Imidacloprid is a nicotine-like chemical ingredient in commercial insecticides

A method of controlling chinch bugs in turfgrass, which method comprises (a) providing a composition comprising a synergistically effective amount of imidacloprid and bifenthrin, and (b) applying the composition to the turf.
A method of controlling surface feeding pests in turf grass in need of chinch bug control comprising applying a composition comprising bifenthrin and imidacloprid at a rate which in one application of the composition provides control that is substantially biologically equivalent to 1.8 to 2.5 applications of bifenthrin at the same rate of application of bifenthrin.

Imidacloprid is a nicotine-like (nicotinoid) chemical ingredient in commercial insecticides. It is widely used in lawn care and pest control products and believed to be potentially harmful to beneficial insects, such as honeybees.
Imidacloprid is widely used in the U.K. and U.S. in commercial agriculture and home gardening pesticides. It was registered in the U.K in 1993 and in the U.S. in 1994. It is one of the top-selling products of Bayer CropScience, the European company that manufactures imidacloprid.

The present invention relates to the control of turf pests at a locus, particularly a turfgrass locus.

Imidacloprid chemical is an insecticide known to the skilled artisan to control a variety of pests. U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,060 provides a description of imidacloprid and some uses. Imidacloprid is known to control some turf pests, for example, the larvae of Popillia japonica Newm.

Bifenthrin is an insecticide known to the skilled artisan to control a variety of pests. Bifenthrin is generally known as 2-methylbiphenyl-3-ylmethyl (Z)-(1RS,3RS)-3-(2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl)-2,2-di methylcyclopropane-carboxylate, CAS Registry Number 82657-04-3. Bifenthrin is described in The Pesticide Manual, p. 88 (entry 76), C. D. S. Thomas, ed., (13 th Ed., 2003).

A systemic insecticide, imidacloprid infects the insects that ingest the pesticide. It blocks elements of the insect's nervous system, which are more susceptible to toxins than warm-blooded animals are, according to Pesticide News.
Imidacloprid manufacturer is considered relatively safe for humans, but may poison insects other than the targeted white grubs, sucking insects, soil insects and others. The active ingredient is considered to be moderately toxic by the World Health Organization, according to Pesticide News. Studies on lab-tested animals showed that it can affect reproduction and cause mutations.

The present invention provides a method of controlling chinch bugs in turfgrass, which method comprises

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          o (a) providing a composition comprising a synergistically effective amount of imidacloprid and bifenthrin, and
          o (b) applying the composition to the turf.

The present invention also provides a method of controlling surface feeding pests in turf grass in need of chinch bug control comprising applying a composition comprising bifenthrin and imidacloprid at a rate which in one application of the composition provides control that is substantially biologically equivalent to 1.8 to 2.5 applications of bifenthrin at the same rate of application of bifenthrin.

The present invention also provides a composition comprising a synergistically effective amount of imidacloprid and bifenthrin which in use controls chinch bugs in turfgrass.

The present invention also provides a product for the control of chinch bugs which comprises the separate, sequential or simultaneous application of imidacloprid and bifenthrin.
Imidacloprid is phytotoxic, meaning it poisons plants, and can indirectly poison the insects and animals that feed off of them. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is highly concerned with the its negative affects on several types of birds, since it affects their reproduction, coordination and ability to fly.
People may be unintentionally poisoning beneficial honeybees by spraying their lawns and plants with imidacloprid products, since it is highly toxic for bees. Although granular application is more common than spraying, as a systemic pesticide, it ends up on the surface of plants that grow in chemically treated soil, indirectly affecting the beneficial non-target insects.

Generally, imidacloprid and bifenthrin are admixed to form the composition. The composition may be a solid or liquid composition according to the knowledge of the skilled artisan. Examples of suitable compositions include granules, dusts, powders, and wettable powders. Suitable liquids include emulsifiable concentrates, solutions, flowables, suspension concentrates and suspensions.

The amount of active ingredients in the composition of the invention can vary widely but is generally from about 0.1% to about 95% of active ingredient. (Percents are generally percent by weight in the current specification and claims of the present application unless otherwise denoted.) Preferably, the ratio of the amount of bifenthrin to the amount of imidacloprid products is from about 1:5 to about 4:6. The amount of bifenthrin and imidacloprid in a soluble concentrate formulation varies from about 2% to about 4% and from about 4 about 5%, respectively. The amount of bifenthrin and imidacloprid in granular formulations varies from about 0.1 to about 0.2% and from about 0.125 to about 0.25%, respectively.