution was initially sprayed on flowering plants. Mosquitoes were attracted by the scent of the flowers, and fed on the toxic sugar solution, consequently resulting in death. While effective in controlling mosquitoes, this method requires bait application to be dependent on locating suitable flowering plants. Furthermore, the impact on “non-target” flower-visiting insects such as bees and other pollinators was very high.

[0014] Adding an external attractant to the bait such as date extract and other fruit / flower extracts mitigated this limitation. The resulting attractants proved to be highly effective for short periods for the control of biting flies even if sprayed on non-attracting, green plants and other surfaces. However, the same attractive sugar bait mixtures exhibited poor long-term stability in field studies because they dried out over time becoming too viscous for targets to feed upon on in the needed quantity to be highly efficient for control. As a simple type of bait station, textile wicks soaked in attractive bait were used. An alternate bait station model used sachets having a viscous bait covered with an external membrane.

[0015] However, approaches with textile wicks (and other exposed bait carriers) exhibited poor long-term stability in laboratory and field studies, including enhanced fungal growth, contamination of the surface with dust, and fast drying of the solution which increased viscosity of the bait to a degree that biting flies and mosquitoes had trouble to ingest the liquid through their narrow proboscis. The more viscous a liquid, the harder it is to feed upon, resulting in smaller meal sizes and reduced efficacy of toxic baits (i.e., reduced intake of volume). Though a covering membrane on a bait can mitigate some of these problems, it is likewise a barrier for diffusion of attractants, resulting in reduced attraction, feeding, and thereby poorer bait efficacy.

[0016] Prior investigations of sugar alcohols were studied primarily for the purpose of use of sugar alcohols as a toxin. Such studies typically relied on the presence of sugar in the bait to serve as a feeding stimulant. It is noted that with the exception of glycerol all other sugar alcohols under exposure to an ambient environment of heat and / or sunlight are readily converted into a solid, crystalline form. Glycerol, on the other hand, remains in a liquid state.

[0017] In some trials, many sugar alcohols (e.g., erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol, dulcitol, inositol, and D-mannitol) mixed into sugar solutions were shown to be toxic if fed upon by mosquitoes. It was suggested that sugar alcohols could be used as an active ingredient to replace pesticides. Furthermore, sugar baits lose their ability to attract such nuisance flies over time, making it increasingly hard for target insects to find scattered droplets of bait on plain surfaces.

[0018] While such advances in the state of the art have ushered in greater effectiveness, efficiency, control, suitability, longevity, and selectivity for technical solutions in mitigating insect populations, the above technologies focus on bait and attractant, while neglecting the fact that baits based on only sugar dry out after short periods of time, causing the baits to become so viscous that feeding becomes a major issue.

[0019] It would be desirable to have insect baits having feeding stimulants for control of nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis and methods therein that can maintain bait viscosity for extended periods of time while facilitating feeding. Moreover, such feeding stimulants and baits would maintain their volume and droplet shape on surfaces and in bait stations (with or without a membrane) without an evaporative viscosity increase (i.e., drying out), guaranteeing accordingly sufficient feeding rates / amounts over extended time periods. Such feeding stimulants, baits, and methods would, inter alia, overcome the limitations mentioned above.

[0020] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0021] It is the purpose of the present invention to provide insect baits having feeding stimulants for control of nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis and methods therein.

[0022] It is noted that the term “exemplary” is used herein to refer to examples of embodiments and / or implementations, and is not meant to necessarily convey a more-desirable use-case. Similarly, the terms “alternative” and “alternatively” are used herein to refer to an example out of an assortment of contemplated embodiments and / or implementations, and is not meant to necessarily convey a more-desirable use-case. Therefore, it is understood from the above that “exemplary” and “alternative” may be applied herein to multiple embodiments and / or implementations. Various combinations of such alternative and / or exemplary embodiments are also contemplated herein.

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention surprisingly enable the replacement of sugar with glycerol as a feeding stimulant for nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis in order to overcome the poor performance of sugar as a humectant. At the same time, such embodiments enable the bait to remain fluid enough to be fed upon by such flies over longer periods of time than conventional sugar baits, even in dry environments (i.e., maintain liquid state in environments of sun, heat, rain, temperature cycling, and wind), both within bait stations and as individual droplets distributed on vegetation and surroundings. As droplets, such embodiments maintain their droplet shape and properties over long periods of time.

[0024] Furthermore, such glycerol-based feeding stimulants are non-toxic and can further serve as a non-drying base or additive to traditional water-based baits and bait stations to minimize water loss and significantly increase product longevity. The combination of such glycerol-based solutions as feeding stimulants and suitable insect toxins (e.g., oral, gut, and / or contact toxins) provide an effective means for feeding and controlling nuisance flies. Alternatively, an appropriate electrical-discharge component for electrocuting the nuisance flies can be used while the nuisance flies are feeding. Other options for trapping / killing such nuisance flies include the application of glue boards and / or suction devices.

[0025] Another embodiment of the present invention enables target insects to better locate bait droplets (with or without chemical attractants) on surfaces. The glycerol-based bait droplets agglomerate on bait “pellets” having a dark optical-target characteristic, and maintain their “three-dimensional” shape by enveloping the exterior of the pellets with glycerol which target insects can locate and feed on the bait more effectively.

[0026] Therefore, according to the present invention, there is provided for the first time an insect bait for control of nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis, the insect bait, the insect bait including: (a) a water-based glycerol solution, in liquid form, adapted to serve as a feeding stimulant for the nuisance flies in the absence of any sugar source and any other sugar alcohols.

[0027] Alternatively, the concentration for serving as the feeding stimulant, expressed as % w / w (% material weight per solution weight), of the water-based glycerol solution is a range selected from the group consisting of: about 5% to about 10%, about 5% to about 20%, about 5% to about 30%, about 5% to about 40%, about 5% to about 50%, about 10% to about 20%, about 10% to about 30%, about 10% to about 40%, and about 10% to about 50%.

[0028] Alternatively, the insect bait further includes: (b) a lethal agent adapted to serve as an insect control component for killing the nuisance flies.

[0029] Most alternatively, the lethal agent is at least one agent selected from the group consisting of: an oral insect toxin, a gut insect toxin, and a contact insect toxin, a glue board, a suction device, and an appropriate electrical-discharge component for electrocuting the nuisance flies. Alternatively, the insect bait further includes: (b) optical -target components adapted to serve as visual attractants for enabling the nuisance flies to better locate bait droplets of the water-based glycerol solution on a given surface, wherein at least one optical -target component is immersed in at least one bait droplet.

[0030] More alternatively, the optical -target components are in the form of dark-colored pellets adapted to cause the bait droplets to agglomerate around the dark-colored pellets to increase the degree of overall feeding of an exposed fly population over a given time period.

[0031] More alternatively, the insect bait further including: (c) a lethal agent adapted to serve as an insect control component for killing the nuisance flies.

[0032] Most alternatively, the lethal agent is at least one agent selected from the group consisting of: an oral insect toxin, a gut insect toxin, and a contact insect toxin, a glue board, a suction device, and an appropriate electrical-discharge component for electrocuting the nuisance flies.

[0033] According to the present invention, there is provided for the first time a method for control of nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis, the method including the step of: (a) providing a water-based glycerol solution, in liquid form, adapted to serve as a feeding stimulant for the nuisance flies in the absence of any sugar source and any other sugar alcohols.

[0034] Alternatively, the concentration for serving as the feeding stimulant, expressed as % w / w (% material weight per solution weight), of the water-based glycerol solution is a range selected from the group consisting of: about 5% to about 10%, about 5% to about 20%, about 5% to about 30%, about 5% to about 40%, about 5% to about 50%, about 10% to about 20%, about 10% to about 30%, about 10% to about 40%, and about 10% to about 50%.

[0035] Alternatively, the method further includes the step of: (b) providing a lethal agent adapted to serve as an insect control component for killing the nuisance flies. Most alternatively, the lethal agent is at least one agent selected from the group consisting of: an oral insect toxin, a gut insect toxin, and a contact insect toxin, a glue board, a suction device, and an appropriate electrical-discharge component for electrocuting the nuisance flies.

[0036] Alternatively, the method further includes the step of: (b) immersing optical -target components in bait droplets of the water-based glycerol solution adapted to serve as visual attractants for enabling the nuisance flies to better locate the bait droplets on a given surface.

[0037] Most alternatively, the optical -target components are in the form of dark-colored pellets adapted to cause the bait droplets to agglomerate around the dark-colored pellets to increase the degree of overall feeding of an exposed fly population over a given time period.

[0038] More alternatively, the method further includes the step of: (c) providing a lethal agent adapted to serve as an insect control component for killing the nuisance flies.

[0039] Most alternatively, the lethal agent is at least one agent selected from the group consisting of: an oral insect toxin, a gut insect toxin, and a contact insect toxin, a glue board, a suction device, and an appropriate electrical-discharge component for electrocuting the nuisance flies.

[0040] These and further embodiments will be apparent from the detailed description and examples that follow.

[0041] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] The present invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0043] Figure 1A depicts a simplified “top” view of an individual leaf having bait droplets on its surface, according to embodiments of the present invention; Figure IB depicts a simplified “side” view of the individual leaf of Figure 1 A with the fly feeding on a bait droplet having a conventional feeding stimulant, according to the prior art;

[0044] Figure 1C depicts a simplified “side” view of the individual leaf of Figure 1 A with the fly feeding on a bait droplet having a glycerol-based feeding stimulant, according to embodiments of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2A depicts a simplified “top” view of an individual leaf having bait droplets surrounding optical -target pellets on its surface, according to embodiments of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 2B depicts a simplified “side” view of the individual leaf of Figure 2 A with the fly feeding on a bait droplet having a conventional feeding stimulant surrounding an optical -target pellet, according to the prior art;

[0047] Figure 2C depicts a simplified “side” view of the individual leaf of Figure 2 A with the fly feeding on a bait droplet having a glycerol-based feeding stimulant surrounding an optical -target pellet, according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0048] DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0049] The present invention relates to insect baits having feeding stimulants for control of nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis and methods therein. The principles and operation for providing such feeding stimulants, baits, and methods, according to the present invention, may be better understood with reference to the accompanying description and drawings. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are detailed below in the following experimental studies and results.

[0050] Referring to the drawings, it is noted that Figures 1 A-1C and 2A-2C sometimes depict different views of the same illustrated embodiments. As such, a consistent numbering set is used across the drawings. Identical components depicted in multiple drawings are frequently labelled with the same numbering.

[0051] Figure 1A depicts a simplified “top” view of an individual leaf having bait droplets on its surface, according to embodiments of the present invention. An individual leaf 2 is shown with a bait droplet 4 on its surface. A fly 6 having a proboscis is also shown on leaf 2.

[0052] Figure IB depicts a simplified “side” view of the individual leaf of Figure 1 A with the fly feeding on a bait droplet having a conventional feeding stimulant, according to the prior art. The conventional feeding stimulant is considered to be a sugar-based solution in water. It is readily observed that conventional bait droplet 4 has become flattened out as it wets the surface of leaf 2, making it difficult for fly 6 to locate and feed on conventional bait droplet 4 due to the reduced volume of bait between the proboscis of fly 6 and the surface of leaf 2.

[0053] Figure 1C depicts a simplified “side” view of the individual leaf of Figure 1 A with the fly feeding on a bait droplet having a glycerol-based feeding stimulant, according to embodiments of the present invention. It is readily observed that glycerol-based bait droplet 4 retains its hemispherical shape on the surface of leaf 2, making it easier for fly 6 to locate and feed on glycerol-based bait droplet 4 due to the enhanced volume of bait between the proboscis of fly 6 and the surface of leaf 2.

[0054] Figure 2A depicts a simplified “top” view of an individual leaf having bait droplets surrounding optical-target pellets on its surface, according to embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2A resembles Figure 1A in all its characteristics with the addition of an optical -target pellet 8 that is enveloped by bait droplet 4. Each bait droplet 4 agglomerates around an individual optical-target pellet 8.

[0055] Figure 2B depicts a simplified “side” view of the individual leaf of Figure 2 A with the fly feeding on a bait droplet having a conventional feeding stimulant surrounding an optical- target pellet, according to embodiments of the present invention. Conventional bait droplet 4 wets the surface of leaf 2 as well as the surface of optical -target pellet 8. While providing better access to conventional bait droplet 4 over the configuration shown in Figure IB, conventional bait droplet 4 still provides a reduced bait volume for fly 6 to feed on.

[0056] Figure 2C depicts a simplified “side” view of the individual leaf of Figure 2 A with the fly feeding on a bait droplet having a glycerol-based feeding stimulant surrounding an optical- target pellet, according to embodiments of the present invention. Glycerol-based bait droplet 4 retains its hemispherical shape on the surface of leaf 2 while enveloping optical -target pellet 8, making it easier for fly 6 to locate and feed on glycerol-based bait droplet 4 due to the enhanced volume of bait between the proboscis of fly 6 and the surface of leaf 2.

[0057] EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES

[0058] Experiments show that traditional sugar-based feeding stimulants result in minimal bait-volume consumption by nuisance flies due to an increase in bait viscosity resulting from water loss (i.e., dehydration) in the bait via evaporation over time, rendering such baits ineffective.

[0059] Table 1 shows the droplet durability of various materials studied for serving as suitable feeding stimulants. The weight concentrations of the solutions studied are expressed as % w / w (i.e., % material weight per solution weight). The experiments were carried out in cages, providing the nuisance flies with only one energy source - the material under investigation.

[0060]

[0061] Table 1. Droplet durability studies of various materials for suitable feeding stimulants.

[0062] In addition to their aforementioned problems with toxicity, the studies showed that most sugar alcohols crystallized and hardened within six hours at 38°C, rendering them unacceptable as candidates for effective, long-lasting feeding stimulants. Moreover, sugar behaved similarly, resulting in a hardened mass as would be expected under environmental conditions of evaporative water loss.

[0063] Sugar alcohols do not kill 100% of the target insects that feed upon them. In the case of glycerol, a single meal (of glycerol bait alone) kills less than 30% of the population; this is not sufficient for pest control. It cannot be expected in a natural environment that target insects will feed multiple times on a bait as in the case of such cage experiments which provide no other feeding option.

[0064] Surprisingly, it can be readily observed from Table 1 that only glycerol provided a durable candidate for serving as such an effective, long-lasting feeding stimulant. Glycerol is a feeding stimulant, while at the same time serving as an excellent humectant, acting as bait stabilizer to reduce water loss. At a glycerol concentration from about 5% within a formulated bait, the bait is stabilized with improved water retention (see Table 2 below), and high feeding rates are achieved over long periods of time. The retention of water prolongs droplet feeding viability, thereby extending feeding times on the liquid baits.

[0065] Suitable concentration ranges for serving as a feeding stimulant include: about 5% to about 10%, about 5% to about 20%, about 5% to about 30%, about 5% to about 40%, about 5% to about 50%, about 10% to about 20%, about 10% to about 30%, about 10% to about 40%, and about 10% to about 50%.

[0066] The combination of such glycerol-based solutions as feeding stimulants and suitable insect toxins (e.g., oral, gut, and / or contact toxins) provide an effective means for feeding and controlling nuisance flies. Alternatively, an appropriate electrical-discharge component for electrocuting the nuisance flies can be used while the nuisance flies are feeding.

[0067] Conventional feeding stimulants containing sugar-based solutions produce droplets as depicted in Figure IB, wetting the surfaces they contact, followed by evaporative drying and shrinking of the droplets over time. In contrast, glycerol-based feeding stimulants produce droplets as depicted in Figure 1C when wetting the surfaces they contact, and retain their droplet shape over extended periods of time without such drying or shrinking.

[0068] Table 2 quantitatively shows the evaporative weight loss over a number of days for water solutions under ambient conditions of various glycerol concentration from 0 to 100%. It can be readily observed that even for solutions having low glycerol concentrations the weight loss (i.e., water loss) is significantly less than for water by itself (i.e., 0% glycerol). Moreover, the weight loss for the glycerol / water solution appears to plateau and stabilize after four days, retaining their remaining weight for the rest of the duration of the study.

[0069] The percent weight loss after four days is shown as well as the net percent weight loss between days four and seven. Such field-longevity performance can significantly enhance feeding. It is noted that in the solutions of 70% glycerol and above the net percent weight loss in Table 2 is negative, meaning that the solutions actually increased in weight over the course of studies. This is understood to be due to the solutions acquiring moisture from the ambient environment, owing to glycerol’s humectant properties.

[0070] Table 2. Evaporative weight loss studies for various glycerol / water solutions over a number of days under ambient conditions.

[0071] The use of dark optical targets as visual attractants for the transparent bait droplets to agglomerate onto reduced the time that nuisance flies needed to locate the bait droplets on uniform surfaces, and increased the degree of overall feeding of an exposed fly population over a given time period. Feeding rates for an exposed fly population more than doubled on bait droplets that included such internal optical targets.

[0072] Employing such optical targets (in the experimental studies, small pellets that were either transparent, light-colored, or dark-colored) increased overall feeding rates of target insects for aged sugar droplets (i.e., >5 hrs. in an indoor environment) as depicted in Figure 2B. In addition, meal sizes for the target insects increased. When 1% boric acid was included in the bait formulation, killing rates increased significantly.

[0073] Dark-colored pellets even further increased the feeding rates as well as the killing rates. While transparent and light-colored pellets caused the agglomeration effect, there was no additional benefit of a visual attractant as such pellets lacked the aspect of an optical target. Enhancements in feeding rates, meal sizes, and killing rates were substantially greater for glycerol-based droplets as depicted in Figure 2C than for sugar-based droplets. It is noted that such pellets can be readily incorporated into bait application schemes by combining the bait formulations with the pellets into a slurry that can be sprayed onto vegetation and / or into various environmental habitats.

[0074] While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications, equivalent structural elements, combinations, sub-combinations, and other applications of the present invention may be made. >

[0075] LITERATURE

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Claims

26 AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 2 February 2026AMENDED CLAIMSThe following is a complete listing of the clean amended claims. A complete listing of the marked-up amended claims follows the set below.

1. An insect bait for control of nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis, the insect bait comprising:(a) a water-based glycerol solution, in liquid form, adapted to serve as a feeding stimulant for the nuisance flies in the absence of any sugar source, any other energy source, and any other sugar alcohols.

2. The insect bait of claim 1, wherein the concentration for serving as said feeding stimulant, expressed as % w / w (% material weight per solution weight), of said water-based glycerol solution is a range selected from the group consisting of: about 5% to about 10%, about 5% to about 20%, about 5% to about 30%, about 5% to about 40%, about 5% to about50%, about 10% to about 20%, about 10% to about 30%, about 10% to about 40%, and about10% to about 50%.

3. The insect bait of claim 1, the insect bait further comprising:(b) a lethal agent adapted to serve as an insect control component for killing the nuisance flies.

4. The insect bait of claim 3, wherein said lethal agent is at least one agent selected from the group consisting of: an oral insect toxin, a gut insect toxin, and a contact insect toxin, a glue board, a suction device, and an appropriate electrical-discharge component for electrocuting the nuisance flies.AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)275. The insect bait of claim 1, the insect bait further comprising:(b) optical-target components adapted to serve as visual attractants for enabling the nuisance flies to better locate bait droplets of said water-based glycerol solution on a given surface, wherein at least one said optical-target component is immersed in at least one said bait droplet.

6. The insect bait of claim 5, wherein said optical-target components are in the form of dark-colored pellets adapted to cause said bait droplets to agglomerate around said dark-colored pellets to increase the degree of overall feeding of an exposed fly population over a given time period.

7. The insect bait of claim 5, the insect bait further comprising:(c) a lethal agent adapted to serve as an insect control component for killing the nuisance flies.

8. The insect bait of claim 7, wherein said lethal agent is at least one agent selected from the group consisting of: an oral insect toxin, a gut insect toxin, and a contact insect toxin, a glue board, a suction device, and an appropriate electrical-discharge component for electrocuting the nuisance flies.

9. A method for control of nuisance flies that feed via a proboscis, the method comprising the step of:AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)28(a) providing a water-based glycerol solution, in liquid form, adapted to serve as a feeding stimulant for the nuisance flies in the absence of any sugar source, any other energy source, and any other sugar alcohols.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the concentration for serving as said feeding stimulant, expressed as % w / w (% material weight per solution weight), of said water-based glycerol solution is a range selected from the group consisting of: about 5% to about 10%, about 5% to about 20%, about 5% to about 30%, about 5% to about 40%, about 5% to about50%, about 10% to about 20%, about 10% to about 30%, about 10% to about 40%, and about10% to about 50%.

11. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising the step of:(b) providing a lethal agent adapted to serve as an insect control component for killing the nuisance flies.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said lethal agent is at least one agent selected from the group consisting of: an oral insect toxin, a gut insect toxin, and a contact insect toxin, a glue board, a suction device, and an appropriate electrical-discharge component for electrocuting the nuisance flies.

13. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising the step of:(b) immersing optical-target components in bait droplets of said water-based glycerol solution adapted to serve as visual attractants for enabling the nuisance flies to better locate said bait droplets on a given surface.AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)2914. The method of claim 13, wherein said optical -target components are in the form of dark-colored pellets adapted to cause said bait droplets to agglomerate around said darkcolored pellets to increase the degree of overall feeding of an exposed fly population over a given time period.

15. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising the step of:(c) providing a lethal agent adapted to serve as an insect control component for killing the nuisance flies.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said lethal agent is at least one agent selected from the group consisting of: an oral insect toxin, a gut insect toxin, and a contact insect toxin, a glue board, a suction device, and an appropriate electrical-discharge component for electrocuting the nuisance flies.AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)

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