SCIENCE INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
Grade 9 - ST. JOHN
Huh? NO
WAY!
Comparative Study on CHALK DUST,
Coffee Grounds and Cinnamon Spice
as Effective ant (Tetramorium
caespitum) Repellants
PROBLEM:
How can we eliminate insects such as
ants in our houses?
Hypothesis:
All three independent variables will give
significant results in repelling ants.
Objective:
• We aim to find more possible uses of household
waste products aside from remaining as garbage
such as coffee grounds.
• We want to explore the possible uses of chalk dust
being one of the most common waste in the
classroom.
• Also, we expect that after our experiment, we will
be able to find effective and cheaper ant
repellants in order to lessen the expenses in
keeping our homes sanitized and clean.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
• WHY CHALK OR BABY POWDER?
– Ants use Pheromones, an odorless substance
excreted to convey an airborne signal, to make
and follow trails. They do not use their sight but
rather their sense of smell. By placing chalk or
powder, you can change the scent and disrupt
their trail.
– According to Dan Stein in "Dan's Practical Guide to
Least Toxic Home Pest Control," ants breathe
through their skin and the chalk powder or dust
clogs it up.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
• WHY CINNAMON?
– Ants do not like tough odor
– It contains CINNAMALDEHYDE, a yellowish oily
liquid with a sweet taste and a “cinnamish” odor
responsible for the characteristic taste and smell
of cinnamon spice.
• WHY COFFEE GROUNDS?
– They contain Damascenone , Furfurylthiol, Vinylguaiacol
– Just like the cinnamon spice, coffee grounds contain
certain chemicals that are potentially hazardous to insects
just like ants.
VARIABLES:
INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
❖ 6 pinches of sugar
❖ 2 tablespoons of chalk
❖ Two plates (saucers),
dust
one larger than the
❖ 2 tablespoons of
other
cinnamon spice
❖ Timer or watch
❖ 2 tablespoons of
❖ A pitcher of water
coffee grounds
❖ 150 ants
METHODOLOGY:
1. Prepare the materials needed. Gather leftover
coffee grounds after using the coffee maker.
Collect chalk dust from the different classrooms
or even in just one room if enough.
2. Pour water into the larger saucer. Make sure to
use one with a depth.
3. Place the smaller saucer on the larger one.
4. For the first experimental setup, place chalk dust
at every side. Make two frames or borders of
chalk dust.
METHODOLOGY:
5. Already place 2 pinches of sugar at the center
of the smaller saucer. This will be the food of
the ants.
6. Slowly put 50 ants on the saucer within the
smaller frame of chalk dust. 50 ANTS!
7. For thirty minutes, record the number of ants
that had escaped from the saucer and those
that fainted.
METHODOLOGY:
8. Record the observations on Table of
Observations.
9. Repeat steps 3 until 8 using the other two
independent variables: Cinnamon Spice and
Coffee Grounds.
10. Compare the results.
RESULTS: TABLE 1.1
SUBSTANCE DURATION POPULATION FAINT RATE Escaped
Chalk dust
30 minutes 50 5 9
(2 tbsps.)
Cinnamon
Spice 30 minutes 50 9 2
(2 tbsps..)
Coffee
Grounds 30 minutes 50 9 9
(2 tbsps.)
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: TABLE 1.2
CINNAMON COFFEE
SUBSTANCE CHALK DUST
SPICE GROUNDS
POPULATION 50 50 50
FAINT RATE 5 9 9
ESCAPEES 9 2 9
UNAFFECTED
45 41 41
ANTS
Note: To determine how many survived, we deduct
the number of ants that fainted.
NUMBER OF ANTS FAINTED
Cinnamon Spice and Coffee Grounds are the
substances that disrupted the behavior of the ants
by fainting as a way of repelling them.
NUMBER OF ANTS ESCAPED
Cinnamon Spice is the effective ant repellant
showing only 2 ants that escaped.
CONCLUSION:
• All of the three substances showed visible
results. However, each one has its own way of
repelling ants through its own chemical
composition and properties.
• Among the three substances, Cinnamon Spice
is the most effective ant repellant due to its
strong smell.
conclusion
• Chalk Dust: technique is to repel ants is by
covering their skin, suffocating them.
• Cinnamon: technique is to suffocate the ants
at the same time repel them by its strong
odor.
• Coffee Grounds: technique is to repel ants by
its strong odor
LIMITATIONS
• We were not able to measure the size of the
ants because we did not have the appropriate
instrument for it and ants have the tendency
to move fast. We cannot hold an ant tightly
without squeezing it which might cause its
death.
• We were not able to determine the age of the
ants because we did not have the instrument
or indications for it.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• By complying and fulfilling this experiment, we wish to
conduct a follow-up study on other cheaper substances
which may have the same properties with the three
variables.
• We wish that this experiment will be conducted again in a
larger scale using a bigger population of ants.
• Test these variables on other household insects.
• Conduct a comparative study on the effectiveness of
Classroom Chalk Dust as substitute for Ant Killer Chalk.
• Also, conduct an experiment testing vinegar, peppermint oil,
cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, whole cloves, and
Implications:
• Due to the results of our experiment, our
helpers and family can use any of the three
available substances at home to repel
household ants. With this, we don’t have to
spend too much for insect repellants.
• Chalk dust, although according to our
experiment was proven less effective, may still
be used as ant repellant so to reduce the
waste products in school.
CREDITS TO:
• Ms. Emily Singbenco for suggesting this study.
• Our classmates who helped us gather chalk
dust and at the same time cleaned the chalk
ledge.
• To the helpers who helped us gather over 150
ants.
• And to God for guiding us and supplying us
with the gift of knowledge and honesty in
conducting our experiment.
PROPONENTS:
• Rasia Sorongon
• Isza Cuello
• Camille Bagaygay
• Annykka Bayting
• Emily Paltu-ob
• Pamela Mallorca
• Joshua Aguro
Thank you for
listening and
watching!
REFERENCES
• How to Use Baby Powder to Kill Ants |
eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7408955_use-baby-p
owder-kill-ants.html#ixzz2K3TGcPrB
• http://www.ehow.com/facts_7336024_coffee-grounds-ant-re
pellent.html
• http://www.backedbybayer.com/system/product_guide/asse
t_file/3/Ant-ID-Guide.pdf
• http://www.networx.com/article/27-household-uses-for-coff
ee
• http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=s1677-04202006000100
018&script=sci_arttext
