K9 Bed Bug Hunters Excel at Sniffing Out Pests

The catchy phrase, "Good night, sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite" used to be said more as a joke than an actual warning. However, beg bug infestations have become increasingly common in recent years, and as a result pest control companies have sought new ways to combat these nasty blood-sucking insects. One of those is with highly trained Detection Dogs, who use their exceptional scenting ability to pinpoint where the tiny critters (and their eggs) are hiding.

If dogs can be trained to sniff out bombs, drugs, people, weapons and cancer, it stands to reason they could use their sensitive noses to locate insects too. That is most likely the logic that led pest control companies to develop training and testing standards for bug-sniffing dogs. Now, a number of them have skilled K-9 Beg Bug Detectors on hand to help them wage war on the revolting pests that feast on sleeping humans.

A Dog's Nose: Cutting Edge "Technology"

Dogs are not only being trained to sniff out bed bugs, but they can do so much quicker and more efficiently than humans. A dog's sense of smell is much more acute than ours because it has approximately 200 to 250 million scent receptors in its nose, compared to only 5 million receptors in a human's nose. A dog's sense of smell is so sensitive it can even detect odors that many scientific instruments cannot.

A trained detection dog's scenting ability is no match for the once might bedbug. Unleashed onto the scene of the "crime," the K9 pest control can quickly locate bed bugs in all of their favorite hiding spots: mattresses, box springs, baseboards, carpeting, floorboards, behind wallpaper, and even electrical outlets near the bed.

"A dog's nose is cutting-edge technology," Carl Massicott, owner of Connecticut's Advanced K9 Detectives, told the New York Daily News. It usually takes months of intensive training and includes hundreds of hours of practice before a bed bug detection dog is ready to be part of a pest control team.

How Bed Bug Dogs Detect Pests

A well-trained detection dog can enter a room and within two to three minutes, alert their handler to the tiniest trace of bed bugs. When bed bugs are detected, the dogs are trained to sit down, bark, or paw at the area. Dogs can be trained to detect both live and dead bed bugs, as well as cast skins, eggs and bed bug excrement. Human bed bug detectives, on the other hand, must rely on visual clues which can require a thorough and time consuming inspection of the home. Detection dogs can also be brought in after pest control treatment to guarantee that all of the bed bugs and eggs have been exterminated.

"Beagles are really exceptional at this kind of work, because of their sharp olfactory senses," said Erik Alden, supervisor of the Bed Bug Scent Division at ISOTECH Pest Management. ISOTECH 's innovative approach to pest control gained national attention and led to a reality television series on the Discovery Channel called The Verminators.

The mere thought of bed bugs nibbling away on us while we sleep is enough to sicken even the heartiest soul. But fret no more. If you think you have a bed bug infestation, who ya gonna call? The dogs of course! Canine bed bug busters might just be the ultimate weapon for fighting those vile blood-sucking insects.

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http://www.k9bedbughunters.com/

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