St.

Benedict’s Academy, Inc

Science Oriented Highschool
Guinobatan Albay

Vacuum Pest Eliminator

(An alternative way of minimizing house pests)

Proponents:

Donica O. Camba
Jocker B. Osi
Kyle Chester S. Patag
Lucile Marie A. Lleva
Rovhielyn O. Morona
Victor Obial Jr.
 Chapter I

Introduction

Household pests are undesired animals that have a history of living, invading, causing
damage, eating human foods, acting as disease vectors or causing other harms in human habitation.
Common household pests include rodents such as mice and rats, bats, pigeons and insects such as
bedbugs, house flies, fleas and food beetles. Pests can cause health problems including allergic
reactions and asthma, respiratory disease, and mental health anguish.
According to Sarah Fernandez, critters and bugs are essential to the balance of the
ecosystems of the world, but when they are in places where they don’t belong specially inside a
home, they not only cause trouble by being a nuisance, but they can also carry disease and
potentially cause severe damage to one’s home. Termites alone cause five billion dollars in
damages each year as stated in the report of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA)
in the United States of America.
World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2016 that traces of triatomine insects in a
rural dwelling in Brazil. Triatomine bugs are the vectors of Chagas disease. A health worker
searched for traces of triatomine insects in a rural dwelling in Brazil and found out that triatomine
bugs are the vectors of Chagas disease according to WHO/TDR. Poor housing structures,
including cracks in roofs, floors, walls and eaves, as well as a lack of window and door screening,
increase risks of vector-borne diseases carried by pests and insects. Most notable are malaria and
dengue, as well as leishmaniasis, carried by sandflies, and Chagas, which is transmitted by
crawling triatomine insects. Pests in temperate areas, such as mites and cockroaches, have been
shown to trigger allergic reactions in people. It is estimated that some 10-20% of the population is
potentially allergic to dust mites. In addition to housing design, excess moisture and poor
ventilation increase the risks of exposure to mites and other allergens.
Furthermore, World Health Organization (WHO) also reported that of all disease-
transmitting insects, the mosquito is the greatest menace, spreading malaria, dengue and yellow
fever, which together are responsible for several million deaths and hundreds of millions of cases
every year. Mosquitos also transmit lymphatic filariasis and Japanese encephalitis. Other insect
species carry a variety of diseases. Sleeping sickness is spread by the tsetse fly, with 55 million
people at risk. The leishmaniasis group of diseases is spread by sandflies, with 350 million people
at risk. Another 100 million in Latin America are at risk of Chagas disease, spread by household
bugs. Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is carried by blackflies, and plague by fleas.
Rodents, birds and insects can be reservoirs or mechanical vectors for bacterial, parasitic
and viral agents, such as Leptospira spp., Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Clostridium
difficile, Chlamydia psittaci, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, hantavirus and for antibiotic
resistant Escherichia coli. On farms the presence of pests has been associated with antibiotic
resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and extended-spectrum beta
lactamase-producing bacteria, although it is not yet clear whether the pests picked up the resistant
bacteria from the farm animals or vice versa. Non-microbial health risks associated with pests in
the home are allergic asthma the risk of chemical poisoning by inexpert biocide use, damage to
building structures, and the danger of fire due to gnawing of electrical cables. In view of the health
risks associated with the presence of pests in the home it is desirable to encourage active pest
prevention and pest control by householders and, to this end, most health authorities and local
councils provide information and advice to the public.
Although several studies have investigated insects and small mammals as pests on farms,
published reports on the prevalence of pests in domestic homes in the Netherlands are scarce. A
study concerning the city of Amsterdam recorded rat reports in approximately 0.5–6% of homes,
depending on the age of the housing stock, and in the same city a summary of arthropod nuisance
reports registered 3,149 cases over a six-year period. Studies from other countries report 2–13%
prevalence in domestic homes for rodents, 9–100% for flies, 12–47% for fleas, and 2–6% for
cockroaches. Several factors influences the prevalence of pests in housing. For instance, rats are
more frequently reported in and around derelict sites and housing built before 1960 than in newer
buildings. The layout of residential areas and the habits of people who live in them (e.g. the feeding
of feral pigeons) can also influence pest numbers, although people can be unaware that their
behaviour can encourage the presence of pests. Climate change and associated migration also
contribute to the spread of pest species and the diseases they carry.
In the Philippines, the government intensified its sanitation campaign against household
pests by implementing rules and regulations of chapter XVI otherwise known as the Vermin
Control of the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines (P.D. 856) whereby all pest control operators,
and owners, operators and owners of land, places, buildings, residences, public places, public
places establishments, food establishments, ports, airports, vessels, aircrafts, or any other means
of conveyance, and other similar establishment. The provisions were created to for general health
and safety provisions in conducting pest control in the country since the Philippines is a tropical
country and it is prone to tropical types of household pests.
On the article of Philippine Star, following a recent warning of the Department of Health
(DOH), residents of Barangay Dolores in San Fernando, Pampanga participated in a RatAttack
campaign to protect their community against leptospirosis and other illnesses caused by rats and
mice. RatAttack is a community-based program campaign organized by Bayer CropScience,
makers of the Racumin brand of anti-rodent products and a benefit campaign against rats carrying
leptospirosis.
The Department of Health (DOH) reported that dengue fever cases in the country rose by
thirty-three (33%) percent from January to November of 2018 compared to the same period in
2017. Latest data from the DOH-Epidemiology Bureau showed that from January 1 to November
17 of the current year 2018, one hundred seventy-nine thousand five hundred forty (179,540)
dengue fever cases were reported and recorded nationwide, more than the 135,166 cases in the
first 11 months of 2017. Nine hundred seven (907) dengue fever-related deaths have so far been
recorded this, compared to only seven hundred ten (710) in 2017. Central Luzon had the most
number of dengue fever cases this year with 27, 493, followed by the National Capital Region
(23,962 cases), Calabarzon (21, 707 cases), Central Visayas (14,246 cases) and Western Visayas
(13, 822 cases). The health department, meanwhile, noted that the highest increase in the number
of cases was seen in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao recorded the biggest increase
in dengue fever cases, according to the DOH, followed by Mimaropa region, Caraga region,
Northern Mindanao and Eastern Visayas.
In the same year, The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded 1,030 cases this year from
January 1 to June 9. This is up 41 percent from the same period last year. What's more alarming is
that 99 patients have died due to leptospirosis. In Metro Manila, the numbers are even higher with
234 cases recorded by the DOH from January 1 to July 1. There was a 60-percent jump from the
146 cases recorded in the same period last year. 38 people in Metro Manila have died due to
leptospirosis. Topping the list of cities with the highest number of leptospirosis cases in Metro
Manila is Quezon City with 87, followed by Manila, Taguig, Parañaque, Caloocan, Las Piñas, and
Pasig. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III blamed the heavy rains and improper garbage disposal
for the spike in the number of cases of leptospirosis, an infection caused by a bacteria found in the
urine of animals, such as rats.
According to Gleen L. Sia Su, The cockroaches obtained in Manila had the highest
diversity of parasites seen on the external surface, and those collected in Quezon City had the least
parasite diversity although those in Quezon City had the highest parasite load seen in the
cockroaches examined. he most important result of this study is the baseline documentation
of the parasites on the external surface of the cockroaches roaming in canals along the streets
of Metro Manila. Results have shown that more than one parasite was observed on the cockroaches
examined. Among the parasites observed, nematode eggs and larvae, mite, and tick were
seen on the cockroaches.
These household pests also alarmed people not only outside the Philippines and in the
national level. Reports of household pests diseases were reported in the province of Bicol.
Specifically, rising number of dengue and leptospirosis cases were reported in Guinobatan.
In Region V, The Department of Health (DOH) Bicol on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 urged
the public to consistently practice dengue prevention measures called 4S as it recorded a 17 percent
spike of dengue cases in the region for the first quarter of 2018. The surveillance report of the
DOH Public Health Preparedness and Response Unit (PHPRU) from January to April 14, 2018
recorded a rise in the cases of the disease with 665 cases which is higher than the 570 cases for the
same period in 2017. The department also recorded 6 dengue suspected deaths this year. The
province of Camarines Sur ranks highest with 394 cases followed by Masbate – 79, Camarines
Norte – 69, Sorsogon – 68, Albay – 42, Catanduanes – 11 and two other cases from unidentified
province.
Regarding Leptospirosis, a total of 65 leptospirosis cases, were recorded in Bicol from
January to July 14 this year, compared to the 45 cases during the same period last 2017. Of the six
provinces in the region, Santiago said that Camarines Sur has the most number of cases with 46;
followed by Albay with 11 cases; Sorsogon, seven cases; Camarines Norte and Masbate with one
case each.
 Furthermore, in the report of Radio dzBB reported by GMA news.tv on 2007, it was noted
that at least eight recent cases of dengue had been recorded at the Regional Training and Technical
Hospital in Albay that year. These include three from Guinobatan town, four from Legazpi City,
and one from Daraga town. The dzBB report said the local government in Guinobatan was
particularly alarmed over the rise in dengue and had ordered fogging operations in likely mosquito
breeding sites. Health authorities have warned the public to keep their surroundings clean and dry,
to prevent dengue-carrying mosquitoes from spreading the disease.
These significant and alarming reports inspired the researchers to conduct a study on
Vacuum Pest Killer. Pest control is a crucial portion of home maintenance so the “Vacuum Pest
Killer” shall be useful in our lives because it is a device that is an alternative use of poisonous
pesticides that are quite hazardous to humans and other living things. The device is an eco-friendly
tool that uses materials that can be found easily in any market. The use of Vacuum Pest Killer is
to minimum numbers of pesticides like cockroaches, houseflies and mosquitos to prevent
hazardous disease and bacteria spreading.
The researchers considered not only the eradication of household pest but also the
elimination of pesticide poisoning among people and other living things. After countless studies,
pesticides have been linked to cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, ADHD, and even birth defects.
Pesticides also have the potential to harm the nervous system, the reproductive system, and the
endocrine system. Pesticides can even be very harmful to fetuses because the chemicals can pass
from the mother during pregnancy or if a woman nurses her child.
Specifically, the researches seek to find answers to the common pest present in households,
the common tools or devices used in trapping or killing household pests, the level of effectiveness
of Vacuum Pest Killer in eliminating household pests along the % of household pest eliminated
and the duration of eliminating the household pests and, lastly, the significant difference on the
level of effectiveness of the Vacuum Pest Killer on the identified pest along % of household pest
eliminated and the duration of eliminating the household pests.

The Problem and Its Background

A. Rationale

In the Philippines, being a tropical country with tropical rainforest climate, harmful insects
and pests abounds. That is why, insect and pest controller or repellent is an essential item in every
household to control the insects and pest which are commonly found in the household, primarily,
to prevent diseases which are transmitted by insects, bugs or pests.
In the past years, a lot of insect killers or repellents have been developed to control common
household insects and pests which are carriers of many diseases, most of which are harmful or
deadly. But these insect killers and repellents are chemical-based which are hazardous to the
environment and equally harmful to human beings and other animals or pets.
Then with the advent of technology, electrically powered devices have also been invented
to control or repel these harmful pests and insects. The most common electrical device is the bug
zapper which attract and kills flying insects that are attracted to light. But since it needs to generate
a high voltage to electrocute an insect, the device is not only expensive, but the usage or operation
of the device consumes power which makes it more costly.
Recently due to environmental issues and concerns, the use of natural methods to control
and kill these harmful insects became popular but the commercially produced products are likewise
expensive just like the chemical-based products.
Thus, this research will provide an overview of a project that will integrate technology
using a solar-powered device to trap insects and pests with a natural or organic solution as an
efficient but inexpensive method to control harmful insects and pests in the household and in the
backyard. In addition, it will propose not only the use of natural organic substance but also a
hassle-free device which is made of cheap and readily-available materials in the market that can
be easily made and assembled in every home.
Household pests are injurious to health because they act as carriers for allergens which
irritate people with sensitive medical conditions. Their fecal dropping and shed skin can also
become airborne, contaminating the air we breathe in. Furthermore, bacteria that can be found on
household pests can also be dangerous to people. Common household pests such as cockroaches,
rats and mosquitoes are carriers for infectious diseases and must be exterminated lest they overrun
a household.
Cockroaches can slip through any crack in the walls, bringing with them bacteria such as
salmonella and E. coli. Rodents likewise carry salmonella on their bodies, leaving a trail of
contamination on every surface to be specific, leptospirosis. Mosquitoes, on the other hand, carry
dengue fever. As they breed in stagnant water, it is highly recommended that water containers be
frequently used up and covered. Not only one’s health that is affected. Even the food sources are
compromised by the airborne bacteria spread by pests, hence the need of tightly-sealing food
containers.
The researchers aim to eliminate the diseases by introducing a device that can trap and kill
common household pests. Its main function is to secure, protect and unharmed people who are in
need in proper hygiene for their daily living. It seeks to provide useful service to any household
without jeopardizing the health and wellness of people. Specifically, the researchers’ goal is to
eliminate household pests like cockroaches, houseflies and mosquitos with the use of only one
device, the Vacuum Pest Killer .
The Vacuum Pest Killer is an eco-friendly device that can solve problems with household
pests. Unlike pesticides that uses harmful chemicals, the Vacuum Pest Killer uses materials that
are safe. Materials such as 2 in 1 buzz kill and Gadyao cockroach trap that are locally available. It
is also very economic-friendly since it shall be using solar panels as its source of energy. It also
helps free space in places like houses, apartments and the like because it is a 3-in-1 household pest
killing device. Moreover, it is safe for families with toddlers and babies as well.

B. Statement of the Problem

The researchers seek to conduct a study on Vacuum Pest Killer. Specifically, they seek to answer
the following questions:

1. what are the common pest present in households,

2. what are the common tools or devices used in trapping or killing household pests,
3. what is the level of effectiveness of Vacuum Pest Killer in eliminating household pests
along;

a. % of household pest eliminated

b. duration of eliminating the household pests, and

4. what is the significant difference on the level of effectiveness of the Vacuum Pest Killer on the
identified pest along;

a. % of household pest eliminated,

b. duration of eliminating the household pests?

Although, insect and pest controllers and repellents are easily available in the market, yet most, if
not all, are expensive and hazardous. And often, households ran out of these pesticides when the
household urgently need one as pests and insects is a perennial problem in this part of the world.
Thus, every household needs to have knowledge on how to make or assemble a solar powered
device to trap insects and pests wherein the container for the trapped insects and pest contains
organic solution or specifically, madre de cacao, that will eventually kill the trapped pest or insect.
In this way, insects and pests will be controlled in the household which will also prevent the spread
of harmful and deadly diseases in their area. More importantly, the following research questions
need to be addressed:
1. What are the hazards of chemical-based pesticides or insecticides in human being and
in the environment?
2. What is the cost of insecticides or pesticides?
3. What is the cost of electric powered insects/pests controllers?
4. What is the average power usage and cost of using electrically powered controllers?
 5. What is the level of effectiveness in using madre de cacao as insect and pest controller?

C. Alternative Hypothesis
The researchers formulated an alternative hypothesis to the study. They believe that:

1. 60% of household flies shall be trapped and killed during the first experimental testing of
the Vacuum Pest Killer.
2. Nothing can be easily trapped of houseflies, mosquitos and cockroaches.
3. there is no significant differences on the level of effectiveness of the Vacuum Pest Killer
along the % of household pest eliminated and the duration of eliminating the household
pests.
4. Vacuum Pest Killer shall not eliminate at least 10% of household pests.
5. The Vacuum Pest Killer can’t be used as an alternative pest killer through lack of water
resources.
6. The device cannot be used as an alternative pest control during power outage or from a bad
weather.
7. It does not help consumers to minimize the number of pests in their households.
8. Also it is not an effective pest control to the community in an affordable way.

D. Significance of the Study

The results and findings of the study could be beneficial to the following:
Household. In the light of the results and findings of the study, the household will benefit
from the comprehensive study of the Vacuum Pest Killer. The problems of families to
household pests may be eliminated. The study could be utilized to improve their sanitation
and hygiene in their daily living. It could also provide a safe, protected, economic alternative
to the chemicals used as pesticides and other expensive device.
Local Government Unit (LGU). They can gain valuable insights to the effectiveness of the
Vacuum Pest Killer as well as the problems encountered by every household regarding
household pests. From the study, they can adopt the Vacuum Pest Killer as a device to be
installed to provide for the safety, protection and well-sanitized locality.
Policy Makers. This will become an eye opener for them to pay more attention and involved
in enhancing the quality of their sanitation program being offered to the community. This
study will give them the ideas on activities and programs necessary to improve the sanitation
and hygiene of Filipino families.
 Non-Government Organizations. The output will serve as a reference material for them to
know the current problems of households in eliminating problems on household pests. Thus,
they will be more participative in implementing the Vacuum Pest Killer to lessen the
problems on sanitation of households.
Pest Killer Inventors. This study would give them the opportunity to gain more information
which could serve as a baseline data to improve their pest killer device products.
Future Researchers. The results of the study would give them a broader view of other
researchable areas in the future. Moreover, this study shall provide them with opportunities
to improve devices especially those that are in line with pest killing devices.
The aim of this research paper is to develop an alternative to chemical-based insect and pest killers
and integrating it with technology to make a more efficient, economical, hassle-free, insect/pest
controller which can be easily made in every home.
1. To provide a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of natural or organic insect
and pest controller.
2. To develop an inexpensive but hassle-free device that will trap the insects and pests
which will also contain organic solution that will eventually eliminate and control these
harmful insects and pests in and out of the house.
3. To review current pest controllers using technology in comparison to the device in this
project study.

E. Scope of the Study

This study covered the comprehensive analysis of the effectivity of the Vacuum Pest Killer
as a household pest killing device. This study sought to answer on the common pest present in
households, the common tools or devices used in trapping or killing household pests, the level of
effectiveness of Vacuum Pest Killer in eliminating household pests along the % of household pest
eliminated and the duration of eliminating the household pests and, lastly, the significant difference
on the level of effectiveness of the Vacuum Pest Killer on the identified pest along % of household
pest eliminated and the duration of eliminating the household pests. Furthermore, The Vacuum
Pest Killer will trap and kill mosquitoes, houseflies and cockroaches. The experiment shall be done
twice and in a controlled environment to test the effectivity of the Vacuum Pest Killer.
Excluded in this study were other pest killing device such as lion tiger katol, bugspray and
other household pesticides and traps as to their level of effectiveness in eliminating household
pests along the % of household pest eliminated and the duration of eliminating the household pests
and, lastly, the significant difference on the level of effectiveness of other pesticides and traps on
the identified pest along % of household pest eliminated and the duration of eliminating the
household pests. Moreover, other insects such as pet lies, beetles, spiders, moths and other insects.
Rats were not also included.
 Review of Related Literature

A. Conceptual
The Vacuum Pest Killer is a device dedicated in eliminating and eradicating household
pest problems. Specifically, it sought to eliminate common household pests such as mosquitos,
houseflies and cockroaches that are carriers of different diseases and bacteria that are hazardous
to people. In this study, the device shall be placed in a controlled environment were the said insects
are present. The concept of the study is to know the effectivity of the Vacuum Pest Killer as
economical and eco-friendly device that could terminate the insects commonly seen in households
and other establishments that necessitate sanitation and good hygiene for everyday living.
The conceptual framework reflected in figure 1 presents the input, output and feedback of
the study. The inputs are the common pest present in households, the common tools or devices
used in trapping or killing household pests, the level of effectiveness of Vacuum Pest Killer in
eliminating household pests along the % of household pest eliminated and the duration of
eliminating the household pests and, lastly, the significant difference on the level of effectiveness
of the Vacuum Pest Killer on the identified pest along % of household pest eliminated and the
duration of eliminating the household pests.
The process involved consists of the analysis and interpretation of possible relationship of
the independent and dependent variables of the Vacuum Pest Killer in terms of the common pest
present in households, the common tools or devices used in trapping or killing household pests,
the level of effectiveness of Vacuum Pest Killer in eliminating household pests along the % of
household pest eliminated and the duration of eliminating the household pests and, lastly, the
significant difference on the level of effectiveness of the Vacuum Pest Killer on the identified pest
along % of household pest eliminated and the duration of eliminating the household pests with the
use of (a) questionnaire-checklist and (b) analysis of the effectivity of the Vacuum Pest Killer by
testing it twice in a controlled environment where mosquitos, houseflies and cockroaches are
existing.
The findings that evolved from this process are the output which revealed the effectivity of
the Vacuum Pest Killer. It also led to a strategic plan to address the effectivity of the Vacuum Pest
Killer in terms of improving the % of household pest it could eliminate and the duration of
eliminating the household pests. Thus, led to the improvement of the Vacuum Pest Killer as a
household pest terminating device. To complete the system, a feedback mechanism is needed to
correct whatever deviations are made in the process. This allows the respondents and the
researchers to make some changes in their answers and procedures in conducting the experiment
of the Vacuum Pest Killer in a controlled environment. Feedback minimizes also misunderstanding
between the respondents and researchers. Figure 1 illustrates the conceptual paradigm.
 INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

The Vacuum Pest Killer Strategic plan to

Analysis and
in terms of: address the effectivity
interpretation of possible
1. common pest present relationship of the of the Vacuum Pest
in households, independent and Killer in terms of
dependent variables of improving:
2. common tools or the Vacuum Pest Killer in
devices used in trapping terms of the common pest a. % of household pest
or killing household present in households, the it could eliminate and
pests, common tools or devices
b. the duration of
used in trapping or killing
3. the level of household pests, the level
eliminating the
effectiveness of Vacuum of effectiveness of household pests.
Pest Killer in Vacuum Pest Killer in
eliminating household eliminating household
pests along: pests along the % of
household pest eliminated
a. the % of household
and the duration of
pest eliminated and
eliminating the household
b. the duration of pests and, lastly, the
eliminating the significant difference on
household pests and, the level of effectiveness
of the Vacuum Pest Killer
4. the significant on the identified pest
difference on the level of along % of household pest
effectiveness of the eliminated and the
Vacuum Pest Killer on duration of eliminating
the identified pest along: the household pests with
the use of (a)
a. % of household questionnaire-checklist
pest eliminated and and (b) analysis of the
b. the duration of effectivity of the Vacuum
eliminating the Pest Killer by testing it
household pests. twice in a controlled
environment where
mosquitos, houseflies and
cockroaches are existing

FEEDBACK
Figure 1. Conceptual Paradigm
A. Review of Related Literature

House flies are not the neatest of insects. They visit such places as dumps, sewers, and garbage
heaps. They feed on fecal matter, discharges from wounds and sores, sputum, and all sorts of moist
decaying matter such as spoiled fish, eggs and meat. House flies are strongly suspected of
transmitting at least 65 diseases to humans, including typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera,
poliomyelitis, yaws, anthrax, tularemia, leprosy and tuberculosis. Flies regurgitate and excrete
wherever they come to rest and thereby mechanically transmit disease organisms. House flies can
be easily identified by the four dark, longitudinal stripes on top of the thorax, or middle body
region. They vary in length from l/8-l/4 of an inch. Their mouth parts are adapted for sponging up
liquids; they cannot bite. These flies can only ingest liquid food.
They feed on attractive solid food by regurgitating saliva on it. The saliva liquifies the solid
material which is then sponged up with the proboscis. They require water since they are continually
salivating and voiding liquids. Fly specks seen on many surfaces visited by house flies are the
excreted wastes. The eggs are deposited in decaying matter such as grass clippings, garbage,
human and animal excrement. Horse manure is the preferred breeding medium. About l00-l50
eggs are deposited by each female on appropriate food. Eggs may hatch in 7 l/2 hours when
temperatures are high (about 99× F), or it may take two days if the temperature is only 59×F. Eggs
hatch into worm-like creatures called maggots (Fig. 1b). Maggots lack definite heads, eyes,
antennae or legs. Their bodies are pointed at their front end and gradually widen at the rear.
They feed on the material in which they find themselves. There are three larval molts. Mature
larvae stop feeding and burrow for protection in drier surrounding areas, where they pupate. The
pupa is a chestnut brown, oval object within which the larva changes into an adult house fly. Adults
mate within one to two days after emerging from their pupal cases. The life cycle, from egg to
adult, may take as little as one week, but normally requires three weeks for completion. House
flies normally live about 2 l/2 weeks during the summer, but they can, at lower temperatures,
survive up to three months. Some overwinter outdoors in protected locations, or in crevices in
buildings. Flies normally stay within l/2-2 miles of their point of origin but have been known to
travel as far as 20 miles to find food and ovipositional sites.
Pesticides are poisonous. Read and follow directions and safety precautions on labels. Handle
carefully and store in original labeled containers out of the reach of children, pets, and livestock.
Dispose of empty containers right away, in a safe manner and place. Do not contaminate forage,
streams, or ponds. But surely the most unwanted roomie is the rodent. Those who share their home
with these pests can all agree on one thing: it’s time to give these creatures the boot. Rats carry at
least 60 communicable diseases, including Hantavirus, leptospirosis, typhus and meningitis.
Known to bite people when they’re sleeping, rats transfer diseases through saliva, including rat-
bite fever which causes symptoms like fever, vomiting and joint pain and can be fatal if left
untreated. Rats can tread water for three days and survive being flushed down a toilet.
Worse, they can return to the building they were ‘flushed’ from via the same route. Rats can chew
through electrical wires, cinderblocks and even lead pipes with their razor-sharp teeth. A rat’s teeth
grow five inches a year, only maintained by continuous grinding and gnawing to keep from
outgrowing the rat’s mouth. A female rat can mate with as many as 500 partners during a six-hour
period of “heat,” or sexual receptivity, which occurs about 15 times per year. That adds up to as
many as 2,000 offspring in one year – unfortunate when your unwanted roommates are multiplying
at a rapid-fire pace.
The American Cockroach is the largest cockroach species that enters homes and businesses in
Rhode Island and New England. They generally live outdoors in warm, moist areas like under
mulch, log piles and under flower beds but will make their way indoors to look for food and water.
Adults can grow to be more than 2 inches in length; they are generally a reddish-brown to
mahogany color. The area behind their head has a yellow band around it; they also have fully
developed wings and can fly. They are capable of biting but rarely, if ever, do. If bitten it should
not present a problem unless the bite becomes infected. While they do not bite or sting they do
feed and live in areas that harbor dangerous bacteria, such as bathrooms, drains, and dumpsters.
The American cockroach (like other roaches) carries the bacteria on their body and can
contaminate food as well as areas where food is prepared.
The bacteria can cause vomiting, fever, diarrhea and even transmit Salmonella. This type of roach
sheds its skin and leaves excrement behind and in some people the allergens from those will cause
severe asthma attacks. American cockroaches are mostly active at night when they are foraging
for food and water. During the day they will hide in cracks and crevices in walls and through the
home or business they are infesting. If there is a heavy population you may see them scurrying
around or even flying about during the day when disturbed. You may also find their feces in kitchen
areas inside the drawers and cabinets, behind appliances and in basements, their excrement
resembling coffee grounds. They also secrete an odor that may cause a musty smell in the area
they are infesting. American cockroaches live outdoors but will make their way inside through
cracks in foundations, under doors and spaces around windows in search for food and water.
Pesticides are the only toxic substances released intentionally into our environment to kill living
things. This includes substances that kill weeds (herbicides), insects (insecticides), fungus
(fungicides), rodents (rodenticides), and others. The use of toxic pesticides to manage pest
problems has become a common practice around the world. Pesticides are used almost everywhere
-- not only in agricultural fields, but also in homes, parks, schools, buildings, forests, and roads. It
is difficult to find somewhere where pesticides aren't used -- from the can of bug spray under the
kitchen sink to the airplane crop dusting acres of farmland, our world is filled with pesticides.
In addition, pesticides can be found in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.
Pesticides have been linked to a wide range of human health hazards, ranging from short-term
impacts such as headaches and nausea to chronic impacts like cancer, reproductive harm, and
endocrine disruption. Acute dangers - such as nerve, skin, and eye irritation and damage,
headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and systemic poisoning - can sometimes be dramatic, and
even occasionally fatal.
Chronic health effects may occur years after even minimal exposure to pesticides in the
environment or result from the pesticide residues which we ingest through our food and water. A
July 2007 study conducted by researchers at the Public Health Institute, the California Department
of Health Services, and the UC Berkeley School of Public Health found a six-fold increase in risk
factor for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for children of women who were exposed to
organochlorine pesticides. Pesticides can cause many types of cancer in humans. Some of the most
prevalent forms include leukemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, brain, bone, breast, ovarian, prostate,
testicular and liver cancers. In February 2009, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry published a study that found that children who live in homes where their parents use
pesticides are twice as likely to develop brain cancer versus those that live in residences in which
no pesticides are used. Studies by the National Cancer Institute found that American farmers, who
in most respects are healthier than the population at large, had startling incidences of leukemia,
Hodgkins disease, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and many other forms of cancer. There is also
mounting evidence that exposure to pesticides disrupts the endocrine system, wreaking havoc with
the complex regulation of hormones, the reproductive system, and embryonic development.
Endocrine disruption can produce infertility and a variety of birth defects and developmental
defects in offspring, including hormonal imbalance and incomplete sexual development, impaired
brain development, behavioral disorders, and many others. Examples of known endocrine
disrupting chemicals which are present in large quantities in our environment include DDT (which
persists in abundance more than 20 years after being banned in the U.S.), lindane, atrazine,
carbaryl, parathion, and many others. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a medical condition
characterized by the body's inability to tolerate relatively low exposure to chemicals. This
condition, also referred to as Environmental Illness, is triggered by exposure to certain chemicals
and/or environmental pollutants.
Exposure to pesticides is a common way for individuals to develop MCS, and once the condition
is present, pesticides are often a potent trigger for symptoms of the condition. The variety of these
symptoms can be dizzying, including everything from cardiovascular problems to depression to
muscle and joint pains. Over time, individuals suffering from MCS will begin to react adversely
to substances that formerly did not affect them. For individuals suffering from MCS, the only way
to relieve their symptoms is to avoid those substances that trigger adverse reactions. For some
individuals, this can mean almost complete isolation from the outside world.
Children are particularly susceptible to the hazards associated with pesticide use. There is now
considerable scientific evidence that the human brain is not fully formed until the age of 12, and
childhood exposure to some of the most common pesticides on the market may greatly impact the
development of the central nervous system. Children have more skin surface for their size than
adults, absorb proportionally greater amounts of many substances through their lungs and intestinal
tracts, and take in more air, food and water per pound than adults. Children have not developed
their immune systems, nervous systems, or detoxifying mechanisms completely, leaving them less
capable of fighting the introduction of toxic pesticides into their systems.
Many of the activities that children engage in - playing in the grass, putting objects into their mouth
and even playing on carpet - increase their exposure to toxic pesticides. The combination of likely
increased exposure to pesticides and lack of bodily development to combat the toxic effects of
pesticides means that children are suffering disproportionately from their impacts. Since the
publication of Rachel Carson’s landmark 1962 book Silent Spring, the impacts of pesticides on
the environment have been well known. Pesticides are toxic to living organisms. Some can
accumulate in water systems, pollute the air, and in some cases have other dramatic environmental
effects. Scientists are discovering new threats to the environment that are equally disturbing.
Pesticide use can damage agricultural land by harming beneficial insect species, soil
microorganisms, and worms which naturally limit pest populations and maintain soil health;
Weakening plant root systems and immune systems; Reducing concentrations of essential plant
nutrients in the soil such nitrogen and phosphorous. Despite what government agencies and
corporations tell you, pesticide products currently on the market are not safe, even when they are
used legally. There are many flaws in the way that pesticides are registered and in our political
process that allows corporations to influence pesticide policy to allow the continued use of their
poisonous products.
Even if we know that a pesticide causes severe health and environmental impacts, including cancer
and genetic damage, it may still be allowed for use. The EPA may determine that a cancer-causing
chemical may be used despite its public health hazard if its "economic, social or environmental"
benefits are deemed greater than its risk. According to the US EPA, more than 70 active ingredients
known to cause cancer in animal tests are allowed for use.
Although industry tests for a wide range of environmental and health impacts, most pesticides
currently on the market have not been fully tested. Pesticides often contain inert ingredients in
addition to the active ingredients that are designed to kill the target pest. Unfortunately, the public
is not provided information about what inert ingredients are included in pesticides in most cases.
At least 382 of the chemicals that the U.S. EPA lists as inert ingredients were once or are currently
also registered as pesticide active ingredients. This means that the public is kept in the dark about
the contents of pesticide products that may be hazardous. Among the ingredients that are listed as
both inert and active ingredients are chloropicrin, which has been linked to asthma and pulmonary
edema, and chlorothanonil, a probable human carcinogen. It’s been proven that chemical sprays
and pesticides can lose their effectiveness over time. This simply comes down to nature and the
passing on of beneficial traits: if certain insects in a species aren’t killed off by the pesticides, only
those with traits that make them resistant to it get passed on. Over time, most of the population
may be resistant to that chemical. Since organic treatments are biologically based rather than
artificially created, pests are less likely to develop a resistance.
 Chapter III

A. Materials/Equipment and Procedure

Quantity Unit Materials/ Equipment Original Amount Located:

Price

4 pcs. Corner Cover 5.00 pesos 20.00 pesos Markets

6 pcs. Fiber Glass 67.00 pesos 402.00 pesos Glass &
Aluminum
Shops
1 pcs. Housefly Trap 100.00 100.00 pesos Online shop
(made from plastic & fiber pesos or DIY device
glass) from junk
10 pcs. Madre de Cacao (leaves) 0.00 pesos 0.00 pesos Neighborhood
1 pcs. Mighty Bond (small) 40.00 pesos 40.00 pesos Markets
1 pcs. Mosquito Solar Buzz 200.00 200.00 pesos Markets or
(alternative of electric pesos Online Shops
mosquito swatter)
1 pcs. Small Solar Panel 100.00 100.00 pesos Junk shops or
pesos Markets
1 pcs. Toy Mini Cooler 40.00 pesos 40.00 pesos Markets
1 pcs. Tube 0.00 pesos 0.00 pesos Junk shops or
Recycled
Material

Total = 902.00 pesos

How to use the Vacuum Pest Eliminator:

 The top part of the device is the Housefly Trap that is powered by a small solar panel and
to catch flies that is trying to touch the device by the help of a sweet substance like honey
or fruit juice that will be trapped by a slow moving fan until it remains contact inside the
device.
 A tube that is connected to the housefly trapper, until it is connected to the cockroach
trapper that can eliminate this pest by a liquid substance made from Madre de Cacao and
water into the tube and can eliminate remaining pests inside the device. The process of the
liquid substance to eliminate the pests is, first stage is that 70% is the madre de cacao and
 30% of water, second stage is 60% madre de cacao and 40% water, third stage will be 80%
madre de cacao and 20% water and lastly 100% squeezed madre de cacao leaves.
 The lower part of the device is the Cockroach Trap that traps an approaching cockroach in
the device, one’s they are in the device it cannot flee anymore because of the DIY parallel
door of the device that is hard to get out for cockroaches.
 Each side of the device has an additional gadget that doesn’t harm children, first is the
mosquito solar buzz that is like it has a violet color light, that attracts mosquito to the
device, one’s it touches the device it will be zap or electrified like an electric swatter.
Second is the toy mini cooler that is powered by any water source that works like an electric
fan but energy saver, that doesn’t need any electricity.

B. Schematic Diagram

C. Conclusion

The Vacuum Pest Killer is an eco-friendly device that can solve problems with household
pests. Unlike pesticides that uses harmful chemicals, the Vacuum Pest Killer uses materials
that are safe.

 The common pest present in households and effectively eliminated by the device is the
cockroaches, houseflies and mosquitos.
 The common tools or devices used in trapping or killing household pests is recyclable
materials and it is the mosquito solar buzz, housefly trap, cockroach traps and tube that
eliminates pest by the help of madre de cacao leaves.
 The level of effectiveness depends on the area or location where the number of pests
are present.
 The hazards of chemical-based pesticides or insecticides in human being and in the
environment is that, they can poison the land, the water and the air that can badly affect
the human life resources.
 The research yielded consistent data that the madre de cacao solution is effective in killing
insects and pests. And through the use of a fan that will function as a vacuum, more insects and
pest will be drawn into the solution, which makes the device more effective as insect and pest
controller.

Since the fan for the vacuum will be powered by a solar panel, its continuous usage will be
economical. All in all, the proposed device is not only efficient but environmental friendly as well.
Also Madre de cacao is a natural insecticide, repellent, and rodenticidal, to further study the
potential of kakawati leaves as an anticoagulant drug.

D. Recommendation

In order to obtain a steady supply of the organic pesticide, it is best to plant a madre de
cacao near the house. The kakawate plant or tree can easily grow just by cutting a branch
and planting it on the ground. The said plant is adaptable to almost any soil environment
and requires no maintenance.

E. Documentation