Invasive inspection to detect termite damage or termite activity

Invasive termite inspection in termite control

An invasive termite inspection is often recommended in a termite inspection report or pre-purchase termite inspection report. Simply put, an invasive termite inspection is the next step most pest managers will recommend when they understand that there is a high risk of termite damage or termite activity present in a structure that cannot be detected using standard inspection practices. visual inspection for termites. .

It can be argued that before undertaking invasive termite inspection, that there are at least two (and possibly more) valid termite inspection tools that are non-invasive and therefore less expensive both to perform and to operate. that do not carry a repair bill like all invasive inspections do, these tools should be considered. They are thermal inspection and microwave inspection.

Techniques for the inspection of invasive termites

• Using an auger to determine if there is termite sludge

A borehole telescope is a piece of equipment that has either an optical lens arrangement or a camera and cable arrangement on a long, flexible cable/tube that can be inserted into a cavity to allow viewing of the interior. Generally speaking, in a home, this will require drilling holes in the walls to allow lens access between the wall studs. For the most part, holes will need to be drilled between each wall stud approximately 450mm to 600mm apart around all walls that are of special interest and in some cases throughout the house. A pinhole telescope can be used to look inside any cavity that has the ability to create a hole that fits through the lens, this includes dwarf brick walls, ceiling cavities, and under and behind kitchen cabinets and the bathroom. The size of the hole that is necessary for access is usually 14mm.

• Removal of cut timbers to reveal the extent of termite or sludge activity

In areas where termites are suspected to be at work, this can often be positively determined by removing trimmed timbers in areas of particular concern. This may require the removal of baseboards, door frames, chair or picture rails, and architraves. The exact cutouts that need to be removed vary from home to home and can only be determined on site once construction methods are determined. This method will generally not reveal the extent of termite damage.

• Gypsum cut to reveal termite run and damage

When exact measurement of termite damage to wood is required to be determined, this is best accomplished by removal of plaster, usually to a height of around 300mm. This method will usually be used with the help of thermal imaging and moisture meters to reduce the amount of damage done to the walls, however the only true way to account for all termite damage is to keep cutting until there is no damage. more termite or termite sludge packs. damage can be found.