A 2,4-dihalogenobenzoyl-(thio)urea of the formula ##STR1## in which X represents sulphur or oxygen,X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 are identical or different and represent fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine,R.sup.1 represents hydrogen, halogen or optionally substituted radicals from the series comprising alkyl, alkoxy and alkylthio,R.sup.2 represents hydrogen, halogen, cyano, nitro, or optionally substituted radicals from the series comprising alkyl, alkylthio, alkylsulphonyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl and alkoxycarbonylalkylthio, orR.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together represent an optionally substituted alkylenedioxy radical or --CF.sub.2 --O--CF.sub.2 --O--,R.sup.3 represents hydrogen, halogen or an optionally substituted alkyl, alkoxy or aryloxy radical, andR.sup.4 represents hydrogen, halogen, or optionally substituted radicals from the series comprising alkyl, alkylthio and alkoxy, with the exception of those cases in which X represents oxygen, X.sup.1 andX.sup.2 represent chlorine and (a) R.sup.1 represents chlorine, R.sup.2 represents OCF.sub.2 CHFCl and R.sup.3 andR.sup.4 represent hydrogen, or (b) R.sup.1 represents chlorine, R.sup.2 represents OCF.sub.3 and R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represent hydrogen, or (c) R.sup.1 represents chlorine,R.sup.2 represents SCF.sub.3 and R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represent hydrogen, or (d) R.sup.1 represents OCF.sub.3 and R.sup.2,R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represent hydrogen, or (e) R.sup.2 represent OCF.sub.3 and R.sup.1, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represent hydrogen.