HK1042015B - Methods and apparatus for attracting and destroying insects - Google Patents

Description

Apparatus and method for trapping and killing insects

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device for attracting and killing insects, and in particular to a device having a novel electrical grill designed to effectively kill insects, particularly mosquitoes, biting flies (biting flies) and midges. This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application No. US 08/695368.

Background

Devices for attracting and killing insects are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,2106528 to Jones et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,874 to Densimore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,35577 to Soulos, U.S. Pat. No. 3,3894351 to Iannini, U.S. Pat. No. 4,82069 to De Yoreo, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,4387529 to Hedstrom are representative of useful prior art devices for trapping and killing insects. The Densmore patent discloses a device that employs a light to attract insects and an insecticide-impregnated mesh surrounding the light to kill insects attempting to reach the light source. The remaining patents to Jones et al, Soulos, Iannini, De Yoreo and Hedstrom disclose devices that employ an insect-attracting lighting and/or scent emitting mechanism and a charged screen for electrocuting insects attempting to reach the lights or pheromones.

Although electronic "bug-killing" devices are popular with consumers, they have certain drawbacks. For example, devices employing ultraviolet light sources are easy to trap beneficial insects, but are ineffective at trapping stinging insects, such as mosquitoes and flies, that predate humans and livestock. Existing devices that utilize pheromones as a source of odor to attract certain types of insects are expensive because the pheromone source is continuously active and must be replaced frequently.

One solution to the above problem is provided in US5205064 to Nolen, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This patent discloses a device having a pressurized canister filled with carbon dioxide, octanol (octenol), or both, or insect pheromones. The device also has an infrared and/or ultraviolet light source surrounded by an electric grid.

There is a need for a device that mimics the host animal and has an electrified grid configured and arranged to intercept insect flight around the device, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the device in killing insects.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides an apparatus for trapping and killing insects, comprising: a housing including an upper housing portion, a lower housing portion and a cylindrical body disposed between said upper and lower housing portions; a heat source positioned within said housing and including a heating blanket disposed about the outer surface of said cylinder, said heating blanket having a heating element disposed within the insulating sheet and distributed in a pattern similar to an artery and vein; an attractant source disposed adjacent to said heating element such that said attractant source is heated by said heating element; a carbon dioxide source disposed within said cylinder of said housing; a transmitter constructed and arranged to transmit the carbon dioxide in proximity to the insect attractant source; a controller constructed and arranged to control operation of the transmitter to thereby control the transmission of the carbon dioxide; and an insecticidal element surrounding the source of attractant and the source of carbon dioxide.

The present invention also provides a method of trapping and killing insects, the method comprising the steps of: sending carbon dioxide to produce a plume of carbon dioxide; heating an attractant in the vicinity of the carbon dioxide to produce a mixture of carbon dioxide and the attractant; supplying pulsed electricity to an electrical grid having a plurality of electrically conductive, sequential members arranged in at least two distinct zones, wherein adjacent, sequential members are spaced a predetermined distance from each other so as to form an air gap between adjacent members, the spacing between adjacent members varying between the distinct zones and being sized according to the span of insects to be killed within each zone; and electrocuting the insects as they fly toward the mixture.

The present invention also provides an apparatus for trapping and killing insects, comprising: a housing; a source of carbon dioxide; a source of octyl alcohol; a heat source positioned within the housing and disposed adjacent to the octanol source, the heat source constructed and arranged to heat the octanol; a valve constructed and arranged to send an amount of said carbon dioxide in proximity to said octanol; a grid surrounding the carbon dioxide source, the octanol source, and the heater, the grid being constructed and arranged to receive an electric charge for killing insects, the grid having a plurality of electrically conductive, sequential members disposed in at least two distinct zones, wherein adjacent sequential members are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance so as to form an air gap between adjacent members, the spacing between adjacent members varying between distinct zones and being sized according to the wingspan of insects to be killed in each zone; and a power source constructed and arranged to supply power for charging the grid.

The present invention further provides an apparatus for trapping and killing insects, comprising: a housing; a heat source positioned within the housing, the heat source including a heating blanket having a heating element disposed within the insulating plate; a source of attractant; a source of carbon dioxide; a transmitter constructed and arranged to transmit the carbon dioxide in proximity to the insect attractant source; an insecticidal element surrounding the insect attractant and a source of carbon dioxide; a controller constructed and arranged to regulate the temperature of the heat source within a predetermined range, the controller further constructed and arranged to control the transmitter such that the transmitted amount of carbon dioxide is maintained constant at various ambient temperatures.

The present invention also provides an apparatus for trapping and killing insects, comprising: a housing; a heat source positioned within said housing, said heat source comprising a heated blanket having a heating element disposed within the insulating sheet and arranged in a pattern similar to veins and arteries, said heating element constructed and arranged to cause a surface temperature of the blanket to be no less than 95 ° F, thereby attracting insects to the heat source; a source of attractant; a source of carbon dioxide; a transmitter constructed and arranged to transmit the carbon dioxide in proximity to the insect attractant source; a grid constructed and arranged to receive an insect-killing electric charge, the grid having a plurality of electrically conductive, sequential members arranged in at least two distinct zones, wherein adjacent, sequential members are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance so as to form an air gap between adjacent members, the spacing between adjacent members varying between the distinct zones and being sized according to the span of insects to be killed in each zone; and a power source constructed and arranged to power the grid a plurality of times per second, whereby the power to energize the grid is pulsed.

The present invention provides a device that simulates a host animal and has an electrified grid configured to intercept insect flight around the device, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the device in killing insects. The apparatus generally comprises a source of carbon dioxide, a source of octanol, a means for sending carbon dioxide in proximity to the source of octanol to produce a mixture of carbon dioxide and octanol, a heating element and an electrical grid. Insects are initially attracted to the device by odors associated with the mixture of carbon dioxide and octanol. As the insects fly closer to the device, they are further attracted by the visible nature of the device, and then to a closer extent, they are attracted by the heat emitted by the heating element. In an attempt to fly closer to the heating element, the insects are intercepted and killed by the electrified grid.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed an apparatus for trapping and killing insects comprising a source of an insect attractant, a heating means for heating the insect attractant, a source of carbon dioxide, a means for delivering carbon dioxide proximate the source of insect attractant, a means for killing insects surrounding the insect attractant and the source of carbon dioxide, and a means for controlling the heating means, the delivery means and the killing means.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a method of trapping and killing insects, the method comprising the steps of: sending carbon dioxide to produce a carbon dioxide plume, heating the attractant in the vicinity of the plume of carbon dioxide to produce a mixture of carbon dioxide and attractant; the insects electrocute as they fly towards the mixture.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for trapping and killing insects is disclosed comprising a source of carbon dioxide, a source of octanol, a heater positioned adjacent to the source of octanol for heating the octanol, a valve for delivering an amount of carbon dioxide adjacent to the octanol, and a grid surrounding the source of carbon dioxide, the source of octanol, and the heater, the grid receiving an electrical charge.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for attracting and killing insects is disclosed comprising a first source of insect attractant, a second source of insect attractant, a source of carbon dioxide, means for delivering carbon dioxide proximate to the first and second sources of insect attractant, means for killing insects surrounding the first and second sources of insect attractant and the source of carbon dioxide, and means for controlling the means for delivering and the means for killing.

Drawings

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away bottom view of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view, partially cut away, of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a panel of an electrified grid according to the present invention;

fig. 6 is a perspective view of a housing of the apparatus of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Research by the inventors in the field of entomology has shown that biting insects such as midges, mosquitoes and biting flies take predictable actions when looking for a blood host. In particular, these stinging insects were initially attracted by the odor of kairomone (kairomone), a chemical emitted by the blood host and being enticing for the stinging insects. Kairomones include carbon dioxide exhaled by mammalian and avian blood hosts and an alcohol, octanol, emitted by mammalian blood hosts. Mosquitoes and biting flies can detect the odor of carbon dioxide exhaled by blood hosts about 90 meters away. It has been found that stinging insects respond strongly to the respiratory characteristics of small mammals, such as rabbits, exhaling approximately fifty cubic centimeters of carbon dioxide every five seconds. Stinging insects locate a blood host by tracking the carbon dioxide plume produced by the blood host. The mixture of carbon dioxide and octanol is particularly attractive for insects seeking mammalian blood hosts.

In the range of about 10 meters, mosquitoes and biting flies can make visual contact with blood hosts. Studies have shown that mosquitoes are most attracted to small black cylindrical objects that resemble the body shape of small animals, such as rabbits, in their outer dimensions and surface area. Stinging flies are most attracted to large black cylindrical objects. As the insects get closer together within the visual range of the target, they remain in the carbon dioxide.

In dry weather, about 3 meters away (9 meters in wet weather), stinging insects can detect heat emissions from blood hosts. Thermal emission can be determined by surface temperature measured in degrees, infrared emission measured in wavelengths, or dissipated energy measured in watts per unit area. When the insects are in close range and thermal radiation is detected, they hover around the host to determine the characteristics of the host based on the detected thermal radiation.

Mosquitoes and biting flies respond to a narrow range of temperatures. Studies have shown that temperatures of about 110 ° F ± 15 ° F are most attractive to insects seeking mammalian blood hosts. Temperatures below this range do not attract these insects, while temperatures above this range actually make these insects aversive. Because the distribution of surface temperature is determined by the distribution of blood near the surface of the skin, an important characteristic of the surface temperature of a mammalian blood host is the profile of hotter and cooler regions on the surface of the blood host. Mosquitoes and biting flies are most attracted by irregular surface temperature profiles having about 50% to 70% of the surface at about 110 ° F, with the remainder of the surface at cooler temperatures, but no less than about 95 ° F.

The infrared radiation emitted by a warm-blooded animal is similar to black body radiation emitted when an object is cooled, i.e., it includes incoherent light of all wavelengths. Warm-blooded animals tend to emit infrared light of a certain predictable wavelength, as they keep their body temperature within a narrow range. It is believed that when insects and blood hosts evolve together in the same ecosystem, the insect's antenna receptors are turned to the wavelength of infrared light emitted by the particular blood host.

With respect to energy expenditure measurements, it has been found that mosquitoes known to prefer the avian blood host are attracted to a host energy expenditure of about 0.1 watts per square inch. Mosquitoes and biting flies that prefer mammalian blood hosts are known to be most attracted by host energy expenditure in the range of about 0.1 to 0.2 watts per square inch.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an apparatus for attracting and killing insects according to the present invention generally designated 10. The device 10 may be used to lure a wide variety of insects that feed on warm-blooded animals such as humans and livestock, including mosquitoes, biting flies and midges. As shown, the apparatus 10 includes a housing, generally designated 12, a pressurized tank, generally designated 14, an octane source, generally designated 16, a heat source, generally designated 18, and an electrical grid, generally designated 20. These components of the apparatus 10 work together to effectively and efficiently trap insects.

As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 12 includes a top cover 22, an outer protective grate 24, and a removable bottom tray. The housing 12 also includes a frame 28, fig. 6, which includes a top plate 30 and a cylindrical body 32 (fig. 3 and 6) molded together in one piece. The top cover 22 is mounted to a top plate 30 of the frame 28. The bottom tray 26 is removably mounted to a cylinder 32 of the frame 28. These components of the housing 12 are preferably made of a black rigid polymeric material that is lightweight and weather resistant. As shown in fig. 2, the cover 22, the protective grid 24, and the tray 26 are in the shape of four leaves in plan view. The purpose of this configuration is to improve the manner in which insects around the device 10 are killed. As clearly shown in the drawings, the housing 12 has mounted firmly to its top cover 22 a hook 27 for suspending the device 10, for example at the habitat of insects, by means of a chain 29. A power source 31 is also provided for supplying power from a suitable power source, such as an electrical outlet.

The cover 22 has formed therein a control panel 34 having a power indicator 36, status indicator 38 and a switch 40 for turning the apparatus 10 on and off. The control panel 34 is electrically connected to the electric wire 31 so as to receive electric power from the power source. The cover 22, which is manufactured separately from the housing 28, is securely attached to the top plate 30 of the housing 28 in any suitable manner. The top plate 30 of the housing 28 is then securely attached to the protective grid 24. The primary function of the cover 22 is to protect the internal components disposed within the housing 12 (e.g., the tank 14, the octanol source 16, the heat source 18, and the electronic components that interact with these components) from environmental contaminants, such as rain.

The protective grid 24 has a plurality of vertical support members 42 that are connected to the top plate 30 of the housing 28 and are interconnected with a plurality of horizontal members 44 that prevent any undesired contact with the electrified grid 20 located within the protective grid 24. The tray 26 includes an inner flange 46 extending upwardly from the bottom of the tray 26. The flange 46 has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the cylinder 32 of the housing 28 and overlaps the bottom of the cylinder 32. The tray 26 is releasably connected to the cylinder 32 by channel locking means in which there are a number of J-shaped channels 47, see fig. 4, in abutment with a corresponding number of posts (not shown) extending perpendicularly from the outer surface of the cylinder 32 within the flange 46. Tray 26 is removable from apparatus 10 to remove any remaining insects killed by apparatus 10 and to provide access to pressurized tank 14, octanol source 16 and heat source 18.

The pressure tank 14, octanol source 16 and heat source 18 are suitably mounted on a frame 28. The heat source 18 includes a blanket 18a mounted on the outer surface of the cylinder 32 of the housing 18 which contains a resistive heating element 60 mounted in a black flexible insulating sheet made of rubber or plastic. Such a Heat source 18 is available from ElectroFlex Heat, inc. The heating element 60 is electrically connected to the control switch 40 for turning the heat source 18 on and off. The heating element 60, when supplied with power from the power source 31 through the switch 40, generates heat to raise the temperature of the heat source 18. Heating elements 60 are arranged in a pattern similar to arteries and veins in the cover layer 18a to produce infrared images of blood near the surface of the skin. The heating element 60 maintains about 50% to 70% of the surface area of the blanket 18a at a temperature of about 110 ° F, and the remaining surface at a temperature of no less than about 95 ° F. The temperature of the heat source 18 is regulated by an electronic controller (not shown), the design of which is well known in the art. The heat source 18 may also include an infrared filter 19, see FIG. 2, which completely surrounds the blanket 18a of the heat source 18. The infrared filter 19 may be used to maximize the attraction of the device 10 to insects having antennae known to have been tuned to a particular wavelength of infrared light by passing only coherent or semi-coherent light of the desired frequency.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of apparatus 10 showing tank 14 and tray 26 separated from housing 12, octanol source 16a mounted within housing 12 and octanol source 16b removed from housing 22. The sources 16a and 16b of octanol comprise octanol dissolved in a wax-based medium and contained within a plastic housing. The sources 16a and 16b of octyl alcohol are mounted in contact with the heat source 18, between the heat source 18 and the grid 20, and just below the end of the discharge pipe 52 (both described below) of the emitter 50. The sources 16a and 16b of octyl alcohol are positioned by clamps 17a and 17b which are mounted on a protective grid 24 in a known manner. In a preferred embodiment, each of the octanol sources 16a and 16b is designed to release about 7mg of octanol per hour when heated to 110 ° F. It has been found that the amount of octanol released from one octanol source 16 is very attractive to most mosquitoes, while the amount of octanol released from two octanol sources 16 is very attractive to most biting flies.

The pressurized tank 14 is preferably filled with carbon dioxide and is mounted to a transmitter 50, such as a solenoid valve, which controls the transmission of carbon dioxide from the tank 14. The transmitter 50 is controlled in a known manner by the same electronic controller (not shown) that controls the heat source 18. Transmitter 50 intermittently emits carbon dioxide from canister 14, thereby simulating the transmission of carbon dioxide emitted by the respiration of a mammalian blood host. Carbon dioxide is emitted through a pair of discharge pipes 52 which pass through the wall of the cylinder 32 and the heat source 18 to transport the carbon dioxide from the cylinder 32 to a region proximate the octanol source 16. The transmitter 50 is preferably a solenoid valve that can send carbon dioxide in a brief puff that mimics the breathing pattern of most mammals and is therefore more attractive to mosquitoes than a constant transmission. Such solenoid valves are available from KIP Valve of Farmington, CT and Precision Dynamics of New Britain, CT. The electronic controller controls the solenoid valve to ensure that the delivered amount of carbon dioxide remains constant despite changes in ambient temperature. Another alternative to the solenoid valve is a restrictor that delivers a constant volume of carbon dioxide through a porous powder metal membrane. Such a restriction is available from Mott Corporation of Farmington, CT.

The electrical grid 20 will now be described with reference to fig. 2-5. The electrical grid 20 is made up of four panels 70 electrically connected together and configured as a box that encloses the tank 14, cylinder 32, heat source 18 and octanol source 16. Each panel 70 is formed of a pair of metal plates 72a and 72b interconnected by an insulating material 74 along upper and lower edges thereof. Each plate 72a, 72b is stamped from sheet metal and includes a series of vertical members 82 interconnected by horizontal members 80a and 80b at the top and bottom of the panel, respectively. Insulating material 74 interconnects and separates horizontal members 80a and 80b of plates 72a and 72 b. One plate 72a, 72b is charged and the other plate 72b, 72a is grounded. In this way, when insects pass through the electric grill 20, they will electrocute.

As shown in fig. 5, when the panels 72a and 72b are interconnected to form the panel 70, the opening width of the panel 70 varies according to the span of the insect to be killed by the apparatus 10. In the first region 90, successive members 82 are spaced about 3.0mm apart to trap biting midges, their span being about 1.5 mm. In the second region 92, successive members 82 are spaced about 5mm apart to trap mosquitoes, their span being about 5.0 mm. In the third region 94, successive members 82 are spaced about 9.0mm apart to trap flies, their span being about 9.0 mm. The square configuration of the electrical grid around the heat source 18 has a first region 90 closest to the heat source 18, a second region 92 slightly distal from the heat source 18, and a third region 94 furthest from the heat source 18. This configuration takes advantage of the flight path of a particular insect, since it is well known that midges hover at a closer range around blood hosts than mosquitoes, and mosquitoes hover at a closer range around blood hosts than biting flies.

The electrical grid 20 is powered by a pulsed high voltage coil (not shown) which is controlled by an electronic controller which controls the heat source 18 and transmitter 50. The power grid 20 is powered multiple times per second. There are many advantages to using such intermittent power supply. First, there is no need for an expensive continuously powered transformer. Second, insects do not have to physically contact both plates 72a, 72b of panel 70 to be killed. The spacing between the vertical members 82 may exceed the span of the insect's wingspan because the pulsed high voltage arc may be configured to kill the insect only when the insect's body is offset from the insulating air gap between the vertical members 82. This design is particularly beneficial in the case of small insects such as midges. The wingspan for midges is much smaller than the dry air gap required for the common 6500 volt transformer used in insulated prior art electrocution devices.

Another advantage of the pulsed power supply of the present invention is that most insects do not adhere to the electrical grid 20 as they attempt to pass through it, which is often the case with prior art electric shock disinfestation devices. If they do not physically contact the electrical grid 20, they tend to fall from the vertical members in the pauses between electrical pulses. Moreover, because only midges, mosquitoes and biting flies are attracted to the device 10, the power supplied to the electrical grid 20 can be set at 2000 volts. This amount of voltage kills the insects without causing the carapace to explode, unlike prior art electric shock insect killers, which are 6500 volts, causing the insects to explode, spreading their debris into the air.

The apparatus 10 further includes a humidity sensor 39 mounted on the top plate 30 of the housing 28 within the housing 12. The humidity sensor 39 is used to monitor the humidity of the surrounding air and to regulate the amount of power supplied to the electrical grid 20. The humidity sensor 39 is controlled by the same electronic controller that controls the heat source 18, the transmitter 50 and the high voltage coil. Because the air gap between plates 72a and 72b is significantly shortened as the humidity of the surrounding air increases, less voltage is required across the gap. Accordingly, the humidity sensor 39 adjusts the amount of electricity supplied to the electric grill 20 according to the humidity value of the ambient air. As the humidity increases, the amount of power supplied to the electric grill 20 is proportionally reduced, and when the humidity decreases, the amount of power supplied to the electric grill 20 is proportionally increased.

In addition to controlling the operation of the apparatus 10 as described above, the electronic controller can monitor the status of the carbon dioxide and octanol sources and provide a signal via the status indicator lights 38 of the control panel 34 when these consumables require replacement. The electronic controller can also record and store the amount of insects killed. This information can be communicated to a monitoring station for remote determination of insect numbers and the like while limiting exposure of the test person to the insects and any disease caused by the insects.

In operation, as the octanol sources 16a and 16b are heated by the heat source 18 to vaporize octanol, as described above, carbon dioxide is transmitted by the transmitter 50 at predetermined intervals through the discharge pipe 52 to immediately above the octanol sources 16a and 16b to mix the vaporized octanol with carbon dioxide, thereby creating an odor known to be most attractive to mosquitoes, biting flies, and midges. First, the insects are attracted to the odor of the carbon dioxide and octanol mixture. Then, as the insects approach into the visual field, they are further attracted by the small black cylinder shape. Finally, as the insects approach the thermal detection zone, they are attracted to the heat energy dissipated by the heat source 18. Furthermore, if the device 10 includes an infrared filter 19, as described above, the insects are also attracted to the infrared light emitted by the heat source 18. As the insect spirals around the device 10, it flies closer and closer to the device 10, thereby inducing a thermal profile as described above. Finally, the insect flies into the electric grid 20 and dies by electric shock.

While particular arrangements embodying the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, various heat sources may be utilized, such as heat sources including heating elements plated or sprayed directly on the cylinder 32. It is therefore intended that the present invention not be limited to the particular forms shown and described, except insofar as indicated by the appended claims.

Claims (22)

1. An apparatus for attracting and killing insects, comprising:

a housing including an upper housing portion, a lower housing portion and a cylindrical body disposed between said upper and lower housing portions;

a heat source positioned in the housing and including a heating blanket disposed about the outer surface of the cylinder, the heating blanket having a heating element disposed in the insulating plate and distributed in a pattern that mimics arteries and veins;

an attractant source disposed adjacent to said heating element such that said attractant source is heated by said heating element;

a carbon dioxide source disposed within said cylinder of said housing;

a transmitter constructed and arranged to transmit the carbon dioxide in proximity to the insect attractant source;

a controller constructed and arranged to control operation of the transmitter to thereby control the transmission of the carbon dioxide; and

an insecticidal element surrounding the source of attractant and the source of carbon dioxide.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insect attractant source, said carbon dioxide source, said heat source, said transmitter and said insecticidal element are housed within a housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter includes a valve operatively connected to a nozzle of the carbon dioxide pressurization tank.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the housing is quadralobal in cross-section.

5. A method of trapping an insect, the method comprising the steps of:

sending carbon dioxide to produce a plume of carbon dioxide;

heating an attractant in the vicinity of the carbon dioxide to produce a mixture of carbon dioxide and the attractant;

supplying pulsed electricity to an electrical grid having a plurality of electrically conductive, sequential members arranged in at least two distinct zones, wherein adjacent, sequential members are spaced a predetermined distance from each other so as to form an air gap between adjacent members, the spacing between adjacent members varying between the distinct zones and being sized according to the span of insects to be killed within each zone; and

the insects are electrocuted when they fly towards the mixture.

6. An apparatus for attracting and killing insects, comprising:

a housing;

a source of carbon dioxide;

a source of octyl alcohol;

a heat source positioned within said housing and disposed adjacent to said octanol source, said heat source constructed and arranged to heat said octanol, wherein said heat source comprises a heating blanket having a heating element disposed within an insulating plate and arranged to follow a vein and artery pattern;

a valve constructed and arranged to send an amount of said carbon dioxide in proximity to said octanol;

a grid surrounding the carbon dioxide source, the octanol source, and the heater, the grid being constructed and arranged to receive an electric charge for killing insects, the grid having a plurality of electrically conductive, sequential members disposed in at least two distinct zones, wherein adjacent sequential members are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance so as to form an air gap between adjacent members, the spacing between adjacent members varying between distinct zones and being sized according to the wingspan of insects to be killed in each zone; and

a power source constructed and arranged to supply power for charging the grid.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a controller for controlling said valve to adjust the amount of said carbon dioxide delivered from said carbon dioxide source.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a sensor for detecting humidity of ambient air and a controller for adjusting the amount of charge based on the humidity value of ambient air.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element is constructed and arranged to cause 50% -70% of the surface area of the cover layer to be at a temperature of 110 ° F, thereby attracting insects to the heat source.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insecticidal element comprises a grid having a plurality of sets of electrically conductive, sequential members disposed in at least two different areas, said grid being constructed and arranged to receive an electrical charge sufficient to kill insects.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein adjacent, successive members are spaced a predetermined distance from each other so as to form an air gap between adjacent members, the spacing between adjacent members varying between said different zones and being sized according to the span of insects to be killed in each zone.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the at least two different regions include a first region, a second region and a third region, the spacing between two successive members in the first region being sized to kill biting midges, the spacing between successive members in the second region being sized to kill mosquitoes and the spacing between successive members in the third region being sized to kill biting flies.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the spacing between successive members is 3mm in the first region, 5mm in the second region and 9mm in the third region.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor constructed and arranged to monitor humidity of ambient air of the apparatus, and wherein the controller selectively controls power to the heating element based on the sensed humidity.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the power supply supplies power to the grid multiple times per second, such that the power to charge the grid is pulsed.

16. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the heating element is constructed and arranged to cause the surface temperature of the blanket to be no less than 95 ° F, thereby attracting insects to the heat source.

17. An apparatus for attracting and killing insects, comprising:

a housing;

a heat source positioned within the housing, the heat source including a heating blanket having a heating element disposed within the insulating sheet and arranged in a pattern that mimics veins and arteries;

a source of attractant;

a source of carbon dioxide;

a transmitter constructed and arranged to transmit the carbon dioxide in proximity to the insect attractant source;

an insecticidal element surrounding the insect attractant and a source of carbon dioxide;

a controller constructed and arranged to regulate the temperature of the heat source within a predetermined range, the controller further constructed and arranged to control the transmitter such that the transmitted amount of carbon dioxide is maintained constant at various ambient temperatures.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the insecticidal element comprises a grid having a plurality of spaced apart, electrically conductive, sequential members disposed in at least two different areas, said grid being constructed and arranged to receive a pulsed electrical charge from a power source sufficient to kill the insects regardless of whether the insects are in direct contact with said sequential members.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is further constructed and arranged to control the pulsed electrical charge received by the grid.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the controller is further constructed and arranged to record the number of insects killed by the apparatus and to transmit the recorded data.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the controller is further constructed and arranged to monitor the status of the insect attractant source and the carbon dioxide source.

22. An apparatus for attracting and killing insects, comprising:

a housing;

a heat source positioned within said housing, said heat source comprising a heating blanket having a heating element disposed within the insulating sheet and arranged in a pattern following veins and arteries, said heating element constructed and arranged to cause a surface temperature of the blanket to be no less than 95 ° F, thereby attracting insects to the heat source;

a source of attractant;

a source of carbon dioxide;

a transmitter constructed and arranged to transmit the carbon dioxide in proximity to the insect attractant source;

a grid constructed and arranged to receive an insect-killing electric charge, the grid having a plurality of electrically conductive, sequential members arranged in at least two distinct zones, wherein adjacent, sequential members are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance so as to form an air gap between adjacent members, the spacing between adjacent members varying between the distinct zones and being sized according to the span of insects to be killed in each zone; and

a power source constructed and arranged to power the grid a plurality of times per second, whereby the power to energize the grid is pulsed.