14. TRADITIONAL METHODS OF PEST CONTROL

TRADITIONAL METHODS OF PEST CONTROL

Commodity	Natural resource(s)	Method of use	Possible mode of action
Storage of food commodities
Wheat	Dry neem leaves	Make cloth bags of dry neem leaves and place them at bottom, middle, and top of the container	Neem leaves are sterilant, anti-parasitic, insect and pest repellent, antifungal, and non-toxic and thus prevent spoilage of grains.
	Match boxes	Keep match boxes in layers. Place 6-8 boxes at the bottom, middle, and top of the container.	Match sticks have phosphorus, which is anti-repellent in nature.
Rice	Turmeric powder	Mix turmeric powder thoroughly with rice grains and fill in jute bags/airtight containers.	Turmeric has pesticidal, insecticidal, and antifungal properties. It also has hygroscopic and insecticidal properties.
	Calcium carbonate (limestone)	Powder the limestone and mix thoroughly with rice grain.	Calcium carbonate is inert and discourages insects from feeding and multiplying.
	Garlic	Put cloves of garlic in different layers of stored rice and close the container tightly.	Garlic is insecticidal and antifungal and thus prevents infestation in rice.
	Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)	Put 20-30 cloves at the top layer of the rice bag/ container and close the container tightly.	The strong flavor and bitterness of cloves protects the grain from spoilage.
Pulses	Edible oil and salt	Mix 5 g oil and one tsp salt for one kg pulse before filling in airtight containers.	Oil is anti-feedent or feeding repellent and lubricating. Salt is hygroscopic and insecticidal and thus protects the pulses from spoilage.
Spices	Asafoetida (Ferula assafoetida)	Place a small piece of 5 to 10 g asafoetida in the middle layer of the container or just below the top layer or tie the piece in cloth and place in the middle layer.	The strong/pungent flavour and insecticidal and anti­microbial properties of asafoetida prevent the spices from pests and insects.

	Common salt (crystals or powder)	Mix common salt in chili powder and coriander powder for longer storage.	The insecticidal property of salt helps in safe storage. Its hygroscopic quality helps in absorption of moisture which in turn keeps chili powder dry and avoids spoilage.
	Sun drying	Dry processed Foods like papad, hadi, and chips lightly in sun for 2-3 hours and then store in airtight containers.	The sun's heat absorbs the moisture content of the products and protects from infestation.
Dalia (coarse ground wheat)	Heat treatment	Roast wheat dalia without adding any nil/ghee. Cool and then fill in airtight container.	Roasting reduces the moisture of the product and helps in longer storage.
Tamarind	Common salt	Mix common salt in seedless tamarind and dry well in sun for 3-4 hours. Make small balls and store in airtight container/earthen pot.	The insecticidal property of salt increases storage life.
Mango (Dry powder)	Common salt	Mix salt in dried mango powder and then store in airtight container.	The insecticidal property of salt increases storage life.
	Turmeric powder	Mix turmeric powder in mango powder before storage.	Turmeric kills the microorganisms and protects the product from infestation/spoilage.
Pure ghee	Betel leaf (Piper belle)	Add 1 betel leaf while heating ghee and boil it for 5-10 minutes. Then strain it, cool, and store it in airtight containers/jars.	Betel leaf has desiccative property and prevents bad odour dining storage.
	Methi (Trigonella foenum-graceum; fenugreek) and curry leaves (Murraya koenigii)	Add 1 tsp methi powder while heating ghee and boil it for 5 minutes. Let it cool slightly and then add few curry leaves and stir well. After 15-20 minutes, strain it and pour in airtight container.		Methi is bitter, aromatic, and anti-microbial. Curry leaves are bitter, acrid, and anti-microbial in nature. Both help in increasing shelf life of ghee.

Storage of clothing
Silk and jari  garments	Newspaper	Wrap garments in newspaper after dry cleaning or sun drying and then keep in suitcase or trunk.		The printer ink acts as disinfectant and keeps moths and silver fish away.
Woollen garments	Neem leaves and cloves	Tie few neem leaves and cloves in muslin cloth and place in between the folds of the garments.		Neem acts as an insect repellent. The strong flavor and bitterness of cloves prevents damage against moths and silverfish.
	Dry neem leaves	Spread neem leaves at the bottom of the trunk and cover this layer with newspaper or cloth before placing the garments on it.		Neem leaves are sterilant, insect and pest repellent, and non-toxic mid thus prevent damage against moths and silverfish.
	Kalaunji (Nilgella sativa; black cumin)	Make bags kalaunji and place them in between the clothes.		Kalaunji seeds are aromatic, bitter, and insecticidal in nature.
	Black pepper and cloves	Keep black pepper and cloves in between the folds of the garments.		The pungent flavour and aroma of the spices prevents the attack of months and silverfish.
	Dry garlic	Wrap dry garlic  in cloth and place them in between the folds of the woolen garments.		Garlic is an insecticide and thus prevents attack of months and mildew.
	Eucalyptus leaves	Spread eucalyptus leaves at the bottom of the trunk and cover with newspaper or cloth before placing the woollen garments on it.		Eucalyptus leaves have strong flavour that acts as an insect repellent.
	Lemon shell	Keep dried lemon shell in the trunk or cupboard where garments are stored.		The aromatic property of lemon acts as a moth repellent.
	Newspaper	Wrap woollen in newspaper and store in airtight suitcase/trunk.		The printer ink acts as an insect repellent. The larvae of wool moth dislike printer ink.
Storage of bedding
Bedding	Sun drying		Sundry bedding like mattresses, pillows, blankets, quits, and durries before storing.	The strong sunlight kills the bacteria present and also makes the bedding free from bad odor.
	Camphor		Spread camphor inside pillows and on mattresses before storing.	The strong flavor of camphor protects from attack of bed bugs.