In order to eliminate bed bugs, they first have to be located.
That is why in select cases, we may bring the most effective bedbug detection tool of all – our trained, educated, thorough, and hairy bed bug dog, named Vana.
How a K9 Inspection Session Works
Vana and her handler work through the property room by room, checking common hiding spots where bed bugs may be found during the day:
- Room-by-room inspection: Vana checks bed frames, headboard seams, baseboards, electrical outlets and upholstered furniture.
- Scent detection: She is trained to detect the scent of live bed bugs and viable eggs.
- Alert and marking: When Vana detects the target scent, she alerts by sitting at the specific location, which her handler marks for follow-up.
- Visual confirmation: Our technician checks the marked areas visually before recommending a treatment plan.
- Clearer treatment decisions: This confirmation gives property managers and homeowners a clearer understanding of where bed bugs may be present before committing to treatment.
- Prepare before the inspection: We recommend scheduling the inspection before moving furniture or bedding, since disturbing the area can affect the scent trail Vana relies on.
97% Accuracy, and When It Beats a Visual-Only Check
Bed bugs are incredibly adept at hiding. But in order to identify and eliminate them, they have to be found. When we suspect bed bugs are living on the property but are unable to locate signs of bed bug activity, Vana – our white bed bug lab – is able to come to the property and sniff out bed bugs with 97% accuracy.
Bed bugs emit some distinct smells. Humans can generally only sense them in extreme infestations, but dogs, with their sense of smell 1000 times the strength of humans, are able to sniff out even a few bedbugs in your home and identify their hiding space.
A K9 inspection earns its cost over a visual check alone in a few situations: when an infestation is still small and hasn’t produced visible staining or shed skins yet, when heavy clutter or built-in furniture makes a thorough visual sweep impractical, and when a property manager needs every suite in a building cleared before or after a treatment. It also settles disputes between a landlord and tenant, since a trained dog can confirm activity that a visual inspection alone might miss, or confirm a unit is clear once treatment is finished.
Where We Bring Vana Across Metro Vancouver
BC Bug brings Vana and her handler to homes, hotels and apartment buildings across Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, White Rock, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Delta, Langley, Port Moody and Maple Ridge. In multi-unit and commercial buildings, a K9 inspection lets us check several suites for live activity before committing an entire property to treatment. We also travel further into the Fraser Valley by request, since some of the properties we treat sit well outside the core service radius.
The same approach works ahead of any resident-facing job at a hospital or long-term care facility, where confirming an active infestation first keeps treatment limited to the rooms that actually need it.
If you believe bed bugs are on your property, contact BC Bug today. Once Vana confirms what’s there and where, we move straight into the right bed bug treatment for the property, without treating rooms that test clear.
