Repellent Effects of Bay, Neem, and Scent Leaf
Charcoal Briquettes on Argentine Ants
Best, Ifeoma Winniefred and C.G. Ikechi-Nwogu
Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Background and Objective: Traditionally, societies have employed botanical repellents for numerous
generations as a strategy for defense against a variety of insect species. This study aims to assess the
repellent effects of charcoal briquettes made from bay, neem, and scent leaves on Argentine ants.
Materials and Methods: This study synthesized and evaluated briquettes made from bay, neem, and
scent leaves using cassava starch as a binder. Varying quantities of carbonized sawdust, cassava starch,
and leaves were mixed and shaped into briquettes, then sun-dried for three days. Twenty ants were
housed in perforated containers with different treated briquettes to assess their efficacy. The control
group had no leaf treatment, and each test was conducted in triplicate. Data from the experiments were
analyzed statistically using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed a statistically significant effect
(p<0.05). Results: The findings indicated that each briquette demonstrated a combustion duration of
45 min. The optimal treatment regarding repellency and mortality rate was identified as 100 g of neem
leaf, which resulted in an 80% repellency rate within 192 hrs of application, followed by scent leaves with
60% and bay leaves with 50%. The lowest repellency was observed in the control group. Conclusion: This
experimental endeavor was undertaken with the intent to substitute chemical pesticides with more
sustainable, economically viable, and biodegradable organic biopesticide alternatives. The results
demonstrated the potential of neem leaf briquettes as the most effective treatment for ant repellency,
highlighting their suitability for eco-friendly pest control applications.
KEYWORDS
Repellent effects, charcoal briquettes, bay, neem, scent leaves, Argentine ants
Copyright © 2025 Winniefred and Ikechi-Nwogu. This is an open-access article distributed under the
Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any
medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
INTRODUCTION
The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (formerly known as Iridomyrmex humilis), is indigenous to Northern
Argentina, southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay1. This hostile species was unintentionally
brought about globally by mankind2. According to Silverman and Brightwell3, Argentine ants are major
annoyances in both agricultural and urban environments. They have been shown to seriously damage
native arthropod groups4, vertebrate communities5, and plant ecosystems6 throughout their invaded area.
Current control methods rely heavily on chemical pesticides, which pose environmental and health risks.
There is a growing need for eco-friendly, sustainable alternatives.
ISSN: 2151-6081 (Online) Received: 15 Mar. 2025
ISSN: 1819-3471 (Print) Accepted: 15 May, 2025
[Link] Published: 16 May, 2025
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Res. J. Phytochem., 19 (1): 30-37, 2025
Numerous studies have been carried out to show that various plant parts have inhibitory qualities against
bacteria, fungi, and insects to lessen the harmful effects of these manufactured compounds7. Although
the anti-insecticidal qualities of several plant species have been investigated, many of them have not yet
undergone sufficient evaluation.
Some plants contain components that are toxic to insects. When these components are extracted from
the plant and applied to infested crops, they are called botanical pesticides or botanicals. These botanical
pesticides are important because they reduce crop losses, and they are eco-friendly, biodegradable, and
cheap.
According to Saeed Ben Youssef8, around the world, biological control of agricultural pests is becoming
more and more popular as a way to safeguard agricultural enterprises. Indeed, the growing push to limit
the use of hazardous synthetic pesticides in agriculture is the main reason for the increased significance
of the biological control of agricultural pests in recent years9. This study assessed scent leaves, bay, and
neem leaves to expand the hunt for novel insecticidal compounds derived from plants.
Azadirachtin, a tetranortriterpenoid molecule, is the main reason why the neem plant (Azadirachta indica)
has strong insecticidal effects10. By interfering with insect hormone systems, azadirachtin inhibits
development and reproduction11. Broad-spectrum insecticidal action against a variety of pests, such as
flies, mosquitoes, and crop pests, has been demonstrated for neem extracts12. Neem is a useful part of
integrated pest management plans because of these qualities.
The chemicals eugenol, linalool, and pinene found in the bay leaf plant (Laurus nobilis) give it insecticidal
qualities13. Bay leaf essential oil has been shown to have strong insecticidal effects on agricultural pests,
suggesting that it could be used as a natural pesticide14. The scent leaf plant, Ocimum gratissimum,
essential oil contains compounds like eugenol that repel and kill insects due to its scent and insect
toxicity15. The essential oil extracted from scent leaves has significant insecticidal activity against
agricultural pests, making it a potential natural pesticide16.
Ants are vital to the majority of agroecosystems. However, because they chew on tubing components and
cause unequal water distribution along the crops, these insects can sometimes be harmful to agricultural
micro irrigation systems17. Certain organisms, such as Solenopsis invicta, can harm crops either directly or
indirectly by consuming them. By removing soil and forming routes, according to de Pedro and Sanchez17,
ants can also cause soil erosion, which can hinder crop growth. This study is aimed at investigating the
repellent effects of bay, neem, and scent leaves on charcoal briquettes on Argentine ants for 45 min every
day for 1 week.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study area: During the 2021-2023 academic year, between the months of February and October, 2024,
the research was conducted in the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences,
University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Collection of plant leaves
Neem leaves: Neem leaves are collected at Port Harcourt Choba, Abuja Campus, and dried under the sun
for easy use in an electrical blender.
Scent and bay leaves: The scent leaves and bay leaves were purchased from Choba market and dried
under the sun to be blended using an electric blender.
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Res. J. Phytochem., 19 (1): 30-37, 2025
Collection of starch (Cassava starch): Additionally, cassava starch (Manihot esculentus) was obtained
from Choba Market, which is located at Latitude 6.90483'E and Longitude 4.90069'N. The starch was
prepared with hot water to allow it to coagulate, which becomes the binder and makes the briquettes
strong enough to mould. Before making the ant repellent, the hot water starch that had already been
prepared was allowed to cool.
A collection of sawdust: Sawdust was collected from Rumuosi Market, Nigeria, analysed, and then
carbonized until it turned black.
Collection of ant specimens: An ant specimen was collected at Alakahia, whose Latitude is 6.91209'E and
its Longitude is 4.88922'N. The Ant specimen was taken to the AEB department for identification. The ant
specimen was preserved in 75% ethanol.
Production of the various briquettes
Control: The production of various briquettes involves mixing 100 g of carbonized sawdust with 75, 50,
and 25 g of starch to create a sticky, hard texture. The mixture is then placed in a cone-shaped container,
dried for three days, and packaged. The control was done without any leaf treatments.
This was done in a series of four bowls with different plant leaves, such as bay, neem, and scent leaves.
C Bowl A: Mix 100 g of carbonized sawdust and 100 g of plant leaves. Mix cool starch made with
100 g of starch until smooth and sticky. Shape it into a cone or briquette, place in a container, and
let it dry in the sun for three days, and package
C Bowl B: Mix 75 g of carbonized sawdust and 75 g of plant leaves. Mix cool starch made with 75 g of
starch, then package
C Bowl C: Mix 50 g of carbonized sawdust and 50 g of plant leaves. Mix cool starch made with 50 g of
starch, then set aside
C In a final bowl, D: Mix 25 g of carbonized sawdust and 25 g of plant leaves. Mix cool starch with
25 g of starch
Ant mortality and repellence assay: Twenty Argentine ants were put in a container with perforations in
it, and each container also had a briquette with the different plant materials that were employed.
Following a 45 min exposure period, the percentage mortality (%) for each concentration was computed
by counting the number of dead ants.
Statistical analysis: To examine the differences between treatments, the findings were analysed using a
one-way ANOVA, with a statistically significant effect (p<0.05).
RESULTS
Ant mortality and repellence assay: Table 1 presents the weight (g) of different treatments; neem, scent,
bay, and control at varying treatment levels (100, 75, 50, and 25 g). Neem consistently shows the highest
weight across all levels, followed by scent and bay, while the control group exhibits the lowest values. As
the treatment weight decreases, a general decline in weight is observed across all treatments, indicating
a dose-dependent effect.
Table 2 presents the percentage effectiveness of different treatments; neem, scent, bay, and control at
varying treatment weights (100, 75, 50, and 25 g). Neem exhibits the highest effectiveness across all
treatment levels, followed by scent and bay, while the control group shows the lowest values. A declining
trend is observed in all treatments as the weight decreases, indicating that higher treatment levels result
in greater effectiveness.
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Res. J. Phytochem., 19 (1): 30-37, 2025
Table 3 presents the percentage effect of different treatments; neem, scent, bay, and control at varying
treatment weights (100, 75, 50, and 25 g). Neem shows the highest positive effect across all levels,
followed by scent and bay, while the control group exhibits negative effects at all treatment weights. As
the treatment weight decreases, the effectiveness of neem, scent, and bay declines, with bay and control
showing increasingly negative effects at lower treatment levels. This suggests that higher treatment
weights contribute to a more positive impact, while lower weights, especially in the control group, result
in adverse effects.
Repellents with 100 g of treatment: From the results, neem leaves had the highest mortality rate
compared to other treatments; at 100 g, neem leaves are highly effective, as shown in Fig. 1.
Repellents for 75 g of treatment: Also, at 75 g of treatment application, neem leaves show the highest
mortality rate for all treatments hence, it is highly effective for ant and pest control, as shown in Fig. 2.
Repellent for 50 g of treatment: Figure 3 shows that control has a lower death rate, while treatment 2
has the highest death rate compared to all treatments.
Repellent for 25 g of treatment: Using 25 g of treatments, neem leaves showed the highest death rate,
and the control had the least death rate, as shown in Fig. 4.
Table 1: Number of dead ant specimens
Weight of treatment (g) Neem (%) Scent (%) Bay (%) Control (%)
100 18 16 15 8
75 16 14 14 7
50 14 12 10 5
25 10 8 6 2
Table 2: Mortality rate of the ant specimen
Weight of treatment (g) Neem (%) Scent (%) Bay (%) Control (%)
100 90 80 75 40
75 80 70 70 35
50 70 60 50 25
25 50 40 30 10
Table 3: Percentage repellent rate of each medicinal plant specimen
Weight of treatment (g) Neem (%) Scent (%) Bay (%) Control (%)
100 80 60 50 -20
75 60 40 40 -50
50 40 20 0 -65
25 0 -20 -70 -80
20 100 g of treatments
18
16
14
Mortality rate
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Control Neem leaves Scent leaves Bay leaves
Treatments
Fig. 1: Effect of 100 g plant leaves repellents on ant
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Res. J. Phytochem., 19 (1): 30-37, 2025
20 75 g of treatments
15
Mortality rate
10
0
Control Neem leaves Scent leaves Bay leaves
Treatments
Fig. 2: Effect of 75 g plant leaves repellents on ant
15 50 g of treatments
10
Mortality rate
0
Control Neem leaves Scent leaves Bay leaves
Treatments
Fig. 3: Effects of 50 g plant leaves repellents on ant
12 25 g of treatments
10
8
Mortality rate
0
Control Neem leaves Scent leaves Bay leaves
Treatments
Fig. 4: Effect of 25 g plant leaves repellents on ant
DISCUSSION
The experiments conducted for evaluating repellent effects of bay, neem, and scent leaves charcoal
briquettes on Argentine ants revealed that the charcoal briquettes containing neem (Azadirachta indica)
had effective pesticidal effects on the ants. Among the plant species extracts, the highest outstanding
repellence of Argentine ants was observed in neem with 80%, followed by scent leaves with 60%, and bay
leaves with 50%. The lowest repellence was observed with the control.
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Res. J. Phytochem., 19 (1): 30-37, 2025
This means neem can also be used to repel ants. This corresponds with the work of Koma18, who stated
that Ocimum gratissimum, Zingiber officinale, Xylopia aethiopica, and Azadirachta indica are all useful for
controlling pests. This could be a result of the alkaloids and terpenoids present in the leaves. Azadirachta
indica is also rich in numerous phytochemicals such as alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids, fatty
acids, and carbohydrates19.
The results of the present study also coincide with the work of Goktepe et al.20, who said that neem-based
biopesticides have a wide variety of effects against insect pests, including repellence, feeding, toxicity,
sterility, and growth regulator action. This is because the allelochemicals found in neem, including
azadirachtin, nimbin, nimbidin, nimbolide, nimolic acid, salannin, meliantriol, and azadirachtol, alter the
physiological and biochemical functions of the insect system and negate the insect detoxification
mechanism, preventing the pest from becoming resistant.
According to Kumar and Navaratnam21, the main active ingredient in neem, tetranortriterpenoid, exhibits
a wide range of bioactivity against various insect species. The strong repellent and toxic effects of neem
make it a powerful alternative to synthetic insecticides, particularly in agricultural and public health
applications11.
Bay leaf, although less effective than neem, still showed significant repellent activity. As stated by
Batool et al.22, their insect-repelling properties are strengthened by flavonoids, tannins, eugenol, citric acid,
carbohydrates, steroids, alkaloids, triterpenoids, and essential oils. Also, results from the research of
Chahal et al.23, indicated that bay leaf essential oil may have the potential to control stored grain pests.
Given its mild toxicity, bay leaf may be used in conjunction with other plant-based insecticides to increase
their effectiveness.
Scent leaf also exhibited the least insecticidal effect in this study, but its repellent activity suggests that
it may still serve as an effective tool for repelling insects. The relatively low toxicity may limit its use in
severe infestations but supports its role in integrated pest management as a complementary solution.
Several conclusions like those of Agbalaka et al.24 have be drawn from research results about scent leaves
as insect insect-repelling plant. The results of the study of Egya et al.25, unequivocally demonstrate that
Ocimum gratissimum leaf extracts can be utilized to control female Anopheles mosquitoes instead of
synthetic insecticides. This is advantageous since phytochemicals are inexpensive, easily accessible,
biodegradable, and environmental friendly; as a result, they may be a viable choice for controlling insects
and malaria vectors.
Plants with insecticidal qualities are the source of botanical insecticides, commonly referred to as botanical
pesticides. Insecticides can be made from the substances that give these plants their defence systems,
which have developed to defend them from insects and other pests.
This study was limited to screening bay, neem, and scent leaves plants with insecticidal properties. Further
research should explore the use of many other plant extracts in eco-friendly insecticidal formulations, their
potential integration into integrated pest management systems, and the active compounds’ mechanism
of action.
CONCLUSION
This study concluded that neem leaf, scent leaf, and bay leaf all exhibit insecticidal properties, with neem
leaf being the most effective. These plants, particularly neem, offer a promising alternative to chemical
insecticides. Further research should explore the development of eco-friendly insecticidal formulations
using these plant extracts. The potential use of these extracts in integrated pest management systems
should be investigated. Future studies should also explore the mechanism of action of the active
compound in these plants.
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Res. J. Phytochem., 19 (1): 30-37, 2025
SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT
This study successfully demonstrates the efficacy of botanical briquettes derived from neem, scent, and
bay leaves as a sustainable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective alternative to chemical pesticides, exhibiting
up to 80% repellency against ants and highlighting the potential for organic biopesticide solutions in
insect pest management. The study presents a sustainable pest control method using botanical extracts,
expanding biopesticide research, and demonstrating the value of interdisciplinary research in addressing
complex problems, thereby offering a novel approach to pest control. According to the study, using
botanical briquettes as a pest management approach has several advantages, including enhancing public
health, supporting environmental sustainability, and yielding financial gains. To increase their accessibility
and widespread use, future studies should investigate additional plant extracts that may have pest-control
qualities, improve the composition of briquettes, and investigate expanding manufacturing and use.
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