Method for Mosquito Control

Abstract

A formulation and method for insect control is provided in the form of insecticide carrying insects which can be introduced in a population to thereby control the insect population. The formulation may include artificially generated adult insect carriers of a larvicide in which the larvicide has minimal impact on the adult insect and which larvicide affects juvenile survival or interferes with metamorphosis of juvenile insects to adulthood. The insects may be either male or female and may include mosquitoes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for insect control, comprising:
 introducing insects which carry one or more insecticides comprising at least a larvicide, to an insect population, to thereby control the insect population.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the insects are adult insects, and the method further comprises exposing the adult insects to a pesticide which affects juvenile survival or interferes with metamorphosis of juvenile insects to adulthood, and which pesticide has little impact on adult insects. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the adult insects are male insects. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the insect population is a mosquito population. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the insect population is a mosquito population. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the insect population is a mosquito population. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the adult male insects are mosquitoes. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the pesticide is a chemical agent. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the chemical agent is selected from the group consisting of Azadirachtin, Diflubenzuron, Methoprene, Neem Oil (Azadirachta indica), Novaluron, Pyriproxyfen, S-Methoprene, S-Hydropene and Temephos. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the pesticide is a biological agent. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the biological agent is selected from the group consisting of  Ascogregarine  spp.,  Bacillus sphaericus, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis,  Baculoviruses,  Copepoda  spp.,  Densovirinae  spp.,  Lagenidium giganteum, Microsporida  spp.,  Spinosad  and  Spinosyn.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the larvicide is a juvenile hormone analog or a compound which mimics a juvenile hormone. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the larvicide is pyriproxyfen. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein exposing the adult insects to a pesticide comprises exposing the adult males to the pesticide in a controlled environment to produce directly treated individuals and the introducing insects comprises introducing the directly treated individuals into the insect population. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising allowing the direct treated individuals to interact with untreated individuals of the insect population, to which the directly treated individual insects have been introduced, to thereby produce indirectly treated individuals. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein both the directly treated individuals and the indirectly treated individuals control the insect population by delivering the pesticide to the insect population. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the insects carrying the pesticide are female. 
     
     
         18 . A formulation for insect control, said formulation comprising:
 an artificially generated adult insect carrier of a larvicide, wherein said larvicide has minimal impact on the adult insect and which larvicide affects juvenile survival or interferes with metamorphosis of juvenile insects to adulthood.   
     
     
         19 . The formulation of  claim 18 , wherein the adult insect is a male mosquito. 
     
     
         20 . The formulation of  claim 18 , wherein the adult insect is a female mosquito. 
     
     
         21 . The formulation of  claim 18 , wherein the larvicide is a chemical agent. 
     
     
         22 . The formulation of  claim 21 , wherein the chemical agent is selected from the group consisting of Azadirachtin, Diflubenzuron, Methoprene, Neem Oil (Azadirachta indica), Novaluron, Pyriproxyfen, S-Methoprene, S-Hydropene and Temephos. 
     
     
         23 . The formulation of  claim 18 , wherein the larvicide is a biological agent. 
     
     
         24 . The formulation of  claim 23 , wherein the biological agent is selected from the group consisting of  Ascogregarine  spp.,  Bacillus sphaericus, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis,  Baculoviruses,  Copepoda  spp.,  Densovirinae  spp.,  Lagenidium giganteum, Microsporida  spp.,  Spinosad  and  Spinosyn.