A trained detection dog can smell live bed bugs and viable eggs hidden inside a couch frame, a bookcase joint or a crack in the flooring. In a San Miguel house with 4 or 5 bedrooms and a separate unit, a K9 team can finish the job much faster than a technician searching by sight alone.
When a Dog Makes Sense
- Homes where several rooms are used for sleeping.
- A backyard in-law unit or converted garage room on the lot.
- Bites keep happening but no evidence turns up by eye.
- Screening guest rooms before family arrives for a long visit.
- Checking that a recent treatment did its job.
How the Sweep Works
- Warm upThe dog is trained to respond only to live bed bugs and viable eggs.
- SearchIts handler guides it past beds, furniture, baseboards and outlets in each room.
- AlertThe dog sits or points its nose at the spot where it smells bed bugs.
- ConfirmThe handler checks each alert by eye.
Questions to Ask the Handler
Find out where the dog was trained and certified, how often it trains, and how the handler confirms an alert. Be careful if a company wants to treat the entire San Miguel house based on one alert that was never confirmed with a bug or egg.
Getting Ready
- Keep family pets in another room or out of the house during the search.
- Skip air fresheners, candles and strong cooking smells that day.
- Do not use any bug spray in the week before the visit.
Questions About K9 Inspections
Can the dog check the in-law unit during the same visit?
In most cases, yes. A dog moves through rooms quickly, so asking for the main house and a backyard unit together is common and saves a second trip.
Does an alert by the dog prove there are bed bugs?
Not by itself. The handler should find and show you a bug or egg at each spot the dog marks before anyone writes a treatment plan.
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 San Miguel. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.