A Biocide-Based Preventive Strategy for Combating Termites in Rural Dwellings in Sinnar State

Abstract

This work was carried out in the Faculty of Agriculture Demonstration Farm in Abu Naama (Sinnar ) in the years 2003 /2004 and 2004/2005. The behavioural ecology of termite pest species was investigated in detail. Continuous recording of temperature and relative humidity showed that termite optimal temperature is 28.5 °C ± 1.6 and their optimal relative humidity is 86.7 % ± 8.3. Water extracts of Aerva javanica Brum.f. (Dongola Plant), Azadirachta Indica A. Juss (Neem leaves) and Calotropis procera Ait (Usher leaves and latex) were screened as termiticides . The most promising extract and concentration of each of Dongola Plant, Neem leaves, Usher leaves and Usher latex were further tested in an extended field experiment ,thus , their potentialities were determined. Twenty percent and 15 % of latex aqueous extracts and Neem leaves aqueous extracts provided the highest resistance of wood against termites. A third set of experiments were carried out to determine the most effective application method from among the following : treating soil around wood, treating wood alone and treating both wood and soil around with the candidate plant extract . Results indicated efficacy in the following order: treating both wood and soil , treating wood alone and treating the soil around wood. Simple, practical and economically feasible options of control are concluded and recommended