Bed Bug Detection Dogs for Pest Prevention in Businesses

Bed bugs may only be the size of an apple seed, but they can create massive problems for your business. These bloodsucking insects can cause itchy bites and are notorious for being difficult to remove. A bed bug infestation, especially in hotels, healthcare facilities, and schools, can jeopardize your reputation. Occasionally, these bugs can be tricky to even detect in the first place. One effective mode of detection is by enlisting the help of a bed bug detection dog. In fact, these professionally trained canines are specifically taught how to locate these pests. Here’s everything you need to know about these scent-sational pups and how they can help your business.

What are Bed Bug Detection Dogs?

A bed bug detection dog is a canine with specialized training and certification. Typically, dogs will scratch or point their nose towards where they are located. Bed bugs emit distinct pheromones that these canines are taught to recognize and respond to. Because of this, they need to have a keen sense of smell. Breeds like Beagles, German Shepherds, and Labrador Retrievers are customarily used, but trained rescue dogs are also very common in the field.

Benefits of Bed Bug Detection Dogs

Human technicians can manually locate bed bugs, but they're not as reliable. Here's what sets these dogs apart from traditional detection:

• Locating bed bugs quickly: with an experienced detection dog, a room scan takes as little as 5-7 minutes.
• Early detection: canines can locate live eggs or even a single bug before they are noticeable to customers.
• Cost-effective: early detection of bed bugs can save you money by getting quick treatment ahead of advanced and costly infestations. Additionally, this can cut back on the need to tear up any furniture or break down walls for detection.
• Scan hard-to-reach areas: bed bugs tend to live in small areas like cracks, crevices, and walls. Dogs can reach these tight spaces that humans can’t.
• Accuracy: These dogs are trained to ignore distractions and produce non-biased results. According to an academic study, bed bug detection dogs have a 97.5% accuracy rate and did not give a false positive result when none were present.  On the other hand, human detection of bed bugs is almost exclusively a visual assessment. Because of this, there is room for oversight.

Snuff out Bed Bugs with Turner

A bed bug infestation can put a lot on the line for your business. These pests are capable of moving quickly & quietly to different units or rooms across an entire building. Customers may report infestations to the health department. Worse off, you could even potentially face legal repercussions. Even if the infestation is not visible or in an area that’s difficult to reach, this still presents a liability.

With Turner Pest Control’s K-9 Bed Bug Service, we have offered effective and consistent detection for over 15 years. To continue delivering quality service, our professionally trained rescue dogs are re-certified every year. Additionally, our experienced canines have serviced multiple hotels, resorts, and office buildings. If pests are detected, our experts will promptly set up a treatment for your business. The recommended treatment for bed bugs is a heat treatment, which kills them instantly with just one chemical-free treatment.

Not only is using our trained dogs the preferred detection method, but it is also a popular preventative service. Much of our commercial clientele benefits from K-9 bed bug detection while receiving routine pest control and prevention from Turner. Depending on your business needs, our K-9 team can sweep your property on a weekly, monthly, or one-time basis.

Suspect you have bed bugs? Snuff them out with effective detection and treatment that’s been right under your nose. Contact us today to schedule a canine inspection. Call us at 800-225-5305 or fill out our online contact form to receive a free quote for general pest inquiries.