Abstract Termiticide, repellent and antifeedant activities of extracts from Pongamia pinnata wood were evaluated against Coptotermes heimi (Wasmann) at three different concentrations preceded by a preliminary choice and no-choice tests for natural resistance of tested wood. Termites’ mortality was determined in each case of extract and solvent treated Whatman filter paper. Finally, wooden blocks of poplar (19×19×19 mm) were treated with extracts and respective solvents and exposed to termites in the field for 28 days. Minimum mean weight loss was observed in dried P. pinnata (6.38%), followed by fresh P. pinnata in choice tests. In no-choice tests, dried P. pinnata was comparatively resistant with a weight loss of 12.37%, followed by fresh P. pinnata and P. deltoides. In toxicity bioassay, ethyl acetate-based wood extracts caused the highest mortality (41.66%), followed by petroleum ether, hexane, and water extracts at 10 mg/ml concentration. Similarly, ethyl acetate-based extracts showed maximum repellency (100%) followed by petroleum ether extracts at 10 mg/ml and ethyl acetate at 5 mg/ml after 60 min of termite exposure. Minimum wood losses were observed in woods treated with ethyl acetate extracts compared to control and other treatments in field experiments.

Abstract: The current study was aimed to evaluate the effect of neem and sesame oils on the improvement of poplar (Populus spp.) wood resistance to subterranean termite in the field. Concentrations of 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % of both oils alone in toluene and their different combinations along with heat treatment were bio-assayed against termites. Results showed that both oils protected woods against termites differently; however, neem oil was more protectant than sesame oil. Moreover, neem oil, when combined with sesame oil, significantly improved the wood resistance compared to separate oils treatment. Heat treatment alone was not enough to enhance resistance against subterranean termites. The treatment at 200 ºC for 6 h combined with 75 % neem and 25 % sesame (3:1) appears to be the best treatment condition in this investigation. It is concluded that neem oil can be useful as a wood preservative against subterranean termites combined with sesame oil and heat treatment.

Abstract: The study assessed the effect of jatropha, linseed, eucalyptus, neem and jojoba oils on protection of three wood species (Acacia nilotica, Dalbergia sissoo and Pinus wallichiana) against termite attack by Odontotermes obesus. Conditioned and pre-weighed blocks of each wood species were vacuum-pressure impregnated with a 15% concentration of the oil-ethanol solutions. Resistance of treated and untreated wood against termites was tested under laboratory as well as field conditions using choice and no-choice tests. Oil treated wood showed significant reductions in weight loss compared to control treatments. Complete termite mortality was recorded for all oil treatments except eucalyptus oil. Linseed oil showed good results in each treatment in terms of feeding resistance as well as mortality of termites followed by neem, jatropha, jojoba and eucalyptus oil. The lower weight losses were found in both choice and no-choice field tests for linseed oil treated Dalbergia sissoo while untreated Pinus wallichiana sapwood had the greater weight loss. It was observed that the oil retention was significantly more in sapwood than in heartwoods. The retention of oils justified that wood with high oil retention showed more resistance against the termite except eucalyptus oil treatment of Pinus wallichiana.

ABSTRACT The house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), is a major pest of all aspects of life, like the domestic, medical and veterinary and causal agent of several pathogenic diseases. The present study was conducted to evaluate the potential of different insecticide-free baits against house fly by incorporating flower methanol extract of Helianthus annuus (sunflower) and Tegetes erecta (marigold) at 10%, 20% and 30% bait formulation of corn syrup, dried milk and water. However, imidacloprid and thiacloprid (each at 5% concentration) were also included in the study for comparison. Results showed that insecticide baits were superior in causing mortality of adult house fly but dependent upon syrup. Overall, 20% baits of both extracts caused more than half population death of house fly within 48h. On the other hand, the mortality rate by 30% baits (from sunflower and marigold) had a similar impact as observed in case of imidacloprid and thiacloprid baits. Therefore, biological baits could play a more active and safer role in the management of house fly as compared to synthetic insecticides.

Abstract Synthetic wood preservatives are the causes of large-scale environmental pollution and few have been withdrawn from the commercial markets in the past years. The present studies focused on determination of naturally present extractives of Ziziphus mauritiana as less toxic wood protectant against subterranean termites. Firstly, natural resistance of Z. mauritiana heartwood against termite was determined by exposing stakes in the field. For the preparation of extractives, air-dried Z. mauritiana heartwood and bark shavings were soaked in 1 liter each of ethyl acetate, hexane, petroleum ether and water in a bottle separately. Different dipping treatment times (36 and 72 hours) at 10, 20 and 30% concentrations of extractives on Populus deltoides wooden stakes were used and stakes were exposed to termites in submerged manner. Combination of extractives in different solvents were included as separate experiment and finally, seasoning prior to extractives application on P. deltoides wooden stakes was also done and stakes were arranged in three replications for each treatment. Maximum mean percent weight loss (81.1%) was observed in case of P. deltoides followed by boiled Z. mauritiana (15.24%) in termite resistance test. Stakes treated with petroleum ether extracts had minimum weight loss alone or in combination with other extract’s solvent in all experiments. Extractives in other solvents followed petroleum ether non-significantly but were significantly different from their respective control treatment, which had the highest weight loss (>60%). Transferring durability using extracts of Z. mauritiana increased resistance of non-durable P. deltoides against termites and extractives could be used as wood preservatives.

Abstract: Choice and no-choice tests were run to evaluate natural resistance of the woods of two Morus species (Morus alba and Morus nigra) against the subterranean, Heterotermes indicola, under field conditions. Toxicity, antifeedant and repellency potential of the heartwood extractives was also investigated under laboratory conditions. Heartwood extractives were removed from wood shavings by using methanol or an ethanol: toluene (2:1) mixture. Results of choice and no-choice tests with sap and heartwood blocks exposed to termites, showed that both mulberry species were resistant to termites but in comparison, Morus alba wood was more resistant than Morus nigra to termite feeding as it showed <5 % weight loss after 90 days. Termites exhibited a concentration dependent mortality after exposure to either mulberry species’ heartwood extractives. The highest termite mortality occurred after termites were exposed to filter paper treated with Morus alba extractives at a concentration of 5 %. At this concentration, antifeedancy and repellency were calculated to be 91,67 and 84 % respectively. . Our results also showed that extractives from either mulberry species imparted resistance to vacuum-pressure treated non-durable Populus deltoides wood. Termite mortality was greater than 75 % after feeding on Populus deltoides wood treated with extractives from Morus alba. Solvent only (methanol) treated Populus deltoides controls, showed a minimum weight loss of 2,69 % after 28 days. These results suggest that Morus alba extractives have antitermitic properties and may be potentially useful in the development of environment friendly termiticides.

The relationship between drying and hygroscopic ability of Crateva adansonii and Populus deltoides woods to resist feeding by Odontotermes obesus was studied. Woods were dried under the sun and in the oven for a range of 5-25 days and then these were exposed to termites for 25 days in underground pits in Randomized Complete Block Design pattern with five replications. Results showed that lowest moisture gain was observed at a short time for drying with each method. Weight loss after termites' exposure was more in less dried sap and heartwood of either plant species. The practical implication of these results is discussed.