Abstract

This research study “The Insecticidal Potential of Chili Pepper Leaf Extract Against Termites or
Ants” was conducted to determine the effectiveness of Chili Pepper Leaf as a terminator for
Termites and Ants. The materials needed were affordable few.
The researchers used different processes like extraction and filtration. The powdered Chili
Pepper Leaves were mixed with water and stored in the refrigerator.
Based in the test made, Ground Chili Pepper Leaves can not totally kill all Termites and Ants,
only those with weak immune system or not healthy ones.

Base form the finding and conclusions, researchers have recommendation to the following
people in government agencies.

To the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, to keep an eye for the other new
plants which can be use in terminating ants and termites.
To the Department of Agriculture, to keep propagating Chili Pepper Leaves even though it isn’t
an affective method on killing termites and ants, keep experimenting to discover the true uses of
the leaves.

To the other researchers, they can freely use other plants found in our country for their future
experimentation. If further research is made to improve and continue to develop this project, we,
researchers, recommended to use the best quality of Chili Pepper Leaves to have satisfying
results.
Background of the study
Chili Pepper

Is a favorite spice of many people around the world including the Philippines. Peppers have
health-sustaining properties as well. They have found to have rich vitamin A and C contents.
Many are found on the public markets, but unfortunately some are just being thrown by the
vendors of market.

We all know the use of this wonderful plant. It is commonly used in cooking, to spicing up food.

Using this powdered chili leaves in water can be a good solution for termites and ants that only
cause commotions. This can be used as a substitute for termite and ant repellants that cause harm
in the environment.

Statement of the problem

Main Problem:
This research study aims to know the feasibility of ground chili pepper leaves mixed with
the water as a good repellant for termites and ants.
Sub- Problems:
1. Does the ground chili pepper leaves be a substitute for termite and ant repellants?
2. Is the ground chili pepper leaves environment friendly?
Significance of the study:

This study is very timely and relevant since commercial termite and ant repellants are expensive,
it’s price increase, making it unaffordable to many Filipinos.

Investigating for an alternative source of termite and ant repellants is very significant since
people will benefit from it specially to those who don’t have enough money. It may diminish our
demand to the world market and to lessen its price that will surely help our country recover in
economics crisis.

This research experiment concentrates on the feasibility of the ground leaves as a terminator that
can produce affordable product which is cheaper in pricing, economical and environment
friendly.

The researchers proposed this study because they knew that we are encountering rapid price
increase form the termite and ant repellants today and this can help to our society.
Introduction:

The chili pepper is a favorite spice of many people around the world including the Philippines.
Peppers gave health-sustaining properties as well. They have been found to have a rich vitamin
A and C contents. Chili peppers have been a part of the human diet.

The chili pepper figure heavily in the cuisine of the Goan region of India, which was the site of a
Portuguese colony (e.g., Vindaloo, an Indian interpretation of the Portuguese dish). Chili peppers
journeyed from India, through Central Asia and Turkey, to Hungary, where it became the
national spice in the form of paprika.
There are many uses of Chili Peppers, it is used for culinary activities, in Psychology, A
medicine, Irritant Weapon. It is also used for Crop defense and Food defense.

There are many species of Chili Peppers found among the world, and there are some to be yet
discovered. Many are also found in the Philippines, and they are easy to grow here because of
the climate.

Termites are group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank
of order Isoptera.
But are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea. While
termites are commonly known. Especially in Australia, as “white ants”, they are only distantly
related to the ants.

like ants, some bees, and wasp---which are all place in the separate order hymenoptera----
termites divides labor among castes, produce overlapping generations and take care of the young
collectively. Termites mostly feed on dead plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf
litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species (about 2,600
taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can cause serious structural
damage to building, crops or plantation forests. Termites are major detritivores, particularly in
the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of woods and other plant matter is
considerable ecological importance.

As eusocial insects, termites live in colonies that, at maturity, number from several million
individuals. Colonies use decentralized, self-organized system of activity guided by swarm
intelligence which exploit food sources and environments unavailable to any single insect acting
alone. A typical colony contains nymphs (semimature young). Workers, soldiers, and
reproductive individuals of both sexes, sometimes containing several egg-laying queens.

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees,
belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous
period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants.
More than 12,500 out of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are
easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a
slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size form a few dozen predatory individual living
in small natural cavities to highly organized colonies that may occupy large territories and
consist of millions of individuals. Larger colonies consist mostly of sterile wingless females
forming casted of “worker”. “soldier”, or other specialized groups. Nearly all ant colonies also
have some fertile males called “drones” and one or more fertile females called “queens”. The
colonies sometimes are described as superorganisms because the ants appear to operate as a
unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony. Ants gave colonized almost
every landmass on Earth. The only place lacking indigenous ants are Antarctica and few remote
or inhospitable islands. Ants thrive in most ecosystems and may form 15-25% of the terrestrial
animal biomass. Their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social
organization and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. Their
long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic, and mutualistic
relationships.

Ants societies have divisions of labor, communication between individuals, and an ability to
solve complex problems. These parallels with human society have long been an inspiration and
subject of study. Many human cultures make use of ants in cuisine, medication, and rituals.
Some species are valued in their role as biological pest control agents. Their ability to exploit
resources may bring ants into conflict with humans, however, as they can damage crops and
invade buildings. Some species, such as the red imported fire ant, are regarded as invasive
species, establishing themselves in areas where they have been introduced accidentally.
Objectives
 To find out if the extract form chili pepper leave has any insecticidal effect on insects.
 To have only one concentration on the solution will be used for testing.
 To prepare a fresh chili pepper leaves for alternative in killing termites or ants.
 To increase further study on chili pepper leaves and to discover it’s many uses.
 To use it as a substitute for repellants which are unaffordable.
 To appreciate the use of the leaves.
 To observe Its effect on insects which are destructive to the lives of human.
Materials needed
 Two containers
 20 ants
 Termites
 Mortar and Pestle
 Fresh Chili Pepper Leaves
 30 Millimeters of water
Procedures for experimentation
 The leaves were dried in the oven until it becomes brittle.
 The leaves were then crushed and ground into fine powder using pestle and mortar.
 The powdered chili pepper leaves were mixed with water.
 The mixture was boiled and then stained and filtered.
 Filtrate was temporarily stored in a refrigerator.
 After an hour or so, pour the solution on the termites and ants that were put un the
container
 Wait for a minute to see the effects on the termites and ants.
Observations:
We have carefully observed the effects of the bit of ants, the bitten part of the skin became
swollen, bulgy and red. That’s why we made this experiment to lessen the ants to avoid getting
bitten by them. Also, with the termites who cause destruction in our homes, they destroy woods
which weakens the foundations of the house.
When we already poured the water with the powdered leaves mixed with it, the ants and termites
were shaking. Minutes passed, some ants were dead, but some are alive
The same happened to termites, some survived some died.

Results:
The experiment went on smoothly, no problems arise and we carefully followed the procedures.
But unfortunately, the product we made wasn’t able to kill the Ants and Termites completely.

We also discovered many factors that affects the survivability of the organism even if it was
soaked in a water with a ground extract of leaves.

This experiment will further continue to discover the true use of Chili Pepper Leaves not only in
the field of Chemistry buy also in the other fields.

Conclusions:
We therefore conclude that not all insects can be killed with the is of the extract of the Chili
Pepper Leaf. There are factors that are yet to be considered why the organisms that were
experimented were still alive even after soaking on a water with a ground chili leaf. One of the
factors was the nature of the organism, the survivability depends on its nature. We also have to
consider the immune system of the organism; they cannot undertake that if they gave weak
immunes system. There are many of them, but since the experimentation was limited, we only
observed what was stated above. We hope that researchers will be discovering more factors and
behavioral patterns when experimenting.