There’s really no way to actually prevent a bed bug introduction. They are experts at hitchhiking around in luggage, backpacks, and even on clothing. If your business has people coming and going often like healthcare facilities (including nursing homes), group homes, and apartment buildings, you know just how difficult it can be to keep them out.
Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs have nothing to do with how clean your place is. While clutter gives them extra spots to hide, it doesn’t attract them. Bed bugs are attracted to human blood, so wherever a blood meal is available, that’s where they’ll go.
So, how can canine bed bug-sniffing dogs make a difference? Here are 5 ways!
- Early detection. There may not be a way to prevent a bed bug introduction, but what about an infestation? Our bed bug-sniffing dogs are able to sniff out just one bed bug – alerting you to an issue before it becomes serious. The naked eye would never be able to do that. Our bed bug dogs can help you get in front of it early – before patients or staff see them. Your reputation is everything and with social media, a bed bug sighting can put a real dent in it. Our dogs and our handlers will deliver 90 to 95 percent effectiveness – the highest level validated – in detecting bed bugs at the time of inspection. It’s the closest thing you can get to prevention.
- They’re fast. Our bed bug dogs can inspect up to 125 rooms a day with little to no disruption to your day-to-day operations. Having routine inspections done in that quickly of a timeframe means you’ll always be on top of a possible bed bug issue.
- Discrete. You may want to keep your building free from bed bugs, but you also probably don’t want to advertise it to the masses. Seeing any type of pest-related vehicle – especially bed bugs – can have a negative connotation to employees and patrons, even though you’re doing a positive thing to catch introductions early. Perception is reality, after all. Our handlers will show up in an unmarked car and the dogs are so well trained that they are quiet and will not react to people and noises. They can fly right under the radar while still doing their job, and your reputation can stay intact.
- Highly trained. Our bed bug sniffing dogs have received more than 600 hours of training before they enter the field as a furry employee. But it’s more than just the dogs. Our handlers are also trained and certified and have extensive field experience working with and managing canine behavior under real-life working conditions in many different environments. Not just anyone can do that job, and if only the dog is trained, then it’s just not as accurate as it could be. You can even listen to our podcast to hear straight from two of our handlers about why our dogs are so effective.
- Happy people. You’ve heard of therapy dogs and seeing-eye dogs. Their training makes them calm and exceptionally kind. We have customers in long-term care facilities as well as assisted living situations and our dogs bring smiles to all the faces they encounter. Their sweet disposition makes them the star of the day every time they show up. We’re proud that all of our bed bug dogs were rescued from kill shelters and we love that they bring smiles to our customer’s faces.
Those are just five ways bed bug sniffing dogs can be a benefit to your business. But, it’s really more about the Western bed bug-sniffing dogs. Some companies will tout the dogs but forget that the handlers should be highly trained as well. Other companies don’t have the years of experience we do and aren’t able to get to that 90-95 percent effectiveness. So, whether you manage properties or a hospital, you can be proactive against bed bugs with the Western Canine Bed Bug Detection Services. Contact us today.