Compounds and methods for repelling blood-feeding arthropods and deterring their landing and feeding

Abstract

This invention relates to a group of compounds for repelling blood-feeding ectoparasitic arthropods, and a method of deterring their landing and feeding on animals including humans, by applying in one or more formulations compounds that incorporate one or more sulfide and one or more hydroxyl groups to the skin, clothing or environment of animals, including humans. A method of repelling and deterring landing and feeding by blood-feeding arthropods on an animal by applying in effective amount one or more compounds that incorporate alkyl sulfide and alcohol moieties, or alkyl sulfide and amide moieties, or alkyl sulfide and amide moieties to the skin, clothing or environment of an animal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of repelling and deterring landing and feeding by blood-feeding arthropods on an animal by applying in effective amount one or more compounds that incorporate alkyl sulfide and alcohol moieties, or alkyl sulfide and amide moieties, or allyl sulfide and amide moieties to the skin, clothing or environment of an animal. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein compounds that incorporate alkyl sulfide and alcohol moieties are aliphatic primary, secondary or tertiary alcohols with alkylsulfide moiety. 
     
     
         3 . The methods of  claim 1 - 2 , wherein said blood-feeding arthropod repellent and deterrent compounds are selected from the group including, but not limited to, the following: 8-methylsulfanyloctan-1-ol, 8-ethylsulfanyloctan-1-ol, 8-propylsulfanyloctan-1-ol, 8-butylsulfanyloctan-1-ol, 8-pentylsulfanyloctan-1-ol, (N,N)-diethyl-8-allylsulfanyl-octanamide. 
     
     
         4 . The methods of  claims 1 - 2 , wherein effective amounts of said compounds that incorporate alkyl sulfide and alcohol moieties, or alkyl sulfide and amide moieties, or allyl sulfide and amide moieties are combined with one or more additional compounds applied in effective amount to improve the repellent and deterrent effect against landing and feeding by blood-feeding arthropods. 
     
     
         5 . The methods of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein the blood-feeding arthropods include, but are not limited to, ticks and mites in the Order Acari (also known as Acarina) and insects in the Orders Mallophaga, Anoplura, Siphonaptera, Hemiptera (Families Cimicidae and Reduviidae), and Diptera (Families Culicidae, Tabanidae, Psychodidae, Simuliidae, Muscidae and Ceratopogonidae). 
     
     
         6 . The methods of  claim 1 - 4 , wherein the blood-feeding insects in the family Culicidae include, but are not limited to, species in the genera  Aedes, Culex, Anopheles, Chagasia, Bironella, Culiseta, Ochlerotatus, Psorophora, Toxorhynchites, Mansonia,  and  Coquillettidia.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the insects can be  Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae  and  Culex quinquefasciatus.    
     
     
         8 . The methods of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein the animal can be a mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the mammal can be a human. 
     
     
         10 . The methods of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein the environment of an animal may include, but not be limited to, bedding, furniture, dwellings and vehicles. 
     
     
         11 . The methods of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein effective amount of said blood-feeding arthropod repellent and deterrent compounds can range from 1 nanogram to 100 milligrams per square centimeter of skin, clothing or environmental substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The methods of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein said blood-feeding arthropod repellent and deterrent compounds are formulated in effective amount with a carrier material for application to the skin, clothing or environment of an animal. 
     
     
         13 . A composition for repelling and deterring landing and feeding by blood-feeding arthropods on an animal comprising an effective amount one or more compounds that incorporate alkyl sulfide and alcohol moieties, or alkyl sulfide and amide moieties, or allyl sulfide and amide moieties. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 13  wherein the compounds that incorporate alkyl sulfide and alcohol moieties are aliphatic primary, secondary or tertiary alcohols with alkylsulfide moiety. 
     
     
         15 . The compositions of  claim 13 - 14 , wherein the compounds are selected from the group including, but not limited to, the following: 8-methylsulfanyloctan-1-ol, 8-ethylsulfanyloctan-1-ol, 8-propylsulfanyloctan-1-ol, 8-butylsulfanyloctan-1-ol, 8-pentylsulfanyloctan-1-ol, (N,N)-diethyl-8-allylsulfanyl-octanamide. 
     
     
         16 . The compositions of  claims 13 - 14 , wherein effective amounts of said compounds that incorporate alkyl sulfide and alcohol moieties, or alkyl sulfide and amide moieties, or allyl sulfide and amide moieties are combined with one or more additional compounds applied in effective amount to improve the repellent and deterrent effect of the compounds. 
     
     
         17 . The compositions of  claims 13 - 16 , wherein the blood-feeding arthropods include, but are not limited to, ticks and mites in the Order Acari (also known as Acarina) and insects in the Orders Mallophaga, Anoplura, Siphonaptera, Hemiptera (Families Cimicidae and Reduviidae), and Diptera (Families Culicidae, Tabanidae, Psychodidae, Simuliidae, Muscidae and Ceratopogonidae). 
     
     
         18 . The compositions of  claim 13 - 16 , wherein the blood-feeding arthropods are of the family Culicidae and include, but are not limited to, species in the genera  Aedes, Culex, Anopheles, Chagasia, Bironella, Culiseta, Ochlerotatus, Psorophora, Toxorhynchites, Mansonia,  and  Coquillettidia.    
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 18 , wherein the arthropods can be  Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae  and  Culex quinquefasciatus.    
     
     
         20 . The compositions of  claims 13 - 16 , wherein the animal can be a mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian. 
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 20 , wherein the mammal can be a human. 
     
     
         22 . The compositions of  claims 13 - 16 , wherein the environment of an animal may include, but not be limited to, bedding, furniture, dwellings and vehicles. 
     
     
         23 . The compositions of  claims 13 - 16 , wherein an effective amount of said blood-feeding arthropod repellent and deterrent compounds can range from 1 nanogram to 100 milligrams per square centimeter of skin, clothing or environmental substrate. 
     
     
         24 . The compositions of  claims 13 - 16 , wherein said blood-feeding arthropod repellent and deterrent compounds are formulated in effective amount with a carrier material for application to the skin, clothing or environment of an animal.