Neem Oil and Lemon Grass Oil-based Solution 1

Neem oil and Lemongrass oil-based gel solution:

Alternative to the commonly used insect repellent in many households

Dela Cruz, Mary Gelsey and Buenaventura, Schenly Rein

Cormanes, Nick Bhazil and Decena, Juliana Pauline

Delos Santos, Lara Clarice and Ereno, Franchesca Eunice

Mater Dei Academy

 Neem Oil and Lemon Grass Oil-based Solution 2

Neem oil and Lemongrass oil-based gel solution: Alternative to the commonly used insect
repellent in many households

In households, we have problems that affect the structure or integrity of the area,

the cleanliness of the house, and the health the people in the house especially with the dengue

epidemic on going which the main reasons are insects; specifically, insects uch as cockroaches

and mosquitoes. Some insects are pest that affects human and other living organisms’ concerns.

Our aims are to have an alternative insect repellent that is cheaper, easier and eco-friendlier to

make and find, and to explore new knowledge on local items such as lemongrass and neem. The

main question that we want to answer is how can we make this product that has a long-lasting

scent and an effective way to distribute the product’s effects or repellency to the specified insect

or pests. And we chose different areas at Sta. Maria and Norzagaray region, to test our

hypothesis, if our product would or would not work.

We decided to make an alternative product to the commonly used insect repellent in

many households that can be harmful to other people and expensive. Some of these products are

(Ex. Of Commonly used insect repellents). The common household insect repellants could not do

much good because in the past few years, because insects are immune to the common insect

repellants. DEET is a well-known active ingredient because it is always used for insect repellants

but as time goes by the insects are immune to DEET by their antennas doesn’t work properly

anymore.

The neem tree (Azadirachta Indica) is proven by ancient ayurvedic medicine to control

pests and insects. It can thrive in subtropical and tropical areas like in Philippines. Its fruit that

from green turns to yellow when ripe is edible. Neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide found

in seeds from the neem tree. It is yellow to brown, has a bitter taste and a garlic/sulfur smell.

Many studies have proven that neem oil

The lemon grass (Cympobogon) has an insect repellant characteristic such as citronella.

Our hypothesis is to test 4 types of insects or pests (cockroach, mosquitoes, flying

termites, and flies) to see if its more effective with our solution or mixture of the oils. We would

need a neem tree to extract the neem oil from neem leaves, and we need lemon grass to mix with

coconut oil. The other hypothesis is we will be having 3 levels to test our solution to the chosen

participants. The level 1 is only 30 drops that consists 15 drops of neem oil and 15 drops of
 Neem Oil and Lemon Grass Oil-based Solution 3

lemon grass with coconut oil. While the level 2 has 30 drops of neem oil and 30 drops of lemon

grass with coconut oil. While the 3rd level has 45 drops of neem oil and 45 drops of lemon grass

with coconut oil.

We will distribute our product by making it a gel with oils that will vapor in the air

naturally. But we considered that the effectivity of our product would not be too successful

because the lack of catalysts. We decided that we will use heat as our catalyst for our product.

The heat helps to distribute the solution of oils and gel.

Method

Participants

The participant in this research idea is the area around Sta. Maria, specifically at Sitio

Diliman, Partida, Pulong Buhangin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan. We will conduct our materials in these

areas by finding the needs of our idea. We will find our oils around Bulacan or possible around

Sta. Maria, Bulacan only.

Materials

The survey forms that we created are about the scent of their choice and their

common insect repellant/s that they always use. We asked them to shade their chosen level and to

write a check if they use the product as repellant for insects.

Scent Survey
The purpose of this survey is to know what scent that a like/s. You will shade the
scent that you like. The differences about the choices is how many drops we included at the
mixture:

Name(optional): Date:

30 drops with 10 neem oil, 10 calamansi oil, and 10 lemon grass with coconut oil.

60 drops with 20 neem oil, 20 calamansi oil, and 20 lemon grass with coconut oil.

90 drops with 30 neem oil, 30 calamansi oil, and 30 lemon grass with coconut oil.
 Neem Oil and Lemon Grass Oil-based Solution 4

Insect Repellent Survey

The purpose of this survey is to know what kind of repellent of insects that you always
use. We kindly want you to write a check on the line if use that thing, you can check more than
one. These are the followings:
___Mosquito Patch
___Mosquito Coil

Procedure

We will make a gelatin using unflavored gelatin mixture and boil it. We will place it to

our container for our product and add the drops by our chosen levels. The 1st level has 15 drops

of neem oil and 15 drops of lemon grass with coconut oil. The 2nd level has 30 drops of neem oil

and 30 drops of lemon grass with coconut oil. The 3rd level has 45 drops of neem oil and 45

drops of lemon grass with coconut oil.

The making of our gel needs 4 unflavored gelatin powder, 1 cup of water and table salt as

mold inhibitor. After that, we place it into our final container and mix the oils by level then we

will wait until it hardens. Furthermore, we will make a base to hold our solution and the catalyst,

which is the candle. Our catalyst helps to distribute our solution by the heat that it produces.

We will conduct a survey for the scent of the different levels. We will make an

observation to the chosen participant, then leave it in the apartment for a day.

RUBRICS
 Neem Oil and Lemon Grass Oil-based Solution 5

4 3 2 1

Insecticide The materials The materials The materials The materials

formulation and and and ingredients aren’t that easy

ingredients are ingredients are aren’t that to find and the

abundant and easy to find abundant but oils doesn’t

the oils and the oils are the oils combine that

combined well not combined combine well well

well
Smell of the oil Not harmful to Not harmful to Irritating on Irritating on

solution humans and humans but the skin and its the skin and

has an the smell is smell is less has a foul

aromatic smell less aromatic aromatic smell

Ability to improve Uses natural Uses natural Uses natural Uses both

insecticide ingredients and non- ingredients that natural and

that are cheap natural are quite non-natural

and effective ingredients expensive but ingredients

that ae cheap effective that are quite

and effective expensive but

effective
Insecticide The insects The insects die The insects The insects

resistance/effectivenes die immediately don’t react don’t react

s immediately and the immediately to immediately to

and the community the insecticide the insecticide

community is has less insects but the and the insects

insect-free than before community has came back

less insects immediately

than before
Discussion

Guide Questions:

1. Does the topic fit the specifications and meet the standards set by the examining

institution?
 Neem Oil and Lemon Grass Oil-based Solution 6

- Our topic does fit the specifications and standard set by the examining institution. It

fits well in our institution because it can ease one of the problems of human and we

are learning about our topic by advance learning.

2. Is the topic something you are really fascinated?

- Yes, because we don’t like cockroaches and we are fascinated and due to the fact that

neem oil is accessible and easy to get to ward off insects.

3. Does your research topic contain issues that have a clear link to theory?
- no, but we will search ourselves the date to be linked with our theory.
4. Do you have, or can you develop within the project time frame, the necessary research

skills to undertake the topic?

- yes, we can develop the research within the time required. The time that we estimated

is 150 days.
5. Is the research topic achievable within the available time?
- yes, it is achievable within the given time because it is a simple and easy

experimental research.
6. Is the research topic achievable within the financial resources that are likely available?
- Yes, because some of our needed materials are available within our place and all we

need to do is find and collect it. Maybe some of the materials, transportations and

printings we needed is where we will spend our money.

7. Are you reasonably certain of being able to gain access to data you likely require to be

available?
- Yes,
8. Are you able to state your research question(s) and objectives clearly?
- Yes, because our group is able to communicate with each other and ask questions and

the leader discussing the topic to them.

9. Will your proposed research be able to provide fresh insights into this topic?
- Yes, because if we are having meeting about our research topic, we ask our questions

inside our head and search it. Also, our leader let us think about our questions that we

want to be answered.
10. Are you reasonably certain of being able to access you likely to require for this topic?
-Yes, we could gather the required information because we have people that could be the key

to the source of our needed information.

References

 Frédéric Baldacchino, Coline Tramut, Ali Salem, Emmanuel Liénard, Emilie Delétré, Michel

Franc, Thibaud Martin, Gérard Duvallet, Pierre Jay-Robert (2013 Jun 13)The repellency of

lemongrass oil against stable flies, tested using video tracking

 Casey Parker, Lina Bernaola, Benjamin W Lee, Dane Elmquist, Abigail Cohen, Adrian

Marshall, James Hepler, Adrian Pekarcik, Emily Justus, Kendall King, Tae-Young Lee,

Carlos Esquivel, Kayleigh Hauri, Christopher McCullough, Whitney Hadden, Max

 Neem Oil and Lemon Grass Oil-based Solution 7

Ragozzino, Morgan Roth, James Villegas, Emily Kraus, Michael Becker, Megan Mulcahy,

Rui Chen, Priyanka Mittapelly, C Scott Clem, Rachel Skinner, Tanya Josek, Daniel

Pearlstein, Jonathan Tetlie, Anh Tran, Anthony Auletta, Edwin Benkert, III, Dylan Tussey

(2019 Jul 19) Entomology in the 21st Century: Tackling Insect Invasions, Promoting

Advancements in Technology, and Using Effective Science Communication—2018 Student

Debates Neem: A Tree For Solving Global Problems (1992)

 National Research Council (US) Panel on Neem,Washington (DC): National Academies

Press (US) (1992) Neem: A Tree for Solving Global Problems

 Marie-Luise(2004) Insecticidal Properties of Lemon Grass

 Asian Journal of Plant Science and Research Library Kwasi Opoku Boadu, Samuel Kofi

Tulashie, Michael Akrofi Anang, Jerome Desire Kpan (2011) Production of natural

insecticide from Neem leaves (Azadirachta indica)

 E, Coventry, E. J. Allan (October 2001) Microbiological and Chemical Analysis of Neem

(Azadirachta indica) Extracts: New Data on Antimicrobial Activity

 Randy Schueller, McMath, Robert (February 22, 1993) "Whether the Cover or Kill, Air

Fresheners Smell like Big Business." Brandweek 34, no. 8

 Formulation of an effective mosquito-repellent topical product from Lemongrass oil

Phytomedicine, 2002

 Expertanswer (May 10, 2010) Common mosquito repellent no longer repels certain

mosquitoes

 Eric Tress (August 2, 2019 )How to make a natural mosquito repellent for your next trip

 Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association (01 Sep 1993, 9(3):359-360)

Mosquito repellent action of neem (Azadirachta indica) oil.

 Maia MF 1 , Moore SJ, Malaria Journal (15 Mar 2011, 10 Suppl 1:S11) Plant-based insect

 Gideon Koren, Doreen Matsui and Benoit Bailey CMAJ (August 05, 2003 169 (3) 209-212)

DEET-based insect repellents: safety implications for children and pregnant and lactating women
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 ZL Andin Jr - Senior Officials Meeting on the 3R Initiative, Tokyo (2006) Implementation of

the 3Rs in the Philippines

 Christian Nansen and James Thomas Ridsdill-Smith (January 30th 2013) The Performance

of Insecticides – A Critical Review