To evaluate termite attacks in wooden constructions by detecting the metabolic gas from termite colony, the basic performance of three types of ceramic gas sensors (odor-, methane- and hydrogen-selective sensors) was investigated. Four termite groups of different combinations of workers (100 to 1000) and soldiers (10 to 100) of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and a small specimen of Japanese red pine and / or wet paper were placed in a container to which the gas sensors were attached. We found that the concentration of gas detected by the hydrogen-selective sensor increased with the number of termites in the container. The performance of this sensor was not influenced by the gases released from the wood specimens. Similar findings were also obtained for the odor-selective sensor, but it detected odor not only from termites, but also from the wood. No significant increase in the gas concentration was noted using the methane-selective sensor, which we speculated may be due to the influence of the humidity changes 63 in the container on the performance of this sensor. The variations in gas concentration associated with the termite activity are also discussed.

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