Sarah Jane De la Peña, Khristy Belle Villalobos (February 2007)
Philippine Science High School Western Visayas Campus – Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PSHS WVC), Brgy. Bito-on, Jaro, Iloilo City 5000, Philippines
ABSTRACT
Termites are considered the most economically important wood-destroying organism. Subterranean termites cause more damage to homes than all other natural disasters combined.
However, the long-term use and misuse of conventional synthetic insecticides to control termites has created many ecological and environmental problems. Global concern for the environment has given impetus to search for alternatives to existing compounds. An example of a plant with reputed insect-resistant properties is the mangrove tree Rhizophora mucronata.
This study was conducted to determine if mangrove extracts from Rhizophora mucronata will show insecticidal activity against wood-destroying organisms, specifically subterranean termites.
Mangrove leaf and bark extracts, with ethanol and distilled water as media of extraction, were sprayed to the test organisms placed in Petri plates with filter papers. After the application of extracts, the number of dead termites in each Petri plate was recorded every hour, for ten hours. Percent mortality of termites in each treatment was then calculated.
Using One-way Anova, the data showed that there is no significant difference among the percent mortality of subterranean termites in treated and untreated set-ups. It also showed that mangrove leaf and bark extracts from Rhizophora mucronata do not posses insecticidal activity against subterranean termites.