BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Cockroaches are common pests in the tropics. They have been known
to cause allergic reactions to most people and chew holes on
clothes. According to Bato Balani for Science and Technology, Vol.
14, No. 2, the real danger of cockroach lies in their ability to
transmit sometimes lethal diseases and organisms such as
Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Hepatitis viruses, and
Coliform bacteria. They have been known to contaminate food, at
the same time infect it with the bacteria they carry. The bacteria they
spread in food can cause food poisoning.

People have used various instruments to control the cockroach

problem in homes. The most popular is the commonly used
insecticide sprays. Most of these can destroy cockroaches but they
can also do serious damage to humans as well. According to the
experts of the website www.bayer.co.th, the active ingredients in
these sprays, like tethramethrin, and petroleum distillates can cause
severe chest pains and cough attacks when inhaled.
The second most popular instrument is the cockroach coils. These
coils can kill roaches yet the active ingredients in these coils like
allethrin, pynamin forte, prothrin and pyrethrin, can cause harm to
humans when inhaled. It also has an ozone-depleting ingredient.
The third most popular is the flypaper. The concept of the flypaper
is simple. The roaches just stick into it. But when they are stuck,
the roaches die and carcass can spread more bacteria.
In addition to the side effects of these materials, the costs of these
insecticides are high. All these set aside, the question on
everyone’s mind is: “What can be an effective and natural
insecticide?”
Tubang Bakod (Jatropha carcas) is a common plant in the Philippines.
According to the website, www.davesgarden.com, its seeds contain
a certain toxic substance known as toxalbumin carcin, Along with
other ingredients like sap, onions and weeping willow leaves, are
Tubang Bakod seeds feasible to be used as cockroach killer?