The foraging activity of the subterranean termite, Anacanthotermes ochraceus (Burmeister) (Isoptera: Hodotermitidae) was studied at El-Saidia village, Sennoures district, El-Fayoum Governorate, Egypt, throughout the two successive years 1997 and 1998 using perforated Polyvinyl chloride (P.V.C.) traps filled with corrugated cardboard paper then buried into the soil to a depth of 30 cm. Traps were replaced with new ones at monthly intervals. Parameters used for assessing foraging activity are % visited traps, number of workers, food consumption and soil translocation (construction activity).The percentage of visited traps ranged 0-34% in 1997 and 15-57 in 1998. The highest percentages of visited traps were recorded during July -October while relatively less percentages occurred between January and June. The vast majority of the foragers (98%) were workers but their numbers were not regarded as a reliable parameter for measuring foraging activity. Food consumption was relatively low during winter, more or less moderate during both spring and autumn and relatively high throughout summer with two distinct peaks; one in March -May and the other in September. Soil translocation increased progressively between January and September then tended to decline between October and December. Two peaks of soil translocation occurred; the first in May and the second in September. The relative efficiency of the four above-mentioned foraging activity parameters was discussed. Soil translocation seemed to be the most reliable quantitative parameter for the assessment of the foraging activity of the termite species under investigation.

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Treatment with topical application showed that the pyrethroids group, (Cypermethrin) was the highest toxic against the subterranean termites Psammotermes hypostoma (Desn.) after 12 hr. where recorded (LD50 value = 0.056001 and LD90 reached to 0.59557 μg/worker), followed by chlorpyrifos, recorded (LD50 value = 0.08066 and LD90 reached to 0.42698 μg/worker), and fipronil was in the last rank where recorded (LD50 value = 0.089141 and LD90 reached to 1.33442 μg/worker). Data after 24 hr. indicated again that, cypermethrin in the first rank in the acute toxicity, while fipronil come in the next rank followed by chlorpyrifos (LD50 value recorded 0.02265, 0.026085 and 0.0393 μg/worker respectively), and the values of LD90 reached 0.10035, 0.1054 and 0.15748 μg/worker, respectively. At all times control recorded 2, 2 and 4 % for chlorpyrifos, fipronil and cypermethrin, respectively.

Internal changes of temperature, moisture content and PH values of infested date palm trees with red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus were studied. The results indicated that internal Palm tree temperature at 6 am, Palm tree temperature at 12 pm and mean temperatures were increased in infested areas in infested trees during the different months. . Palm tree temperature at 6 am inside infested trees ranged between 12.8º C ( in January) and 34.8º C ( in August). The differences of Palm tree temperature at 6 am. between infested and healthy trees ranged between 0.1º C in January and 6.1º C in April. Palm tree temperature at 12pm in infested trees ranged from 11.9 ºC in January to 30 ºC in December and 7.8 ºC in October. Mean temp. in infested trees ranged between 12.4ºC in January and 32.4º C in August, while, the differences ranged between 2.2º C in January and 6.9 ºC in October.The moisture contents decreased in infested trees (ranged between 59.5 % in March and 78.3 % in November, while the differences ranged between 0.2 % in May and 9.6 % in March.PH values were lower inside infested areas than in healthy trees, where the range in infested trees fluctuated between 4.23 in May and 5.28 in March. The differences in PH ranged between 0.45 in March and 1.60 in June.

The obtained results of soil treatments against Psammotermes hypostoms (Desn.), indicated that, the three tested insecticides in different groups; chlorpyrifos, fipronil and cypermethrin were highly toxic in sub-surface layers of treated soil contains particle size of >850µm more than other particle sizes 425 and 250µm, respectively, and the fine soil was more safety to the ground water. Fipronil showed the highly toxic effect, followed by cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos, respectively. In coarse soil cypermethrin showed more toxic than other tested insecticides. The results of chemical determination of insecticides residues, data indicated that chlorpyrifos was more save for water table at all particle sizes followed by cypermethrin, while fipronil was the lower safety one, especially in soil particle sizes of 850 and 425µm, respectively. Generally the data of statistical analysis showed significant variations between all tested factors, (insecticides, particle sizes and depths of soil). with the variable, (mortality%).