A trained detection dog can smell live bed bugs and viable eggs hidden in a sofa frame, behind old baseboards or inside a crack in the wall. In Orinda homes with many bedrooms, a guest suite or a separate cottage, a K9 team can search the whole property in one short visit.
When a Dog Is Worth It
- Larger homes with several bedrooms and sitting rooms.
- Properties with a guest suite, pool house or in-law unit.
- A student back from a dorm with bites and no bugs found by eye.
- Older houses with a lot of trim and floor gaps.
- Checking that a treatment has worked.
How the Search Runs
- StartThe dog is trained to react only to live bed bugs and viable eggs.
- SearchThe handler walks the dog past beds, sofas, trim and outlets in each room.
- SignalIt sits down or points its nose right at the scent source.
- VerifyThe handler confirms each alert with a visual check.
What to Ask a K9 Team
Find out where the dog trained, which group certifies it, how often it practices and how the handler confirms alerts. Be wary of any offer to treat the whole house, or every building on the lot, based on one alert nobody has confirmed.
Getting Ready for the Dog
- Keep family pets out of the search rooms.
- Avoid scented candles, plug-in fresheners and strong cooking that day.
- Do not spray insecticide in the days before the search.
Questions About K9 Inspections
Can the dog search a pool house or guest cottage too?
Yes. Covering every building where people sleep in one visit is a good use of a K9 team, and it shows whether bugs reached more than one structure.
If the dog alerts, do I have bed bugs for sure?
Not yet. A trained handler should look at each flagged spot and find proof before a plan is written.
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 Orinda. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.