BED BUG CANINE DETECTION PREPARATION & PROCEDURES
Prior to TruTech Pest and Wildlife Control’s arrival for the scheduled appointment, please ensure all fans (air conditioners, forced air heating, ventilation fans, kitchen, stove and bathroom fans, plus computer fans) are turned off and all windows and doors remain closed for an hour or more.
This gives sufficient time for the scent to accumulate undisturbed, should bed bugs be present. We will arrive for our scheduled appointment and conduct a site survey of the area to be inspected.
- We are looking for any distractions that may interfere or harm the dog, e.g. dangling wires, household cleaners, toxic chemicals, pest control products, precarious furnishings, etc., and scouting out the best route for the inspection.
- We are also checking the natural air currents where scent could be disturbed, e.g., bathroom vents, chimneys, windows, doors, etc. This is also a good time for us to answer any of your questions. Next, we will bring the sniffer dog in and begin the inspection.
- During the search if you wish to be present we ask there is no talking, touching or eye contact with the dog and little movement. Please control your reactions to the dog’s search – this is a perfect time to practice your poker face. We do not want to distract the handler or the dog during the inspection.
- We may limit the number of people that may be present during the search to reduce distractions that may affect the dog’s concentration.
- Often the inspection is done off-leash, allowing the dog to ‘follow her nose”. Sometimes she will scout the perimeter of the room and work in, other times she will run a ‘zig-zag’ pattern. She is looking for the bed bug scent and if detected she will work the boundaries of the scent cone down to the source at which point she alerts. If an alert occurs, we will do an initial check for signs of bed bugs:
- Should live bed bugs or viable eggs be discovered the dog is rewarded with her favourite play toy. This is what drives her relentless energy for the hunt and fuels her determination. The area is then marked and the search resumed.
- If no immediate evidence of live bed bugs and viable eggs are uncovered, the area is marked for an in-depth examination later and the search is resumed.
- After a thorough inspection of the entire target area the dog will be taken off the premises to rest.
- We will return to verify the alert through physical examination of the alert areas by visual inspection
A concerted effort to confirm physical evidence of bed bugs will commence, e.g. examining furniture, removing switch plate covers, searching for live bed bugs, eggs, fecal stains and/or cast skins – “show me the bug”.
After the entire area has been searched, we will provide a short verbal review of the inspection and answer any questions. A written summary report will be provided within 24 hours.
