Repellent activity of Nigella sativa, Syzygium aromaticum and Azadirachta indica essential oils against the skin and skin product pest (Anthrenus verbasci) in Museums

Abstract

Museums preserve cultural materials of the past for future generations. The natural history collections in museum consist of astonishing richness and full of immense significance. They act as a vital source for primary information on the diversity of life on earth, for today and for our coming generations. However, in India the different varied temperature and humidity of the tropical climate lead to severe biodeterioration. Insect pests are a major problem for museums, even with repeated treatments for insect control. Due to lack of appropriate and unsafe environments are provided in the collection storage and display, the insect infestation regenerate. Therefore, appropriate plans for prevention and control of biodeterioration in museums are critically important measures. In this paper, repellent activity of Nigella sativa, Syzygium aromaticum and Azadirachta indica essential oils were evaluated at the knockout time of 4 hours against the larvae of Anthrenus verbasci. Dose of 1.25ml/cm³ of clove essential oil was sufficient for 100% repulsion rate (PR%), whereas in case of blackseed oil and neem oil, at dose of 2ml/cm³, -20% and 50% repulsion rate (PR%) was revealed. The entire experimental set up and the controls were arranged in a laboratory with temperature fluctuating between 25 ± 7ºC and 64 ± 8% RH in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Four replications were conducted for each dose that I have used in this study