K9 Bed Bug Detection in NY, NJ & CT

A trained pest management professional can only detect what he sees. If there’s bed bug activity behind walls, baseboards, under carpets, inside furniture or closets, the room would have to be stripped down and baseboards would be have to be pulled away from the walls, which is very time consuming and not practical. Due to a dog’s keen sense of smell, Assured Environments canines can detect bed bugs behind walls and in furnishings without any preparation, thus making the inspection more thorough and much more accurate. This precise detection means that if there is bed bug activity our canines will signal the handler! In the case of hotels and motels, proprietors can take a proactive approach by going the extra mile when it comes to bed bug management by having reoccurring canine inspections which demonstrate a proactive approach to provide an alert free environment.

Sensitivity: Documented limits of olfactory detection for a dog range from tens of parts per billion, to 500 parts per trillion. Humans are only capable of detecting certain substances in dilutions of less than one part in several billion parts of air. Discrimination: Dogs are extremely good at discriminating a target vapor from non-target vapors that are also present, even at relatively high concentrations of non-target odors. Odor Signature: When being trained to detect a substance, dogs learn to detect to one or two of its most abundant compounds. Multiple Odor Discriminations: Dogs can easily learn as many as ten odor discriminations. Dogs are Honest: Dogs are trained to work for food and love... and NOT for profits. Surrounding Environment: Dogs can track a scent through snow, air, mud, water, and even ash. Odor Image: For dogs, a scent is like a three-dimensional “odor image” – and much more detailed than a photograph is for a human. Tracking: Dogs follow a biochemical trail of skin cells, sweat, odor molecules, and gasses.

Generally, if the canine is tired, over worked or if the canine is not being properly trained, there is a chance he might detect a false scent. We take many preventative measures to make sure this doesn’t happen. For example, we train and test the canines on live bed bugs only and use detractors of other bugs to make sure they are not detecting to any other bug/insects to minimize the chance of detecting a false scent.

Yes, all areas of the apartment/home/building should be inspected to possibly minimize the necessary treatment and save money in the long run.

If you are in a Residential space, here is what you need to do to prepare for your canine inspection: No other pets can be present. All pet toys, food and bed must be put away before our arrival. All food debris should be swept up. Home should not have been treated with any pesticides whether by a professional or over the counter in the past 30 days. This includes any of the following: Lemon Pledge, scented candles, incense, bleaches, freshly painted walls or floors with polyurethane. There can also be no construction within the home. If you are in a Commercial building, here is what you need to do to prepare for your canine inspection: All ventilation must be off. No vacuuming should be performed on the day of service. The floor must be vacant before inspection.

“The K9 conducts an olfactory inspection of the all areas that need to be inspected. Upon detecting the odor of bed bugs, the K9 gives a passive indication by sitting and pointing at the area in which the bed bug odor was detected.” - Dave Machette (K9 handler of Bugsy) “If a customer shows us an area where a bed bug was found, we would begin away from there, as not to walk the dog into the odor right away. In a room, we work clockwise. The Perimeter is done first. Then we go over to a table and zig-zag the dog under the chairs so they can get trapped odors under the table. An inspection with a dog is allowing the dog to walk in all areas, closets where coats or office supplies are kept. You will see without any odor a dog will walk freely almost looking bored or tired. Then when the dog comes into the odor of a live bug or egg you will see the walking begin to slow down and the dogs head pick up. It is then you watch the dog and let them walk to the strongest area of the odor, where they will sit and you ask them to "show me" at which time my dogs will touch the object with their paw or the beagles will touch it with their nose. The canine will lock up until the handler acknowledges the find. Signaling to the handler this is the stronger area of the odor. Praise is given with a treat and we move on.” - Joseph F. Clark, Jr. (K9 Handler of Maya)

Our policy is if a K-9 detects the scent of a bed bug and no one in the home or apartment is complaining of bites, we would recommend a visual inspection and monitoring service and we would not to perform treatment.

In commercial settings, a dog can re-inspect after 30 days. For residential buildings a dog can come back after 45 days.

Each K-9 Team is tested and certified by two Police Master Trainers in Scent Detection. We certify our canines following the NPMA Guidelines. The canines also train on a daily basis.

No, we train and test the canines on live bed bugs only. We use detractors of other bugs to make sure they are not detecting to any other bug or insects.