Control of Termite Attack using Trapping Method and AE Monitoring
In order to prevent attacks by subterranean termites (C.formosanus Shiraki and R.speratus Kolbe) on buildings and to control their potential, artificial traps were buried around the buildings (Fig. 1). The attacking activities of the termite in and around the traps were monitored by the detecting of acoustic emission (AE) generated by the feeding of termites.The trap has a cylindrical form with 600mm height, 300mm in diameter, consisted of wood sticks of Japanese red pine for forage in its center and slender polystyrene foam sticks surrounding the wood sticks (Fig. 2). AEs generated by the feeding activities were monitored continuously by piezoelectric AE sensor attached to the sticks in the trap or on the wood bait stakes near the trap. The rates of AEs detected varied according to the feeding activities which are associated with the number of termites in the trap and the temperature conditions (Fig. 3).
Fig.1
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| Fig. 2 Artificial trap (upper : the artificial trap inhabited by termites) |
(left : summer, right : winter) *In summer, termites come into trap from the bottom in a week.