Dogs Being Used To Sniff Out Bed Bugs

Getting Rid of Bed Bugs

Posted: Jun 2, 2011 4:22 PM by Stephanie Kusy - skusy@kristv.com
Updated: Jun 2, 2011 6:54 PM

CORPUS CHRISTI - As we reported yesterday, the Good Samaritan homeless shelter seems to have gotten rid of the bed bugs once and for all. Today, Envirocon Termite and Pest of Houston was back out at the site with a 'bed bug sniffing dog' to make sure the pests are gone.
According to Envirocon owner David Rice, the one-year-old dog named Duke is trained to \ sit down whenever he smells bed bugs. The dog is said to be 95% accurate.
Residents at the shelter say they are noticing a big difference in the facility since Envirocon was hired a month ago to bring in some heavy dutry heaters and give the shelter operators some tips on how to control an infestation.
The shelter was treated several times over the years by other companies trying to get rid of the pests. "You almost have to get up and let them have your mattress. They would come out, we had sprays, but the only thing the sprays did was put them further back in the mattress," says resident George Dunagan.
The shelter spent $40,000 dealing with the problem.
Duke gave the shelter a clean bill of health when it comes to bed bugs. For now, the shelter has started a new check in procedure to make sure the bugs are not reintroduced to the building.
Every item that comes into the shelter is now heated in a dryer or sprayed with alcohol.