A trained dog can smell live bed bugs and eggs hidden inside a sofa frame, under wood trim or behind a switch plate. For larger Martinez homes, duplexes and apartment buildings, a K9 team can move through many rooms in a single short visit.
When a Dog Search Pays Off
- You have bites but nobody can find a bug.
- A multi-bedroom home in Alhambra Valley or the hillside neighborhoods.
- Checking neighboring units in a duplex or apartment building.
- After a trip, to see whether anything came home in the luggage.
- Confirming that an earlier treatment worked.
Step by Step
- ArrivalThe dog is trained to react only to live bed bugs and viable eggs.
- Search patternThe handler guides the dog along beds, seating, baseboards and walls.
- AlertThe dog sits or points with its nose at the source of the scent.
- ConfirmationThe handler checks each alert visually before anything is decided.
What to Ask a K9 Team
Find out where the dog was trained, what certification it holds, how often it practices on known samples and how alerts get confirmed. Be cautious about any company that wants to treat an entire building because of a single alert nobody has verified.
Before the Search
- Put your own pets somewhere away from the rooms being searched.
- Skip scented candles, strong cooking and air fresheners that day.
- Avoid bug sprays for several days beforehand.
Questions About K9 Inspections
Is the dog safe around my family?
Detection dogs are trained to work calmly around people. It still helps to keep your own pets in another room or out of the house during the search.
What if the dog alerts somewhere?
The handler then examines that spot by eye to confirm it. A treatment plan should only be based on alerts that have been confirmed.
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 Martinez. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.