Infra Red Thermography (Thermal Imaging) for Use in Termite Detection in Sydney

By: Rowan Gregson

Infra red thermography is by no means a new technology, however its use in the pest management industry is quite new. Essentially thermal imaging can be used to detect variances in infra red radiation being emitted from the top 1/1000 of an inch of any surface that the camera is pointed at. This means that the workings of termites (mudding) and large groupings of termites (nests etc) can show up as a variance on the screen of a thermal camera.

In Sydney, Australia, thermal imaging has had varied results in the termite management industry due to two main factors that I will discuss. Whilst these do appear to be changing somewhat, purchasers of thermal termite inspections should be very wary.

1. Poor choice of thermal camera by the technician.

Not all thermal imaging equipment is created equal. There are many different thermal cameras on the market today that are precision scientific instruments. As with any tool, in any trade, it is important that the correct tool is chosen for each job. When carrying out a thermal inspection for termites the camera can be required to resolve a very small object. Sometimes as small as four mm square or even less. Therefore a thermal camera must be chosen that can resolve that size object at a reasonable distance from it. As a guide the ISO standard 20807 refers to a camera that has a rating of 1.5mrad or less because a camera of this specification or better will resolve a 4mm object at a distance of up to 2.3 metres. This means that an inspection can be undertaken from ground level, of most cathedral ceilings or even across a large room. A camera of lesser specifications will need to be closer to find the object and in some cases, so close, that it is prohibitive. Check what the mrad rating is, for the camera that is to be used on your job.

2. Poor or nonexistent training.

There are very few training courses available for thermal imaging and even fewer courses are available on thermal imaging in the pest management industry. The available courses are quite expensive and it appears that many of the technicians using thermal cameras in the pest management industry have done no training at all. The ISO standard 20807 sets out a minimum criterion for technicians to be qualified under. Check with your thermal imaging technician that he has certification to the standard.

To avoid the risk of being ripped off by a shady operator make sure that you do all of the research that you can and ask the above questions. If the answers that you are given are inconsistent with the requirements of the ISO standard then find another thermal imaging company.

An expert thermal imaging company in Sydney is www.Termicamcommercial.com.au Termicam is an internationally franchised thermal imaging company with franchisees in most states. Make sure that you use a properly qualified pest management professional in conjunction with your thermal inspector. In the end it is the training in conjunction with the correct tool that will end in the best results.

About the Author

Rowan has spent the last twenty five years working in many aspects of the Pest management industry. After starting his career in his families' pest control business in Central Queensland he has worked on the Sunshine coast, in Perth and has been based in Sydney for 15 years now. He has attained Certificate IV assett maintenance (pest management). Certificate IV Training and assessment, And is a level 1 Thermographer and still actively works in the termite management field. His chief interest is in the detection, identification and long term control of Termites of all species.

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