A M Rizk’s scientific contributions

Background: The Egyption fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus, is considered a harmful pest that attacks agricultural crops, especially ripe fruits, causing economic losses. It is widespread in African sahara desert, Egypt, Pakistan and Northern India. This pest causes damage to many vegetables and fruits. The measuring of damage percentage will aid in the protection of these crops from bats attacking. Methods: The losses caused by Egyptian bats were estimated during two years (2019 and 2020) in many fruit orchards (date palm, citrus, apricot and mango) in reclaimed lands at Butt village, Dakhla Oasis, New-valley Governorate, to achieve integrated management of bat populations. Result: Only one species the Egyptian fruit bat, R. aegyptiacus, has been recorded with 167 individuals attacking fruit orchards. The highest average losses (11.1%) were found in date palms, from August to Oct., while the lowest (4.7%) were found in Apricot, during June and July. The second-highest losses were 7.6% in mango from June to August. The damage began from December to March in citrus with an average loss percent of 7.0%. Therefore, bat dens must be monitored and dealt with to limit their populations and reduce their losses to these value crops in El-Dakhla Oasis.

Bird damage is a serious problem for the agricultural sector in Egypt, it causes great economic losses by attacking various crops and fruit. Thus, there is an urgent need for accurate damage assessment, which supports any research efforts to reduce that damage. The goals of this study were to measure the use of traditional bird deterrent practices (Scarecrows and reflecting colored plastic stripe) and not use any deterrent practices, on bird damage in broad beans and strawberry fields during the ripening and fruiting stages. The percentage of bird damage in broad bean fields using visual bird deterrent practices and without any deterrent practices (Control) reached 20.51 and 19.31 %, respectively. While in strawberry fields it was 3.14 ± 0.47% in fields using visual bird deterrent practices and 3.74 ± 0.60% in fields without any deterrent practices (Control). Our findings cleared that birds were quickly accustomed to the deterrent practices and used the deterrent equipment as perching sites to attack the crops. It's obvious that these methods didn't affect the harm caused by birds.

Crows of birds are wide world, with some harmful environmental effects. It was recorded in many Governorates of Egypt, attacking plants and animals production causing visible losses. This study was conducted at Al-Saff district, Giza Governorate to survey species and their numbers in different habitats during 2018-2020 and how to control them with zinc phosphide. Only species, hooded crow, Corovus corone L. ( Aves: Corvidae ) recorded in old agriculture land, reclaimed land and city. The highest number recorded during spring in May then decrease through autumn, summer and winter the lowest count in February at old agriculture land and reclaimed. In city the count was highly during autumn in October then reduce in spring, summer and winter the lowest birds recorded in February. The total numbers increase from 2018 to 2020 and the increase percent were 15.5, 17.9 and 8.8% to each habitat respectively. The population crow was highly in reclaimed land comparing with old land and city, the average number were 255, 232 and 166 birds to each habitat respectively. When using fish bait 1% and 0.5% zinc phosphide directly the reduction percent of birds reach to 52.5% and 48.5%. While the percentage of reduction increased to 54.5% with fish without Zinc phosphide as pre-baiting before zinc phosphide fish bait 0.5%.

About 470 bird species known from Egypt. The majority are non-breeding migrants, passing through the country, exploiting the wide range of habitat types unique for their life, including agricultural habitats. A survey of wild bird carried out in three agricultural districts, El-Badrasheen, El-Aayyat and El-Hawamdiah districts, in Giza Governorate, from March 2018 to February 2020, using the point transect method. Twenty-eight species belonging to nine orders and twenty-five families recorded. House sparrow (passer domesticus niloticus) and Hooded Crow (xuvroc suvurc suvroC) were the only recorded noxious species, damaging wheat and corn crops. House sparrow damage to wheat start after the first week of the panicles emergence causing 21.4 % and 19 % losses, with the highest loss rate of 5.7 and 6.1% during 1 st of April at El-Badrasheen and El-Aayyat districts, respectively. The damage percent were 16.3 and 14.5% to corn by hooded crow in both districts from the 1 st week of August up to the 2 nd week of September and the highest loss rate were 5.4 and 4.2% during the 4 th week of August in the two districts, respectively. It is advisable to apply damage control programs against house sparrow populations at the beginning of February in wheat fields, and against hooded crow populations at the beginning of June in corn fields in these areas.

odent survey and damage of wheat tillers were done, at different growing stages, in three locations within Sohag Governorate, Egypt. The Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus, was the common species with 434 individuals, followed by Rattus rattus, with showing 348 individuals, while the Arvicunthus niloticus was 138 individuals. Maximum damage was recorded at wheat maturity stage. Three formulations of zinc phosphide 0.5% (A-zinc phosphide, B-zinc phosphide mixed with peanut butter and C-zinc phosphide mixed with egg) were applied simultaneously to three growth stages of wheat crop in order to break bait shyness to zinc phosphide and use it several times. The three formulas (A, B and C) caused average rodent population reduction of 73.6 %, 76.36 % and 86.21 %, respectively. Results concluded that zinc phosphide mixed with egg has more potential in enhancing bait acceptance, followed by zinc phosphide mixed with peanut butter. Both baits could be included in rodent control programs.

The Egyptian weasel Mustela subpalmata Hemprich and Ehrenberg (Carnivora: Mustelidae) is omnivorous and includes vegetables and fruit in its diet as well as waste human food and animals. Under different human habitats in Alexandria and Sohag Governorates, Egyptian weasel , found in houses and streets of popular and rural habitats. The male rate was about 60% according to months, habitats and location. The abundance of weasels in Alexandria houses and streets more than Suhag’s in both habitats. The higher index of weasels was recorded in rural human habitats and more disturbances could be found in the streets of both Governorates. In the winter months, weasels was limited in the streets while limited in houses during autumn months in rural habitats at both Governorates. In popular human habitats, weasel index limited to autumn months in streets and houses at the two Governorates. With high temperature months, weasels index increased earlier in Sohag compared with Alexandria and reached its peak in streets in summer and spring months in houses. Based on the previous results we can expect the disturbance weasels induces during high temperature months and could development suitable control program to get rid of weasels according to their abundance and distribution in houses and streets of rural and popular human habitats.

ABSTRACT The ectoparasites arthropods of rodent infesting animals and human have gained much attention in Egypt. The most important rodents in Egypt are Roof rate, Rattus rattus and Norway rate, Rattus norvegicus. Parasitological survey of these rodent species in El-Menofia Governorate (different regions) during summer season, 2016 was infested with various species from arthropods such as 6 mite species, 2 tick species and one lice species. The collected mites were Dermanyssus sanguineus (Dermanyssidae), Orithonysus bacoti (Macronyssidae), Haemolaelaps glasgowi, Laelaps nuttalli (Laelapidae); Radfordia sp. and Myobia sp. (Myobiidae). In this study, the ectoparasitic ticks were represented by two species i.e. Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Hyalomma dromedarrii (Ixodidae). On the other hand, the ectoparasitic lice on R. rattus and R. norvegicus at El-Menofia Governorate were represented by one species, Polyplax spinulosa (Polyplacidae). The present study showed that the lowest number of trapped rats was 15 rats at El-Bagour district with 71 parasitic mites, 61 lice individuals and 25 tick members but the highest number of trapped rats was recorded at Menouf region (51 rates) infested with 262 different mite numbers, 23 lices and 40 tick individuals. The lowest number of parasitic mites was 69 members at Ashmoun district and the highest lice number was found at Ashmoun (943 lices) but the lowest number was recorded at Menouf (23 lices), while El-Bagour region included the lowest number of ticks (15 individuals) and the highest number was found in Quiesna (125 individuals). The current study indicated that Ashmoun district had the highest number of collected rat ectoparasites (1028 individuals), but the lowest region was El-Bagour, as, it included 147 ectoparasites individuals (mites, lice and ticks).

Rodent cause major economic losses in man food item and often hinder production also, inflict health to people and live-stock in villages. Sohag one of the upper Egyptian Governorates is similarity in weather, agriculture and housing structure and lifestyle. Rodent species survey and calculate density in three different habitats to know the distribution shape and number development beside use change the base carrier of zinc phosphide bait technique when use more time to increase effectiveness in rodent control programs. Five species at family Muridae recorded in Akhmim district (Sohag Governorate) through 2014-2016 in the tested habitats, R. rattus, R. norvegicus, A. niloticus, A. cahirinus and M. musculus. The average number of all rodent species at two years was 689 rats and mice, 187.5 in field crops, 180.5 in vegetable city market and 321 in countryside village. Each habitat are discrimination of one specie, A. niloticus in field crops, A. cahirinus in countryside village and M.musculus in vegetable city market. R. rattus and R. norvegicus spread in the three habitats, R. norvegicus the predominant species in field crops only and R. rattus in other two habitats. The highest density of all recorded species was during spring then summer, whereas autumn and winter respectively .Using technique food base carrier at zinc phosphide bait 0.5% change in the next application after 15 delayed to increase the population reduction of rodent to 88.2 % and 84.6 % when change maize bait by wheat bait compared with applied the same food carrier of crushed maize over once after 15 day the reduction were 69 % and 71.7 % in countryside village and field crops respectively. The bait shyness of zinc phosphide reduce with change food bias carrier in the next application after 15 day the bait intake were (135 and 147 (g)) compared apply the same first bait after 15 day, bait intake were 22 and 26 g to each countryside village and field crops respectively.