A trained dog can pick up the scent of live bed bugs and viable eggs hiding inside a sofa, behind a baseboard or in the joint of a bunk bed. In a Raisin City home where 4 or 5 people sleep in different rooms, a K9 team can check every bed in a short visit.
Good Times to Use a Dog
- A house with beds in nearly every room.
- A farm lot with 2 homes or a rented cottage.
- A rental that just changed tenants.
- Bites with nothing visible.
- A follow-up check after treatment.
How the Search Goes
- Trained noseThe dog is trained to respond only to live bed bugs and viable eggs.
- Walk-throughThe handler leads the dog past beds, sofas, trim and outlets in each room.
- SignalThe dog sits or noses toward the source.
- Handler checkEvery alert is confirmed by the handler by eye before treatment.
Questions to Ask the K9 Team
Ask who trained and certified the dog, how often the team practices and how alerts are confirmed. Be careful with any company that wants to treat a whole Raisin City house because of one alert no one has checked.
Before the Dog Arrives
- Keep yard dogs and cats out of the rooms being searched.
- Skip scented sprays, candles and heavy cooking that morning.
- Avoid using any insecticide for several days ahead of the visit.
Questions About K9 Inspections
Can the dog search more than one house on the same farm?
Yes. A K9 team can cover a main house and a rented second house in the same trip, which shows whether the bugs have spread between them.
If the dog alerts, are bed bugs confirmed?
Not yet. The handler must see live bugs or eggs at each spot the dog marks before any treatment is planned.
How your call is handled: Bed Bug Control CA is a free referral service. When you call or send the form, you are connected with an independent, licensed pest control company that serves Raisin City. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.