BED BUG INSPECTIONS | HUNTER'S HEART SNIFFER DOGS
Think your property may have bed bugs? We understand when you need us, you need us right away. We usually book within 24 - 48 hours. Learning if you have bed bugs or not will help you to make better decisions, with confidence.
We offer canine bed bug inspections in Calgary and surrounding areas, including Strathmore, Airdrie, Okotoks, Red Deer, Cochrane, Banff, and Lethbridge. We know when you need us you need us fast. Ask about same day service, travel to your site, and commercial inspection programs.
RATES FOR BED BUG INSPECTIONS IN CALGARY
- Start at $80 + tax (in Calgary)
- Rates depend on square footage and travel (if outside Calgary)
- Ask us about volume pricing for commercial properties.
To book your inspection, email your preferred date and two times to [email protected]. Please include a brief description of your situation (e.g. bites or previous fumigation), and estimate the square footage to be inspected (noting any outbuildings or vehicles).
The office will get back to you with your quote, instructions on how to prepare, a COVID screening form (to complete the day before the inspection), and a link to prepay using your credit card.
EMAIL YOUR PREFERRED DATE & TIMESBED BUG TRAINING
Canine bed bug detection is a team effort and our inspectors are trained to accurately assess and monitor bed bug infestations, and Continuing Education helps us to incorporate the latest research and trends into our services.
For example, Carla Simon successfully completed training at the Global Bedbug Summit 2020 (hosted by the National Pest Management Association):
- Proactive Bed Bug Control
- Understanding Bed Bugs as an Important Public Health Pest
- Bed Bug Control in the Office Environment
- Monitoring for Bed Bugs
- No-Prep Protocols
- Industry Update on Canine Scent Detection, and
- Bed Bugs : A Complete Review and Refresher.
CANINE BED BUG DETECTION
Canine bed bug detection is the most cost-effective method for rapidly and conveniently inspecting large areas.
Research has shown bed bug detection dogs are more than 90% reliable. For example, bed bug detection dogs can regularly screen planes and hotel rooms, detecting any infestation before it spreads, minimizing both costs and negative customer experiences. They are also invaluable on airplanes and cruise ships, where they can rapidly search the entire area in a much shorter time than humans could visually inspect.
But we don't stop there. Inspections include two dog-handler teams, to verify the findings and prevent injuries in the event that inspectors must move furniture to expose bed bugs. We'll do our best to show you the bed bugs, or evidence they leave behind, like feces and and shed skins.
WHERE BED BUGS HIDE
Bed bug infestations are a growing problem in residences, hotels, shelters, theatres, laundromats and public transportation. Filthy conditions are not required to attract bed bugs! Bed bugs frequent health care facilities, planes, libraries, museums and schools too. Wherever people sit with bags or luggage, bed bugs can efficiently hitch a ride to find a new home.
Bed bugs are difficult to detect. They're about the size of an appleseed and avoid light. They easily hide inside 1 mm crevasses, emerging at night to feed on human blood. It is crucial to detect bed bugs early, before they spread. The longer an infestation is left untreated, the more widespread it becomes, increasing the difficulty and cost of extermination.
BED BUG INFESTATIONS MULTIPLY
Entomologist Richard Cooper explains: “During the early stages of an infestation, bugs tend to be located in very close association with beds and/or upholstered furniture. As populations increase in age and size, however, the likelihood of finding bed bugs in unpredictable areas away from host feeding sites increases”.
It can be challenging to determine when bed bugs have been eliminated. Bed bug eggs are the size of a speck of dust, and are difficult to see without a microscope. The highly sensitive nose of a bed bug detection dog can find a single bedbug, making K9 bed bug detection canines a valuable component of pest control.
Knowing if you have bed bugs or not will help you to make good decisions about what to do next.
We offer 3 types of inspections:
DIAGNOSTIC
Diagnostic bed bug inspections help answer the question “Do I have bed bugs?” They're recommended when:
- You, a family member or friend has been exposed to bed bugs or have bites
- You recently acquired a used mattress or sofa, or
- You recently returned from a vacation or hotel visit.
POST-TREATMENT
Post-treatment inspections help answer the question “Did treatment (e.g. fumigation or heat treatment) successfully remove the bugs?” If treatment missed a live bug or egg, it can multiply into a new infestation. Post-treatment bed bug inspections should occur 2-3 weeks after treatment, so products have time to do their job.
PREVENTATIVE
Preventative inspections can find a few bed bugs at the earliest stages, before they multiply into a massive infestation that is more expensive and challenging to treat. We offer routine (e.g. bimonthly) inspections of health care facilities, community housing, shelters, condos and offices, so you and your clients can rest assured that the premises is bed bug free.
Sniffing is a Fun Game for Our Dogs
We understand that you may be allergic to dogs, or even afraid of them. Rest assured that our dogs are friendly, clean, professionals, and generally ignore people when they're working. If you're not careful, they might even make you smile.
Hunter's Heart only uses positive, motivational, scientific methods for sniffer dog training and handling. We're lucky to go to work every day with happy canine partners who always do their best.
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE FIND BED BUGS
After a sniffer dog alerts on an areas of concern, we always follow up with a detailed, visual inspection to show you the bugs. We’ll show you all the evidence we uncover, including live bugs, shed skins, eggs and/or fecal spotting. You can take photos and decide if you want to share this evidence with your pest control technician, your landlord, or nobody at all. Alternately, we can safely dispose of the evidence for you.
We'll finish by answering any questions you may have about next steps. Hunter's Heart does not provide extermination services, but we'd be happy to suggest a referral.
SCHEDULE INSPECTION
RESOURCES
- Simon, C. Bed Bug Stowaways Crawl Over Seats and Disrupt Flights. 2018. https://nosework.huntersheart.com/2018/01/22/bed-bug-stowaways-crawl-over-seats-and-disrupt-flights/
- Mallis, A. Handbook of Pest Control Mallis: The Behavior, Life History, and Control of Household Pests (10th Ed), Chapter 8 (pages 586-633). Mallis Handbook Company, 2011.
- http://bedbugger.com/2007/08/05/faq-i-stayed-somewhere-that-had-bed-bugs-what-do-i-do-to-keep-from-taking-them-home/
- Video demonstrating how to inspect your home for bed bugs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORR7yAT-Vic, by University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources’ Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program
- Doggett, S.L., D. M. Miller, Lee, C. Advances in the Biology and Management of Modern Bed Bugs. (2018). Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Life sized, accurate photos of bed bugs can help you learn what to look for: https://www.bedbugsupply.com/bed-bug-pictures.html.
- http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1633906243912/
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Seniors’ home confines 94-year-old blind woman to bedbug-infested room for 2 weeks. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/woman-confined-bedbugs-sienna-senior-living-1.5342990?fbclid=IwAR1em27W0C6qen24OPP2pIy-6GCANkGDknpBFxzV_IomNIN1-H8O9AhY9hY