Acoustic and temperature signals generated by subterranean termite infestation: its characteristics and implementations

The innovation in the proposed termite detection system can detect and predict the population non-destructively based on acoustic and temperature signals. This study aims to identify the characteristics of acoustic and temperature signals of subterranean termite infestation. Various termite populations were inserted into the pine board for 21 days as a feeding test, then infestation was monitored through the continuous acoustic-temperature signals response after 24 h. Based on the signal analysis, the peak of daily termite activity can be found in the afternoon, while the evening until early morning contained significantly less activity. This fluctuation was significantly associated with ambient temperature, the higher the temperature, the greater the activity. Furthermore, the signal analysis revealed that the higher the termite population, the warmer the board temperature with an average of 0.101°C. Based on the results, extensive knowledge is essential to effectively develop the signal processing package in the termite detection system.