A computerized system for remote monitoring of subterranean termites near structures.
Sensors comprising wooden stakes painted with conductive circuits of silver particle emulsion were inserted in Sentricon stations in soil near structures. Sensors were wired to a datalogger that was programmed to test for circuit breakage every 2 h and store the data in its memory. A host computer was programmed to access the datalogger through telephone communication lines for data download every 4 d. The computerized monitoring system was tested in three remote sites, and site visits were conducted monthly for 6 mo to examine system accuracy in detecting termite activity. The mean monthly accuracy for the system to correctly report the presence (true positive) or absence of termites (true negative) in the stations was 85%, but the accuracy at 6 mo after system installation ranged from 41 to 79%. Mean sensor longevity, defined as the time for a sensor circuit to break in the absence of termites, was approximately 4.4 mo.
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Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 33314, USA.
D000818:Animals; D003201:Computers; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods*; D020049:Isoptera