Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring was conducted on wooden samples containing three economically important species of termites in California (dampwood termite, Zootermopsis nevadensis, Western drywood termite, Incisitermes minor, and Western subterranean termite, Reticulitermes hesperus). Laboratory AE studies included varying termite species, as well as 7 day studies exploring the periodicity of termite behavior. The results from the laboratory tests revealed significant differences in AE events between species, days, and sensors used. In a second study, the distance that AE signals could be detected in 2.6 m (8 ft.) long, 52 x 102 mm² (2 by 4 in.) wooden studs was also explored for the dampwood termite. Acoustic emission signals were detectable for up to 2.2 m in wood for dampwood termites. This study is compared with other investigations exploring the feasibility of using AE to detect termites.

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