A trained scent dog can pick up live bed bugs and viable eggs tucked into a bunk bed slat, a trailer bench cushion or a gap behind the baseboard. On Potrero parcels where more than one dwelling is in use, a K9 team can clear a lot of beds in a single stop.
When a Dog Search Pays Off
- Parcels with a main house plus a manufactured home, trailer or guest room.
- Homes with many beds, bunks and sofa beds.
- Bites that keep coming when nobody can see a bug.
- Trailers or cabins that sat closed for a season.
- Confirming that a finished treatment worked.
How the Dog Works a Home
- StartThe dog is trained to react only to live bed bugs and viable eggs, not old stains.
- SearchThe handler leads it along beds, bunks, seating, trim and outlets in each room.
- IndicateThe dog sits or fixes its nose on the source.
- VerifyThe handler checks every alert by sight before any treatment is planned.
What to Ask the Handler
Find out who trained and certified the dog, how often the team practices and how alerts are confirmed. Be wary if a company wants to treat every building on the parcel because of one alert that nobody verified.
Getting Ready for the Team
- Keep household pets out of every room being searched.
- Skip scented candles, air sprays and strong cooking that day.
- Do not apply insect products in the days before the search.
Questions About K9 Inspections
Can one visit cover the house, the trailer and the second home?
Usually, yes. Sweeping several dwellings on one trip is where a dog team shines, and it shows which buildings need treatment and which are clear.
Our working dogs roam the yard. What should we do?
Shut them in a pen or a room well away from the search for the length of the visit, and tell the handler about any livestock nearby.
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 Potrero. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.