Bed bug sniffing dogs

At Merlin, we use highly trained sniffer dogs to pinpoint bed bugs with laser precision. Discover how dogs help fight bed bugs and how Merlin’s dog team can tackle bed bugs for you.

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Benefits of bed bug sniffer dogs

Bed Bug Detection sniffer dogs are Merlin Environmental’s leading detection technique for locating bed bugs. Highly trained bed bug detection canines will reduce the time taken to successfully locate bed bugs, as well as to improve detection accuracy. In other words, without bed bug sniffer dogs, finding bed bugs is extremely difficult because of their tiny size and the fact that when they are not feeding, they like to hide in dark places, such as tiny cracks. But, with the help of bed bug sniffing dogs, we don’t rely on sight to find bed bugs. Instead, we rely on the sniffer dog’s nose, which is 100,000 times more sensitive than our own. Below are the key benefits you get when you work with a pest control company who uses bed bug sniffer dogs to find bed bugs.

Fast

Our dogs are fast and effective in detecting bed bugs. As soon as they discover activity, we can implement a thorough treatment process.

Accurate

Our dogs can find bed bugs with pinpoint accuracy so they can be easily treated by our team.

Reliable

Our dogs are highly trained and will find bed bugs more reliably their human counterparts, who rely on sight. We have the highest success rate in the industry.

How are sniffer dogs used for bed bug detection?

There are two primary ways that sniffer dogs can be used for bed bug detection. These are outlined below:

We can be anywhere in the UK within 24 hours, with our mobile operatives covering all areas.

Reactive bed bug detection

Reactive bed bug detection is when you suspect you have bed bugs, and you want them found and removed. Dogs can be used to comb the room or entire building to search for them. When a dog finds bed bugs it will point their location to the pest control technician who will eliminate them immediately using high heat steam. The steam is 100% effective and will kill all bed bugs the in the treated area without toxic chemicals.

Proactive bed bug detection

Proactive bed bug detection is a screening process that is used to actively search for bed bugs, when no bed bug activity has been reported, but where bed bug activity is quite likely. Proactive bed bug detection is popular with hotels, care homes, and transport companies (planes, trains, buses, ships etc). By sweeping for bed bugs regularly, we can destroy bed bugs before they have the chance to multiply into a significant infestation.

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How reliable are bed bug sniffer dogs?

Bed bug sniffer dogs are the most reliable bed bug detection method that exists. How reliable they are depends on how well-trained the dog is and how good the dog handler is at interpreting the dog’s signal as to the location of the bed bugs.

Best-in-class sniffer dog and handler pairs, such as those here at Merlin, benchmark at up to 98% accuracy. This means that in testing environments where we’ve deliberately hidden bed bugs around a room, our dogs will clearly point out all the bed bugs 98% of the time.

The key to our exceptional bed bug detection rates is the relationship between the handler and the dog. Our dog and handler pairs build a strong, trusting, and personal bond through play and training before working together on a real bed bug infestation.

The other key component is regular testing. All of our bed bug sniffer dogs undergo regular tests to ensure they have a high bed bug detection rate. If a dog fails to perform to the high standards we expect, we won’t deploy that dog on any real jobs until performance rates are back on par with expectations.

We’re so confident in our dogs’ bed bug detection rates that we offer free bed bug detection demos. During the demo, you can help us hide bed bugs and watch in amazement as our friendly dogs’ search and find them. Demos can take place either in one of our test environments or at your premises. Click here to book your free demo now.

Our dog team

People say ‘dogs are a man’s best friend’. At Merlin, they are our colleagues too! Our team of experienced sniffer dogs have an exceptional ability to pin-point pests quickly and thoroughly. Use the slider below to meet our dog team.

Name: Storm
DOB: 04/11/2014
Age: 10 years and 0 months
Breed: Springer Spaniel
Colour: Black / White

Experience:
Storm is a veteran when it comes to finding bed bugs. She is one of the oldest but wisest dogs working for Merlin. Storm also has about 4 years of experience when it comes to finding those pesky bugs. Even though Storm is one of the older dogs, her drive for the tennis ball and searching is unlike any other.

Skills:
Storm is great in all areas and will search anything she is asked to. For example, Storm searches planes, trains, hotels, houses and flats and is one of the best at it. Storm also has one of the best search patterns in the business, which has allowed her to have multiple finds across multiple sites that Merlin service. Storm is able to easily find a single, lone bed bug hidden in a room.

Name: Woody
DOB: 30/05/2015
Age: 9 years and 5 months
Breed: Springer Spaniel
Colour: White / Liver

Experience:
Woody has 4 years of experience in bed bug detection, working in a range of environments. He has worked for 3 years with his current handler.

Skills:
Woody is effective at searching accommodation and living spaces such as private residences, hotels, hostels and care homes. He is also experienced in larger commercial buildings such as warehouses and storage facilities as well as trains. Woody has a wealth of experience in detecting bed bugs.

Name: Bruno
DOB: 29/06/2016
Age: 8 years and 4 months
Breed: Springer Spaniel
Colour: Liver / White

Experience:
Bruno has been working as a detection dog for the company for over 3 years. He has been with his current handler for the last two years and they have a very strong bond with matching work ethics and enthusiasm for the job at hand.

Skills:
Bruno has only one speed when it comes to work, FAST. This being said, he is very meticulous in his searches and always carries out his job to the best of his abilities. There aren’t too many places a bed bug can hide from Bruno. He can find a single bed bug, in the middle of a bed frame, completely out of sight, without any issues.

Name: Dolly
DOB: 07/11/2019
Age: 5 years and 0 months
Breed: Springer / Cocker Spaniel Cross
Colour: Chocolate / White

Experience:
Approaching 6 months as a bedbug detection canine. Dolly has carried out searches in aircraft, trains and hotels/living spaces.

Skills:
Dolly is effective at searching accommodation and living spaces such as private residences, hotels, hostels and care homes. She is also experienced in larger commercial buildings such as warehouses and storage facilities as well as trains. Dolly is particularly effective at searching economy sections of commercial aircraft due to her compact size, agility, speed and search drive.

How businesses benefit from canine bed bug detection

Hospitality

The use of detection canines within the hospitality industry sector becomes an effective tool mainly due to the difference in timescales when using a trained canine, as opposed to a fully trained operative. A canine team can thoroughly screen an entire site in just a few hours. This offer management great peace of mind as well as minimal disruption.

Our approach

The benefits of a detection canine being used in the hospitality industry is the accuracy of the detection canines as opposed to their human counterparts. These canines can pinpoint a single bed bug in a hotel room, laundry area or even in a single vacuum cleaner. When canine screening are carried out on a whole site then this really does provide a comprehensive overview of the site. Any bed bugs found can be treated in a completely non-toxic way at, the same time, by the fully qualified operative. This is a major benefit to the site, as the room can go back into use the same day.

The main benefit of a business having a quarterly proactive inspection is that it becomes an early warning system for any budding issues that could manifest into bigger problems. It also gives the customer peace of mind that bed bug issues are found and resolved as and when they arise. We also provide free training to housekeeping staff to enable them to identify the signs of bed bugs, which then becomes a total one team ethos, and each part of the process is supported by both parties.

Care homes

Our bed bug detection canines are trained to search in sensitive environments as well as commercial ones. Therefore, they are very well suited to the care sector. In our experience, the introduction of a canine in a care home is a wonderful thing. As much as they are professional detection dogs, our dogs always find time to meet and greet the residents at the end should the request be made.

Our approach

The ability to screen a care home with the least upheaval for both staff and residents is key. The bed bug detection canines are swift and efficient at what they do. They are also trained not to bark or disturb either staff or residents, so we can screen a room even with a sleeping resident in. So, the screen can be completed discreetly and quickly to allow minimal disruption to the resident’s normal daily routines.

The option of treatment is also available should any activity be identified during the screening, if this is not feasible on the day, we would simply return on a day of the customers’s choosing.

Transport

Bed bugs are the masters of hide and seek and have been for many years. With the development of new transport designs for public transportation and haulage, the newly designed vehicles have an abundance of hiding places for these insects. The ability of our detection canines to pinpoint these bed bugs will result in less downtime for vehicles, regardless of the sector they are in. This reduces financial losses for the companies that operate them.

All transport sectors can be affected by the presence of bed bugs, and some must even deal with large financial settlements because of it. Trains, planes, and even automobiles can become harbourage for these hardy insects. There are many scenarios where bed bugs can become an issue, from passenger complaints on aircrafts, buses or coaches, and even haulage firms that employ drivers with overnight stays in their cabs. All these businesses can face legal issues if bed bugs are found.

Our approach

With the use of our bed bug detection canines, we can search transport environments and ascertain if there is any activity or not. Because of the speed of our specially trained canines, an A380 aircraft can be completed from nose to tail in a couple of hours, and it would take only an afternoon to search a complete fleet of haulage units. Trains are another transport mode that can be searched in a very short space of time. Human operatives would take a lot longer because they rely on sight to find bed bugs.

We recommend a proactive service with bed bug detection canines to ensure consistent long-term results. Proactive pest control provides you with important data on spread patterns over extended timeframes. Leveraging our proactive approach also helps pinpoint any underlying issue, which when rectified, can result in the end of recurrences. The other major benefit of a proactive approach is the peace of mind that it gives you because a clear record of proactive bed bug detection can assist in fighting false claims against the service.

Vessels

When we work in the marine industry, we are looking at cruise liners and luxury yachts. In essence these are hotels that float on water, they have large footfall and include some incredible bedroom and entertainment facilities on board. These are perfect environments for bed bugs, and in Merlin’s experience issues do arise. As within the hotel industry, these issues can become costly for the company if guest complaints are made and upheld in court.

Our approach

The benefit of the use of bed bug detection canines on these liners and yachts are similar to that of hotels. The bed bug detection canines are able to screen the biggest cruise liners in very little time. The bigger the boat, the more teams we would deploy to screen it. The emphasis is on the least disruption being caused to the staff on these liners, and as within the hotels we would work both alongside staff and around them.

What to expect

The proactive scenario with the marine industry will differ slightly from the hotel system. We would be more fluid when it comes to the screening of the boats, as we would need to be conscious of delays and port times. We would also need to be aware of the possible need to screen in other countries other than the UK if the need arises. All of which would be part of the service contract from a proactive standing. In previous contractual agreements, we have had an operative and his search canines travel with the liners as staff, which enables a reactive service to be wrapped around the proactive element. The key to different industries and making them successful is our ability to adapt to the client’s needs.

Why choose Merlin for K9 bed bug detection

If you have a bed bug problem, you’ve come to the right place. Merlin’s dog unit is Europe’s longest-established canine bed bug detection team. Did you know that trained sniffer dogs offer the most effective bed bug detection in the world? At Merlin, we have the country’s most highly trained bed bug detection canines. Our friendly dogs are tested each month and undergo extensive training to ensure they are at peak performance. We are a canine bed bug detection company that’s been independently certified to BS EN 16636, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001. Seeing is believing. Why not book a free demo and watch our dogs in action, pinpointing tiny, hard-to-find bed bugs with unrivalled precision?

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Our accreditations

We hold ourselves to a very high standard and we have the accreditations to prove it. We pride ourselves on offering an unrivalled experience in control as well as better quality service, response, and reliability than other pest control companies.

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