canine scent detection for bed bugs

Canine Scent DetectionKelly Robbins: Four Paws K-9 Detection, LLCLee Johnson: Bed Bug Inspector, LLC

Agenda•Intro to Canine Scent Detection •The Science•Quality Assurance•What Affects Accuracy?•Realistic Expectations

Intro to Canine Scent Detection

Canine Scent Detection• Well-known canine careers

▫ Narcotics Detection▫ Bomb Detection▫ Tracking Lost Persons

• Training methodology applied to new fields▫ Insect (Bed Bug) Scent Detection▫ Mold Detection▫ Tumor Detection

• Utilizing dogs in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) makes a difference!▫ NYC went from #1 to #9 on Orkin’s list of Most Infested Cities in

2012

Who Uses Our Services?• Commercial Clients

▫ Landlords▫ Hotels▫ Call Centers / Offices ▫ Healthcare Facilities

• Residential Clients▫ After travel / houseguests▫ When bites appear▫ Frequent use of public

transportation

The Science

It's All About The Nose!• The Nose

▫ Beagle: 225 million scent receptors▫ Human: 5 million scent receptors

• The Brain▫ A dog’s brain devoted to analyzing

smells is 40% LARGER than a human's

▫ Dog: 8"x11" Paper▫ Human: Postage Stamp

Quality Assurance

Training

• Dogs Are Highly Trained & Well Maintained• Team (Handler + Dog)• Use live bed bugs in training daily• Keeps daily logs: training &

deployment• Communicates with trainer• Attends Advanced Training

Seminars

Evaluations

• Annually evaluated by NESDCA• Team (handler + dog)• Third Party Evaluators

• NESDCA’s certification is an evaluation method modeled after law enforcement

• Evaluation should include live bed bugs & dead bed bugs

What Affects Accuracy?

Accuracy of Inspection Depends On:

• How the team trains • Blind hides vs. Known hides

• Air Flow • HVAC, Fans, Computers, Exhaust Fans

• Protocols in place to protect the integrity of the search• Pesticides (30 days after application) & Cleaning Products • Heavy Infestations

• Overwhelming odor = canine may not alert• Odor must be present for the canine to alert• Where was the canine trained?

• Does the trainer have scientifically proven training techniques to back up claims of accuracy?

• 98% rate is based on Univ. of FL study using canines from J & K canine Academy in High Springs, FL trained by Pepe Peruyero & Bun Montgomery & published in Entomological Society of America 2008

Realistic Expectations

Expectations

• Be realistic• Teams are not 100% accurate

• Communication is critical for success• Documentation of areas inspected & not inspected should

be included in the inspection report• Teams train with low quantities of bed bugs (1-15)

• Goal is to identify low infestations• Canine is alerting on the odor presence of live bed

bugs &/or viable eggs• Keep in mind - air flow can move the odor• Checklist adherence is vital for success!

Dogs at Work!

Questions?Thank you!