A trained detection dog can pick up the scent of live bed bugs and viable eggs inside a recliner frame, behind baseboards or deep in a closet. For Pinole apartment buildings, senior housing and larger family homes, a K9 team can cover many rooms quickly.
When a Dog Helps Most
- Apartment and senior buildings where several units need checking.
- Homes where a neighbor across the wall has bed bugs.
- Ongoing bites with nothing visible.
- Old Town houses with lots of trim and floor gaps.
- Confirming that a treatment worked.
How the Search Works
- StartThe dog is trained to respond only to live bugs and viable eggs.
- SearchOn a leash, the dog works along each mattress, chair, baseboard run and outlet while the handler watches for a change in behavior.
- SignalThe dog sits or points its nose at the source.
- VerifyThe handler checks every alert by sight.
Questions to Ask a K9 Team
Find out where the dog trained, which group certifies it, how often it practices and how the handler confirms alerts. Be wary of any company that wants to treat a whole building after one alert nobody has confirmed.
Before the Dog Arrives
- Put the family dog or cat in the yard or a closed room so the working dog can focus.
- Avoid scented candles, sprays and strong cooking odors that day.
- Hold off on any insect spray during the week leading up to the search.
Questions About K9 Inspections
Can one visit cover several apartments?
Yes. Property managers often have a dog team sweep a row of units in one trip to see how far the bugs have spread.
If the dog alerts, do I definitely have bed bugs?
Not by itself. A Pinole company should have the handler find the actual bug or egg at each alerted spot before any treatment gets scheduled.
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 Pinole. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.