[Problems & Solutions] Should PCOs Go to the Dogs?

Q: Many a pest management professional has seen some really bad infestations of bed bugs. In many incidents reported to me, bed bugs were “out in the open” and “crawling around on counter tops” and in one instance a bug was “crawling on a person’s neck.” Along with these more serious and obvious situations, there are an equal number of situations where the bugs are not visible, and in some cases, not even found during the inspection process. What can a pest management professional do to ensure he or she actually finds the bed bugs?

A: The serious increase of these reports has many pest management professionals wondering what to do. Some companies simply choose not to treat such problems, and, especially in multi-unit buildings such as nursing homes and hotels, that choice may be a wise one.

No matter how a PCO decides to proceed, it is important to note that the inspection is still probably the most important step. Training personnel to inspect is one thing, but spending the time may be another.

In the commercial world, the use of canines to inspect for bed bugs is becoming a popular option. Hotels and other multi-unit buildings have hired pest management professionals who have these specially trained canines to find bed bugs. As a result, there are a couple of situations that have come about when using these dogs.

One is the dog that finds a live infestation. These dogs are specially trained for finding live infestations and can pick up on nymphs and adults, and maybe even eggs. But they can be less reliable when it comes to finding cast-off skins or dead bugs.

Other dogs I have heard about (but not seen personally) find any evidences. This could be any evidence (i.e., dead bugs, etc.).

Of course the main point here is that the dogs are trained to tell the handler that they’ve found something that needs to be investigated; they’re just another tool in a pest management professional’s toolbox. After all, the dog does not remove the mattress or lift carpet edging, does he? So, our human inspection is still just as important as a non-human one.

This raises the question of how, and when, the dogs should be used. It would seem that an animal trained to find live infestations would be a boon to any pest management professional. After a treatment, the animal could be brought in to confirm there are no more bugs. But, what if new insects were introduced after the treatment or those eggs hatched? Have we set a concrete length of time after an inspection that the dogs would be brought back in? Since we do not know what the dogs key in on to find the bugs, how do we know how long such a “scent” would last?

As with all inspections, regardless of the tools used, it would seem to me that documentation would be very important. The pest management professionals could even take pictures where the dog alerts, and record what was found during the dismantling of the area. Knowing where the dog alerted the first time and then the second would be important.

Also, if a dog-based inspection is done once, whether because of a customer complaint or because an incident occurred, wouldn’t it be prudent to have similar inspections done on a regular basis?

Then, as always, the PCO faces the question of how to treat once the bugs are found.

So far, I have seen and heard of many types of bed bug treatments. Some pest management professionals are using encapsulated products, many have turned to dusts and a few use steam. As we determine the regimen that works best, maybe we will settle into a program that gives results, and maybe in the future the bed bugs will be gone again…nah!

The author is president of George Rambo Consulting Services, Seneca, S.C. Questions can be faxed to him at 864/654-2447 or e-mailed to grambo@giemedia.com.