|
Cynthia Tucker, a graduate assistant and doctoral entomology student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, recently completed testing on the patented Termite Detection System (TDS), which samples the air in the wall cavities of buildings and analyzes its composition to determine any increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) that indicates termite activity.
The yearlong laboratory experiments consisted of six termite infestations of varying degrees, along with two control units (featuring soil, water and wood, but no termites).
Tucker reports that all six units showed at least a 2 percent increase in C02, with an average increase of nearly 3.5 percent. One unit showed a 5 percent increase. Meanwhile, the two control units showed 1 percent and .6 percent respectively, attributed to fungal bloom.
Tucker notes that the test supports the theory of large increases in C02 levels where termites are present. She also tested the C02 levels with cockroaches and carpenter ants with negligible results.
Field use confirms it:
Bill Moyer, President of Termite Detection Systems in Oak Island, N.C., points out that Tucker’s research confirms the feedback he has received from the field from firms large and small across the country. For example, Springer Pest Solution’s corporate entomologist and technical director, Dr. Stuart Mitchell, claims 100 percent accuracy with the system in Springer’s Iowa and Florida offices.
“We brought it in and tested it in areas where we knew there was a presence of termites. It confirmed presence for us every time with both Subteraneans and Formosans,” Mitchell told Pest Control. “It’s been exceptionally accurate for us.”
Moyer invented the system four years ago for his company, Structural Damage Specialists, which subcontracts repairs on termite damage for pest management firms in the Carolinas.
"We use the TDS to determine infestation locations before we go tearing out the walls", he explained. "By using the Termite Detector probe through sheet rock, we can locate the bulk of the infestation simply by the larger concentration of CO2."
As part of the USDA program Operation Full Stop, New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board tested the TDS last January in its efforts to detect, monitor and treat its extensive Formosan termite problems.
For additional information or to place an order, please call 910-933-4218,
contact or
email Termite Detection Systems Inc. Additional features include a charging status indicator,
sensor failure indication, sensor test mode, AC/DC Chargers, rechargeable NiMH (nickel metal hydride) batteries,
probe filters, and shock resistant carrying case.
|
