JULY 26, 2017 • Volume 12 • Issue 30
RE WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames • All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
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BEDBUG DOGS Canines can be amazingly effective in the war on bedbugs BIGSTOCK.COM
By Laura Firszt Networx
B
inspectors are the same ones that have been traditionally used as hunters, retrievers, or other working dogs, such as border collies, Labrador retrievers, and Belgian shepherds. Some handlers prefer to work with smaller breeds like beagles (which have an extremely acute sense of smell, though their temperament can be a bit too excitable) or Jack Russell terriers, because these are less threatening to clients who may be afraid of dogs.
edbugs. Just the words may make you start to squirm. Itchy, inflamed bedbug bites are annoying and embarrassing. Unfortunately, bedbugs are (still) rampant, no matter how clean you keep your home. They can also be awfully hard to detect, whether in private homes, hotels, dorms, or even How are dogs prepared to inspect for bedbugs? upscale secondhand shops. The good news is that entomology scent detection canines (AKA “bedbug dogs”) Besides a natural aptitude, bedbug inspection dogs have an excellent success rate when they — and their must have rigorous training, similar to the program that human handlers — are professionally, skillfully trained. narcotics and explosive detection K9s undergo. Master trainers will spend hundreds of hours teaching their Why use dogs to inspect for bedbugs? young “students” to recognize the smell of live bedbugs or eggs and to associate locating it with a food treat or Canine inspection is much more efficient than human. verbal reward. The dogs complete the later stages of Two-footed technicians rely on visual inspection. Howthe program together with highly qualified handlers. ever, a newly hatched bedbug is smaller than a pinhead Throughout their careers, many bedbug dogs attend and thus very difficult to spot visually. Besides, the refresher sessions on a weekly or biweekly basis to keep human sense of sight is no match for dogs’ powerful their skills sharp. Third party certification from professense of smell. For these reasons, two human technicians sional associations like the National Entomological will take about 2 hours to check a small room; a single Scent Detection Canine Association (NESDCA) and the bedbug dog can tackle the task in a matter of minutes. World Detector Dog Organization (WDDO) assures the How do they rate in terms of accuracy? Well, the score is quality of the bedbug dogs’ training and performance. approximately as follows. Human inspection accuracy: 25-30 percent. Canine inspection accuracy: 95 percent. How exactly do the dogs inspect? What breed or type is best as a bedbug dog? The most important characteristics for a bedbug dog — besides a keen sense of smell, of course — are a calm, sociable nature and a willingness to obey. The breeds that tend to be most successful as bedbug
When a scent detection canine is brought in by its handler, the dog will sniff-search the room according to a learned pattern, either circling the perimeter or zigzagging back and forth. If the bedbug dog detects the scent, it will track it down to the source and then alert its handler with a predetermined signal, such as nosing
the spot. The handler should verify the alert. Each confirmed area of infestation should be marked for followup. After its check of the premises, a team of humans will come in to do a detailed inspection of all marked spots, while the dog is rewarded for a job well done. What are the signs and symptoms of an infestation? Small bite marks on the face, neck, arms, hands, or any other body parts while sleeping are the easiest ways to identify a bedbug infestation . However, the marks can take as long as 14 days to show. Other signs are finding the bedbug or their exoskeletons (about the size of an apple seed), rusty–colored blood spots on mattresses or other furniture from their blood-filled fecal material and a sweet musty odor. Do bedbugs spread disease? While annoying because their presence may cause itching and loss of sleep. bedbugs are not known to spread disease. Reaction to bites vary from a small bite mark to a serious allergic reaction. How can I prevent or treat an infestation? You can DIY a heat treatment by placing affected item in clothes dryer on high heat, black plastic bags in the sun or a hot, closed car. A cold treatment can be successful in the home environment if the freezer is set to 0 F. But you must leave the items in the freezer for four days. Treating the affected ares several times with drying agents such as diatomaceous earth can be particularly effective in some situations since bedbugs can’t develop resistance to them.
Source: CDC/Environmental Protection Agency
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, July 26, 2017 • Page RE5
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Don’t see your home in the
RE WEEKLY
Then contact a Realtor® today, because you are missing out on over 39,000+ potential buyers seeing your property for sale.
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AmesTrib.com/realestateweekly
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