A trained detection dog can smell live bed bugs and viable eggs through cushions, trim and small cracks where a person cannot see. In a large Fresno apartment complex or a building full of student units, a K9 team can check many rooms in the time a hand search covers only a few.
When a Dog Earns Its Fee
- A property manager needs to screen the units around a reported one.
- Bites keep happening but nobody has found a bug or a stain.
- A landlord wants a check between tenants at move-out.
- A family wants proof the house is clear after treatment.
- A student apartment is turning over before the fall semester.
How a Search Works
- Warm-upThe handler starts the dog on a known sample so it is focused.
- Room by roomThe team works along beds, furniture, baseboards and closets.
- AlertThe dog signals by sitting or pointing at the strongest scent.
- ConfirmThe handler inspects every alert and records only verified finds.
Dogs and Fresno Summers
Detection dogs work best in comfortable conditions. On a 100°F afternoon, a handler may schedule early in the day or ask that the air conditioning run before the team arrives, since a hot, tired dog does not search as well. Ask how the company keeps its dog rested between buildings.
Questions to Ask the Team
Find out who certified the dog and handler, how often they train on real samples and whether each alert is confirmed before it goes into the report. Be cautious about any plan to treat a whole complex from one unconfirmed alert.
Getting Ready for the Visit
- Keep pets out of the rooms being searched.
- Skip strong cleaners, incense and scented sprays that day.
- Hold off on any bug spray in the days before the search.
Questions About K9 Inspections
Our dog lives inside. Will it get in the way?
Put your pet in a room the team will not search that day or in the yard if it is cool enough. Detection dogs are trained to work around other animals, and the handler stays in control throughout.
The dog sat by my couch. Does that mean treatment right away?
Only after the handler looks closely and finds bugs, eggs or skins at that spot. Every alert needs to be confirmed by eye before it becomes a treatment decision.
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 Fresno. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.