ABSTRACT
Controlling household ants in the field using coffee extract impregnated in gel baits

Li Lim1 and Abdul Hafiz Ab Majid1*
 
Household ant infestations are a common nuisance in urban environments, particularly in food service areas such as cafeterias. This study investigates the efficacy of using coffee extract impregnated in gel baits for controlling household ants, focusing on three species of coffee: Coffea arabica L., Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner, and Coffea liberica W. Bull ex Hiern. The field study was conducted on Penang Island, Malaysia, using a randomized complete block design in 13 cafeterias. Crude coffee extracts were prepared using Soxhlet extraction and incorporated into sugar-based gel baits. Quantitative results showed that gel bait containing C. arabica achieved the highest reduction in ant population, with a significant decrease in abundance 2 mo post-treatment compared to C. canephora, C. liberica, and a commercial control bait (Makfor Q). Specifically, C. arabica-treated areas recorded the significant (p < 0.05) lowest mean number of ants. These findings suggest that coffee extract gel baits, particularly those using C. arabica, offer a promising natural alternative to conventional insecticides for urban ant management.
Keywords: Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora, coffee extract, Coffea liberica, gel baits, household ants.
1Universiti Sains Malaysia, School of Biological Sciences, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
*Corresponding author (abdhafiz@usm.my)