A trained detection dog can pick up the scent of live bed bugs and viable eggs tucked inside a sofa frame, behind a headboard or along a baseboard gap. For Rohnert Park apartments, shared student houses and homes after a trip, a K9 team can cover a lot of rooms in a short visit.
When a Dog Helps Most
- Shared houses with 4 or 5 bedrooms to check.
- Apartment turnovers between one tenant and the next.
- Bites with nothing visible to the eye.
- Homes filled with furniture and stored boxes.
- Confirming that a treatment worked.
How the Search Works
- BeginThis dog has been taught to react only to living bed bugs and eggs that can still hatch.
- SweepThe handler leads the dog past beds, couches, trim and outlets in each room.
- AlertThe dog sits or points its nose at the source.
- ConfirmThe handler checks each alert by eye.
Questions to Ask a K9 Team
Ask who trained and certified the dog, how often it practices and how the handler confirms alerts. Be wary of any company that wants to treat a full apartment building on the strength of one alert nobody has confirmed.
Before the Dog Arrives
- Shut household pets in a room the team will not be searching.
- Avoid candles, scented sprays and strong cooking smells that day.
- Hold off on insecticides for several days ahead of the search, since residue can confuse the dog.
Questions About K9 Inspections
Can a dog check a whole shared house in one trip?
Yes. That is one of the best uses for a K9 team, since the dog can sweep every bedroom, the couch and the closets quickly.
If the dog alerts, is it definitely bed bugs?
Not by itself. The handler should look at each alert and confirm bugs or eggs by sight 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 Rohnert Park. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.