Transcript Ant Repellent Properties of Plant Extracts

Ant Repellent Properties of
Plant Extracts
Seloini Valu
Biology 493
Introduction
• Ants are the number one pest:
Damage plants
Affect health of humans
Destroy equipments
Introduction cont.
• Ants inhabiting plants (Holldobler &
Wilson 1990):
Beneficial:
Protection from other insects
Disperse seeds
Harmful:
Cause disease to the plant
Prevent pollination
Introduction cont.
• Plants defend against pathogens and
herbivores (Croteau et al. 2000)
• Mint family have monoterpenoids (Rice &
Coats 1994):
Effective pest control
Introduction cont.
• Previous studies:
Use peppermint (Mentha piperata) to protect
stored wheat grain against the grain weevil and
rice weevil (Ignatowicz 1997)
Repel grain weevil
Peppermint have strong repellent properties
against mosquitoes (Anasari et al. 2000)
Paticularly Anopheles cuicifacies
Cause malaria
Introduction cont.
• Previous studies cont.:
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) was tested
for ovicidal activity (Berger et al. 2000)
Insects have limited ovicidal activity
 Use spearmint (Mentha spicata) and
pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) against green
peach aphid (Myzus persicae) (Hori 1999)
Spearmint inhibit sucking activity and repel aphid
Pennyroyal have sucking inhibitory
Introduction cont.
• Pheidole megacephala attack the eggs but
not the adult pest
Household and agricultural pests
Purpose
• The purpose of this study was to use
peppermint (M. piperata), spearmint (M.
spicata), pennyroyal (M. pulegium), and
rosemary (R. officinalis) to see if they have
any repellent properties against big-headed
ants (Pheidole megacephala)
Methods
• Peppermint (M.
piperata)
Methods cont.
• Rosemary (R.
officinalis)
Methods cont.
• Spearmint (M.
spicata)
Methods cont.
• Pennyroyal (M.
pulegium)
Methods cont.
• Five grams of leaves were ground with 15
ml of 100% ethanol
Centrifuge for five minutes
Supernatant poured into a graduate cylinder
Distilled water was added to make 25 ml of solution
Methods cont.
• Three 20 cm X 20 cm of shelf paper
Two controls
Not sprayed
Spray with 15 ml of 100% ethanol and 10 ml of
distilled water
One sprayed with the extract
• Papers were dried for one hour
• Five grams of oil-packed tuna were placed
on the paper
Methods cont.
• Counts were taken every 5 minutes for 30
minutes
• Numbers were analyzed using a Student tTest for each extract
Results
Number of Ants
Rosemary Extract
150
Extract
100
Control 1
50
Control 2
0
5
10
15
20
Tim e (m in.)
25
30
Results cont.
Spearmint extract
Number of Ants
200
150
Extract
100
Control 1
Control 2
50
0
5
10
15
20
Tim e (m inutes)
25
30
Results cont.
Peppermint Extract
Number of ants
250
200
Extract
150
Control 1
100
Control 2
50
0
5
10
15
20
Tim e (m in.)
25
30
Results cont.
Number of Ants
Pennyroyal Extract
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Extract
Control 1
Control 2
5
10
15
20
Tim e (m in.)
25
30
Results cont.
Ave # Ants / Count
210.00
160.00
110.00
Extract
Control 1
Control 2
60.00
10.00
Rosemary
Pennyroyal Peppermint
-40.00
Treatment
Spearmint
Conclusion
• Spearmint and peppermint have limited
repellency
• Pennyroyal have the strongest repellent
properties
Acknowledge
• Dr. Robert Winget
• MSC faculty and staff
• My family and friends