Detect termite infestations with thermal imaging inspection

Among the household pests, termite brings the more headache because it would cause damage and loss to the building materials, furnitures, etc. In fact, some studies show that losses caused by termites are 4 times higher than losses caused by fire.

Termites infestation is difficult to detect because they are intelligent to cover up their tracks. For example, they will consume up the wood underneath the surface, and the wood seems to be normal from outside. It might take up to a few years before signs of the problem eventually revealed. Worse still, the termite queen may live up to 25 years and lay more than 60,000 eggs in her lifetime, and there could be more than one queen in a termite colony.

The conventional way to detect termite infestations is to look for signs such as hollow sound when wood surface is tapped with blunt object, muddy tubes, shed wings of termite swarm, etc.

The more effective way nowadays is to make use of thermal imaging technology.

Objects with a temperature above absolute zero (- 459° F) emit infrared radiation which is not visible to our naked eye. As an object heats up, it will radiate more and more energy from its surface. The technique for making this invisible radiation visible is called thermal imaging, and involves the use of sophisticated thermal imaging cameras.

Thermal imaging technology detects heat patterns. When termites invade buildings, the normal heat patterns of the walls, floors and roof change due their presence. The thermal imaging camera is able to records this change in heat pattern and indicates the exact location of any termite infestation. The camera is very sensitive and is able to detect temperature variations as little as 0.1 degrees celcius.

Thermal imaging can therefore be used in detecting items that may be of concern which are concealed by wall linings, including termites. This method is non-destructive and non-intrusive, as there is no need to poke holes in a surface to determine if there is damage beneath it.

I have just engaged with Ridpest to inspect for termite with this with thermal imaging technology. It has been few years since the termite barrier threatment done by the developer when my house is built, and I'm aware that the effectiveness of that termiticide underneath the house will just wear off by time.