Plants with Pest Control Properties Against Urban Pests - Urban Insect Pests: Sustainable Management Strategies - page 220

( Melaleuca quinquenervia ), violet ( Viola
odorata ) and catnip ( Nepeta cataria ), which
induced a protection time of 8 h at the
maximum and a 100% repellence against
all three mosquito species. Kishore et al.
(2011) provide an extensive review of
various crude extracts and mosquitosidal
compounds by chemical classes with
information on their mode of action.
One of the most successful examples of
the exploitation and worldwide usage of a
natural product against mosquitoes is that
of pyrethrum, which is extracted from the
dried fl ower of daisy Tanacetum cinerariae-
folium (Asteraceae) and is grown com-
mercially in parts of Africa, Papua New
Guinea and Australia. Pyrethrum has been
used in mosquito control programmes in
many countries such as the USA, South
Africa and India (Mann and Kaufman,
2012). High target insect mortality at an
extremely low concentration of active
ingredient offsets the greater cost of pyr-
ethrum, allowing this product to compete
with synthetic compounds to date (Mocatta,
2003). The use of pyrethrum for bed net
impregnation and personal protection
against insecticide-resistant mosquitoes has
also been suggested (Duchon et al ., 2009). In
spite of pyrethrum being used for so long,
no records of insecticide resistance have
been reported to date (Duchon et al. , 2009),
proving the benefi ts of natural products.
Interest in identifying plants with
mosquito control properties is growing and
Table 15.1 presents a list of plants that have
been reported in the literature.

and B. germanica. Jung et al. (2007)
evaluated the hexane fraction of extracts
from seeds of Myristica fragrans against B.
germanica and found that the (1S)-(-)--
pinene, at the rate of 0.06 mg/cm², was the
most toxic insecticide, which was com-
parable to permethrin (0.05 mg/cm²). Ngoh
et al . (1998) studied the insecticidal activity
and repellent properties of nine volatile
constituents of essential oils against P.
americana and showed activity. Interest in
identifying plants with cockroach control
properties is growing and Table 15.2
presents plants reported in the literature.

House fl y

Plants have been tested against house fl ies.
The earliest report describes the use of
quassia ( Quassia amara ) wood and essential
oil of bay laurel Laurus nobilis to control
the house fl y (Howard, 1911). Jacobson
(1989), Malik et al . (2007), Pavela (2008)
and Geden (2012) have reviewed plants that
have bioactivity against house fl ies. The
reviews in general show essential oils have
the highest activity with multiple modes of
action against fl ies. Table 15.3 presents a list
of plants reported in the literature.

Bed bugs and human lice

Plants have been used historically to repel
bed bugs and human lice. A survey of the
literature, however, did not yield any
signifi cant report of plants with bed bug and
human louse control properties. Table 15.4
presents a list of plants that have been
reported in the literature.

Cockroach

A number of plant compounds have shown
activity against cockroaches. The German
cockroach ( Blattella germanica ) showed a
high percentage repellence value when
exposed to fi lter paper treated with catnip
essential oil or the individual nepetalactone
isomers (Peterson et al ., 2002). Thavara et
al . (2007) studied seven commercial essen-
tial oils for repellence against cockroaches
and found C. hystrix exhibited complete
repellence against Periplaneta americana

Termites

Termite control is estimated to be the largest
segment in the global urban pest control
industry and is worth US$8 billion
(International Pest Control, 2009). It can
therefore be safely concluded that termite
control would also account for the largest
use of insecticides in urban areas (Dhang,