Usavadee Thavara¹
Apiwat Tawatsin¹
Jakkrawarn Chompoosri¹
Preecha Asavadachanukorn²
Mir S. Mulla³

Affilications :
      ¹National Institute of Health, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand,
      ²Department of Statistics, Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
      ³Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA

Source:
      Oral Presentation at ICE 2004 ในการประชุม The XXII international Congress of Entomology ,14 -22 สิงหาคม 2547 ประเทศออสเตรเลีย

Language :
      English

Abstract :
       Cockroaches are common insects found throughout the world, especially in the tropical regions. They are generally recognized as not only household pests but also pose a high health hazard to humans. Various aspects of cockroach control including chemical and non-chemical methods have been researched on an ongoing basis. Repellents against cockroaches are considered as one of alternatives to eliminate cockroaches from dwellings and other harborage places. Attempts have been made to find and develop cockroach repellents derived from plant extracts. We evaluated 20 essential oils extracted from various plants such as basil, black pepper, eucalyptus, galanga, guava, kaffir lime, etc., for repellency against two cockroach species: the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana ) and the German cockroach (Blatella germanica ). The experiments were carried out against adult cockroaches in the laboratory. It was found that the tested essential oils provided various degrees of repellency against cockroaches, ranging from 40 to 100%. The essential oil extracted from kaffir lime leaves showed excellent activity, manifesting 100% repellency against both cockroach species. The essential oils providing high degrees of repellency (>80%) were subsequently formulated as cockroach repellents and tested against cockroaches in the field. Data from both laboratory and field tests will be presented.