PROPONENTS:
Dolino, Alma
Gubalane, Delsan
Miquiabas, Cheryl
Telen, Nikol
IV- Einstein
Mrs. Lalaine Biboso
Research II Adviser
ABSTRACT Black rats are pests and are dangerous to humans in several ways. These species are also famous for its role in spreading the dreaded bubonic plague that took billions of lives in the Middle Ages. To control them, chemical rodenticides are used but these chemicals often destroy our environment and health, and may lead to death of non-targeted organisms and even human poisoning. Dumb cane contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause the poisoning. Thus it was the concern of the study to determine whether the dumb cane stem extract is effective in killing black rats. Four treatments were prepared: T1 as the commercial rodenticide (Raccumin), T2 as the 100% pure dumb cane stem extract, and T3 as 50% dumb cane stem extract. The third treatment was diluted to 50% water. Each treatment had 3 replications with 3 rats each. 200 mL of each treatment were applied to the slices of chiffon cake and were fed to each group of rats. The mortality rate was measured and recorded every 2 days for 6 days. The rats applied with T1 were killed after 4 days. This is because commercial rodenticides take effect after 3-4 days. The rats applied with T2 and T3 died after 6 days and this is because the rats didn’t immediately eat the cake fed to them. However, ANOVA showed no significant difference between the means of dead rats for every treatment. These results showed that the commercial rodenticide is as effective as the dumb cane stem extract as rodenticide although Raccumin takes effect for a shorter period of time compared to the dumb cane stem extract.
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Background of the Study R. rattus (black rat) is a pest and is dangerous to humans in several ways. First, this animal is severely destructive to crops, farms,
Bibliography: Grolier International Encyclopedia, 1991 Related Study: