DEVICE DETECTS WDI ACTIVITY

Pest Control Magazine - April 2002

By harnessing microwave technology, you can find hidden infestation and confirm suspicion in a variety of WDI accounts
In every area of the United States, wood-destroying insects cause hundreds of millions of dollars to home and business owners. These pests are sometimes more than a challenge. If you find them, you are a hero — but if you don’t completely eliminate them, here come the lawyers.

Pest management professionals rely on finding these insects with their expertise as pest inspectors, and to date, use two main tools: a flashlight and a screwdriver. Moisture meters are also becoming part of their inspection toolbox.

Recently, Protec USA of Coral Gables, FL, brought the Termatrac, a new inspection device, to the pest control industry. It uses patented microwave technology to determine termite, carpenter ant and other insect activity hidden below or behind the surface of timber, plasterboard, ceramic, brick or masonry surfaces. Another valuable feature is that the instrument can achieve a reading of termite movement without disturbing the insect activity or causing damage to existing structure. It’s said to be like having a sonogram performed on the home.

The monitor emits signals that penetrate through and behind the typical building materials being searched. Much like radar, if movement interrupts these signals, the liquid crystal display will alert the pest control inspector to this activity.

A versatile tool
There are many uses for this type of device in the industry. One example is from Richard Hernandez, general manager of Miami-based Apex Termite & Pest Control, Inc.

“We have only had the unit available for a very short period of time, and already have had some interesting successes,” Hernandez reports. “First, in a public elementary school, we had suspected subterranean activity. It appeared that the activity was centered around some bookshelves that were attached to a concrete wall. By using the unit, we were able to detect activity throughout the bookshelf and to track the entry point — which turned out to be an exterior expansion joint. After treatment, we monitored and determined we had been successful.”

In another instance, an Apex inspector found pellets during a routine inspection of a home that had been tent-fumigated the previous winter.

“It appeared to be coming from the old infestation, but the customer was unsettled,” Hernandez recalls. “We demonstrated the unit to the customer, and used it throughout the entire area. No active or live termites were found, giving our customer and us peace of mind. This device has made our job easier by providing technology to help us out in some difficult situations.”

Drywood discovery
Victor Griffith, president of Florida Bug Investigators, Inc. in Palmetto, FL, had similar successes.

“I recently leased the monitor. In the middle of February, the buyer of a new property who had already had four other WDO termite inspections contacted me. None of their reports showed live drywood termites, but the buyer was not convinced,” Griffith states. “In just five minutes, I was able to locate live drywood termites with the device, and actually demonstrated their activity on the screen to the buyer. Of course, I received the job and made the $1,500.”

In another situation, Griffith used the device on a frame stucco entrance. After his initial inspection, even though there were no visible signs, he suspected that at least one area looked conducive to termites. From the outside of the building, the device showed activity behind the entry wall.

“When I pulled the baseboard of a closet behind that wall, it had live subterranean termites. Needless to say, the unit helped me determine the extent of the infestation,” he confirms.

Not the low bid
Ron Stenquist, area manager of Terminix Co. of East Carolina, Goldsboro, NC, shares his story.

“A customer contacted our office and explained a situation that they thought might be a termite infestation and needed an inspection to confirm,” he explains. “We sent an inspector to the site, which turned out to be an apartment complex with 24 units on a concrete slab. Our contact person was the contractor who had been awarded the renovation of the establishment. He informed us that he would be paying for the treatment, and would be taking the best deal out of the three termite inspection companies. In a situation like this, any company knows that price would be an issue, in addition to treatment procedure, guarantee and inspection findings.

“We started our visual inspection in the area suspected of having termites,” Stenquist continues. “That apartment had active termites in the windowsill that the carpenters were replacing. After observing the room and the rest of the complex, we called in our quality control manager, who is trained to use the unit. As he scanned the wall containing the window, we were able to see activity in the whole wall and the inner wall connecting to it. That particular room had approximately 25 feet of activity within the wall structure. By viewing the extent of the termite activity, we were able to determine that the inner wall would need to be chemically treated, which we normally would not have been able to see.

“I am convinced that it was the device and our qualified personnel that got us the contract — because we were not the lowest bid,” he concludes. PC
For additional information, call Protec USA toll-free 866/505-BUGS (2847) or visit www.protecusa.biz.