Use of bedbug-sniffing dogs is growing in South Florida, elsewhere

[seafan]

This isn't "Angel", but probably would love to hunt bedbugs for kibble.


Use of bedbug-sniffing dogs is growing in South Florida, elsewhere

By Diane C. Lade, Sun Sentinel
September 06, 2010

Angel is the perfect employee for her job. She's low to the ground, doggedly determined. And she works for kibble.
Angel is a trained scent-detection beagle with K9 P.I., a company based in Palm Beach Gardens. Her specialty? Sniffing out bedbugs.

The pest-control industry has been using dogs to detect bedbugs for at least 10 years, although canine trainers say it started more as a gimmick. But serious interest in the practice has exploded this year, with hundreds of ick-inducing infestations being reported in places ranging from high-priced Manhattan clothing stores to Miami Beach hotels.
Terminix's August survey of bedbug infestations nationwide ranked New York at the top. But while no Florida cities made the survey's 15 most bedbug-ridden metropolises, state inspectors have discovered the pests in 52 Florida hotels and motels this year.

.....

Like the rest of the J&K dogs, Angel was rescued from an animal shelter. The smell receptors in her nose are up to 10,000 times more sensitive than those of David Trietiak, the CEO of K9 P.I., who bought Angel from J&K about six months ago.

Trietiak offered a compelling demonstration of Angel's skills in a training room at his home on a recent morning.
He entered the room, where he had hidden a single bed bug in a vial with a porous top. With gentle-tempered Angel on her leash and a pouch containing dried dog food anchored around his waist, Trietiak commanded: "Find your Bs! Find your Bs!" — referring to bedbugs.

Angel scrambled among the furniture and, in under a minute, stopped at a cabinet, where she began scratching frantically. Trietiak retrieved the vial from inside the cabinet's bottom drawer and Angel got her paycheck: A couple of kibble.

.....

Trietiak is charging about $200 to $500 for a typical residential-detection session. He won't say exactly how many clients he has or who they are, what seems to be standard in canine-bedbug trade.

Here is a very useful web site.

[RockaFowler]

1. What about Fleas

Look this is Florida, I'm not sure I want a dog looking for bed-bugs. Plus, do we know if the bed-bugs can attach to dogs?? How do you get rid of them on the dogs?? I just don't know about this

[billlll]

2. end EVERY bbug....gene method

Implant no-reproduce gene that activates after 700 generations of spreading thru the planets entire bbug population. Sudden end then.

Labs working on it 4 other pests.

I like it.

[seafan]

4. Recent Mediterranean Fruit Fly eradication in Florida succeeded due to releasing sterile flies.

Outbreak reported, June 16, 2010

Eradication announcement, September 1, 2010


Would like to see some research on doing this with the scourge of bed bugs.

[depakid]

3. I thought that was a piece from the Onion!