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Pest Detection in Structures

Thermal imaging is one of the newest tools for the pest management professional. As with most applications, thermography for pest detection is not “simply point and shoot”.

Worldwide, pest management is a multi-billion dollar business annually. Traditionally, pest inspectors have relied on visual and physical inspections of structures and facilities when hunting for their quarry. Inspections were limited to locations accessible to the inspector and, in the absence of visual indications, could potentially miss infestations or prime conditions conducive to same.

As technology has progressed, pest inspectors have turned to additional forms of detection in the form of electronic sensors such as microwave and acoustic emission detectors. In the hands of a trained professional, these tools can greatly enhance an inspection; however, they are contact instruments and test data are limited to relatively small areas.

Thermal imaging provides an alternative to contact testing when evidence of pest infestation will cause a change in the surface temperature of the subject structure. For infestations that do not cause a change in surface temperature, it may be possible to employ active thermography to create a detectable Delta T by actively heating or cooling the subject structure or timing the inspection when an adequate Delta T is present.

For pest detection, successful application of thermal imaging requires a trained and experienced operator with knowledge of infrared theory and heat transfer, the structure being inspected, and the thermal signatures associated with likely pests or their activities. Most importantly, all thermal data should be verified by independent means.

IR Thermography for Integrated Pest Management Professionals may be taken as an open enrollment class or through our Distance Learning program. Both classes qualify students to take the Level I Infraspection Institute Certified Infrared Thermographer® exam. For more information or to register for a course, call us at 609-239-4788 or visit us online at infraspection.com.