Our beagle is trained in an accredited facility using the same methods used to train bomb dog and drug dog teams. She has received months of daily training at the facility as well as daily training in our home using bed bugs in various stages of their life cycle. Beddy is a beagle mix who was rescued from a shelter in the Ozarks before beginning her training. Her canine senses can smell up to two parts per trillion. Combined with her specialized training, this makes her extremely accurate at bed bug detection, even in the smallest cracks and crevices where bed bugs expertly hide. She is small enough to get into tight spaces.
In addition we have 3 German Shorthair dogs, Cocoa, Huck and Finndy. They were chosen for their versatility in hunting, high performance and high energy. They work well for longer jobs as well as for checking beds where people may need to be present. They can sniff mattresses without getting onto the beds. They train multiple times daily. When possible, we will bring at least two canines to complete inspections.
The dogs locate bed bug eggs, nymphs, and adult bugs. A unique feature of our training is that the dog and handlers and certified together to help ensure that the handler is using correct procedures to ensure the most accurate results. Although not always possible, our team will make every effort to verify the presence of bed bugs by visual inspection after the dog alerts to their scent. However, one of the advantages of using canines is their ability to smell eggs that are not visible to the human eye or to detect bugs/eggs/nymphs even when they are hiding in cracks and crevices where they can't be seen.
A bed bug canine is qualified to alert to both live bed bugs and bed bug eggs. This is the only technique that can detect all stages of live bed bug stages by scent. It would be next to impossible for a human to find a bed bug egg, which is about the size and color of a grain of salt.
A certified canine is 98% accurate at detecting bed bugs while a pest control professional generally has a 40-60% accuracy rate. Dogs can also indicate the general location of the bed bugs, which is critical for lowering costs of treatment. Accurate locating is critical to choosing an effective treatment method. Our dogs have narrowed infected areas down to single books and specific furniture, helping businesses and individuals treat only affected areas.
In addition to accuracy, bed bug dogs are extremely fast and efficient. Large areas can be covered in a fraction of the time it takes for a visual inspection. For example, a dog can inspect a single room in 2-3 minutes compared to 15-20 minutes for a person. A single dog can search many rooms in a single day. A canine can detect the location of the bed bugs so you can treat the areas of infestation and not spend time and money on areas that do not need treatment. Because we are family-owned, rather than associated with a specific pest control company, we can keep our overhead (and therefore prices) much lower than our competitors.
The canine team will inspect with minimal disruption and leave no mess behind. With their strong scent detection, they remove the need to pull up carpet, remove baseboards or dismantle furniture. This saves you time and manpower.
Because of their accuracy, a bed bug canine team can identify one bed bug just as easily as it can detect an infestation. This early detection means treatment will not need to be as extensive as it would for a severe infestation. This also helps reduce any time or expense from disruption of business.
If the dog indicates the presence of bed bugs there is a high statistical probability you should investigate further. If the dog does not indicate the presence of bed bugs, you can know with greater certainty that your home or place of business is clear from bed bugs. They can also be used after treatment to be sure the bed bugs are gone! This can provide proactive advertising to patrons and employees as well as peace of mind for homeowners and renters.