If left untreated bed bug infestations can reproduce at an alarming rate. Early detection is key!
Our NESDCA certified canines are second to none! NESDCA is the ultimate accolade for dogs performing in the scent identification industry. We have the only NESDCA certified canines in Atlantic Canada.
The organization was formed by Pest Control Professionals to ensure the highest standards for Entomology Scent Detection Canines are upheld. To learn more about NESDCA please view their website at www.nesdca.com.
Our canine/handler teams are certified and provincially licensed pest control technicians; this makes us a trusted pest control partner that is fully equipped to handle all aspects of bed bug detection and extermination.
How does it work?
Canines have been trained to identify the presence of bombs, drugs, and other potentially dangerous elements for years. A bed bug K9 is no different; they are trained to pinpoint the pheromone scent emitted by live bed bugs and their eggs. The canine is able to identify the presence of this odor with an extremely high degree of accuracy; scientific studies show somewhere between 95-98%.
The canine’s keen sense of smell has proven to be invaluable when identifying issues that may not be visible to the human eye (walls, couches, and box springs to name a few). We often hear from frustrated clients that they are being bitten or suspect they have a problem, but cannot find the source – we can help!
The canine/handler team work simultaneously to determine the source of the infestation. The canine will fully investigate the inspection area and will alert (by sitting and tapping) the handler when it identifies the pheromone scent within the area being inspected. As the handler leads the dog through the area, they are looking for visible signs to confirm the canines alert, such as live bed bugs, eggs, cast skin and fecal matter. Little preparation is required and there is no need to vacate the inspection area, you can watch the inspection being performed. It is important to us that we offer our clients complete transparency.
According to a report prepared by the Institute for Biological Detection Systems (IBDS) of Auburn University (Auburn, AL), dogs have the following capabilities:
- Sensitivity: Documented limits of olfactory detection for the dog range from tens of parts per billion to 500 parts per trillion.
- 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 Signatures: When being trained to detect a substance, dogs learn to alert to abundant vapor compounds.
- Multiple Odor Discrimination: Dogs can easily learn as many as 10 scent discriminations.
Our certifications
More reading
If you’re curious to know more about the benefits of canine detection vs. human inspection alone, we’d highly recommend this article over at PCT Online (Pest Control Technology).
