## LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PESTICIDE MADE FROM "GRAS" INGREDIENTS FOR USE AGAINST COQUI FROGS AND OTHER SPECIES 

[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 13/615,117, filed on Sep. 3, 2012, which is a divisional application of U.S. non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 12/763,392, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,287,919, filedonApr. 20, 2010, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 61/170,987 filed on Apr. 20, 2009 (now abandoned) titled: "New Pesticide use for Propionic acid and/or its salts with or without the addition of ACS or ACS-P," having David Paul Davis, listed as inventor, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 

## FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 

[0002] No federal funds were used in the development of the present invention. 

## JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENTS 

[0003] Not Applicable. 

[0004] Not Applicable. 

[0005] One aspect of this invention is an environmentally friendly, low phyotoxic acidic aqueous pesticide composition and a method for killing a soft-bodied animal (e.g. a Coqui frog; a Coqui frog egg; a tree frog, a cane toad, a slug, a nettle, a caterpillar, a nematode, an aphid, a spider mite, fruit fly larva, a varro mite and other soft bodied insects that are usually regarded as pests, or a combination thereof). More specifically, the acidic aqueous pesticide composition com› prises: a low concentration of organic acid solution (less than 25%) and having a low pH (below about pH3). The active ingredient in the pesticide composition can be selected from acidic calcium sulfate (ACS), propionic acid, citric acid, or various functional equivalents including salts and esters, as described herein. The acidic aqueous pesticide composition of can further be formulated to comprise a sulfuric acid solu› tion having a concentration below 10% (w/v) as a percentage of the aqueous pesticide composition. Additionally, the aque› ous pesticide composition may further comprise a surfactant for the surface area of the aqueous pesticide composition on the soft bodied animal of interest wherein the surfactant is selected from: an ionic-, anionic-, zwitterionic-surfactant, or combination thereof. 

[0006] Another aspect of the current invention is a method of killing a soft-bodied animal of interest with an acidic pesticide composition, the method comprising the steps of: locating the soft-bodied animal or locating an area where the soft-bodied animal resides; contacting the soft-bodied animal with one of the acidic pesticide compositions described herein. About 1 ml of this composition coming in contact with Coqui Frogs is lethal in less than about 15 minutes. This acidic pesticide composition represents a low environmental impact pesticide made from all GRAS ingredients also used in food processing and which are low in phytotoxicity. 

## RELATED APPLICATIONS 

## SEQUENCE LISTING 

## BACKGROUND 

[0007] The Coqui Frog: 

[0008] Hawaii’s lush vegetation, warm temperatures and high humidity not only welcome human visitors but also indiscriminately provide a tropical paradise for the over 1,000 non-native plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates that have been accidentally introduced over the past 65 years. Some non-native species have become established at the expense of native species, competing for habitat and nutrient sources. 

[0009] The Coqui frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui, was acci› dentally introduced into Hawaii from Puerto Rico in about 1988. Aside from being a major noise nuisance, the frogs pose a threat to Hawaii’s island ecosystem. Coqui frogs have a voracious appetite that puts Hawaii’s unique insects and spi› ders at risk directly. These frogs also compete with endemic birds and other native fauna that rely on insects for food. The frogs are quite adaptable to the different ecological zones and elevations in the state, which is demonstrated by populations being found from sea level to 4,000 feet elevations. Scientists are also concerned that an established coqui frog population may serve as a readily available food source if (or when) brown tree snakes are accidentally introduced in Hawaii. 

[001 OJ Coqui frogs belong to a genus of frogs that do not have a tadpole stage and therefore do not require a body of water to reproduce. Instead, the female lays the eggs on damp moss or leaf litter, or inside a rolled or folded leaf, and the eggs are brooded by the male, who keeps them moist until they hatch. 

[0011] At first, the eggs look white to off-white and opaque, about the size oflarge tapioca pearls. As they mature, the eggs enlarge, darken and become transparent, resembling papaya seeds, with the frog embryo visible inside. When the tiny froglets hatch in 14-17 days, they are about 5 mm long. 

[0012] In its native Puerto Rico, the female coqui frog usually lays a cluster or clutch of34-75 eggs four to six times a year. Under laboratory conditions in Hawaii, mating pairs can produce a clutch every 2 ‰ weeks without loss of fertility, which results in about 26 clutches per year, or more than 1,400 eggs per female per year. It takes about 8 months for froglets to mature, and adult coqui frogs may live as long as 4-6 years. 

[0013] Coqui populations have exploded in Hawaii over the last 15 years from presumably a single infestation to over 200 infestations on the Big Island alone. These frogs are also present on Maui ( e.g. 40 or more infestations), O’ahu (5 sites) and most recently on Kaua’i (1 site, which was the subject of an eradication effort with citric acid). In their native Puerto Rico, a 20x20 m plot averages about 40 reproductively mature adults (note: this number excludes juveniles). In con› trast, a 20x20 m plot on the big island contains >200 repro› ductively mature adults. One reason for the population explo› sion is believed to be the lack of natural predators ( e.g. owls, snakes, tarantulas, scorpions) in Hawaii. 

[0014] Respiration and Circulation in Frog Skin. 

[0015] Although not wanting to be bound by theory, many of the methods described below take advantage of the skin of a frog being permeable to oxygen and carbon dioxide, as well as to water. Briefly, there are a number of blood vessels near the surface of the skin. When a frog is underwater, oxygen is transmitted through the skin directly into the bloodstream. On land, adult frogs can use their lungs to breathe, but the chest muscles are not involved in respiration, and there are no ribs or diaphragm to support breathing. Frogs breathe by taking air in through the nostrils (which often have valves which close when the frog is submerged), causing the throat to puff 

