Carpet Cleaning
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Bed bugs and your dog.
Recent research has unearthed some amazing discoveries relating to bed bugs and dogs, dogs can actually be trained seek out the bugs, enabling us to use treatments to quickly to eliminate the problem, stopping a bedbug epidemic/infestation.
Bedbugs are an unwelcome guest in our homes, with a worrying ability to live and hide in places we can’t see, even if we did discover their nests, seeing their tiny eggs with the naked eye is impossible. Dogs however, have the unique ability to ’sniff’ out the eggs, in the same way they can detect drugs or bombs, this is referred to as CSD (Canine Scent Detection) giving their trainers a simple sign to confirm a discovery.
Unbelievably a dog can find single bug, this really does give us an unfair advantage in the war against bed bugs, although this process is not without its problems, dogs will rely on their noses to do the detection, leaving several mitigating factors for not successfully doing their jobs.
To start, locating the exact position of the bed bugs is the first job for the dog, they will be able to locate bugs hiding in mattresses or behind skirting’s, but not in ceilings or pelmets for example. Airflow is a factor too, depending on circulation in a property, scent can be drawn up into levels our canine friend won’t reach. Also extremely cold environments will pose an insect scent detection problem.
This new detection process is still in its infancy, but results are already pointing to consistent and valuable detection levels, with dogs differentiating between inactive and active infestations. These dogs are now being trained to find termites, which will save huge amounts of money, preventing structural damage.
Bed bugs in Brighton? How to deal with them.
Bed bugs are tiny wingless insects, they feed on the blood of warm blooded animals and humans. These little bloodsuckers and their relatives have evolved as nest parasites. Some live in bird nests or even bat roosts, waiting for the unsuspecting animal to return home. Infant bugs are about the size of a poppy seed, growing up to 10mm in length as adults, they have a fairly flat body with an oval shape, colours range from white to dark brown, if you look closely after the bug has been feeding, you can actually see the victims blood in the insects body.
Bed bug activity - When we are sleeping, they become active, looking for people or animals. They will sip our blood without us realising, whilst they are doing this, small amounts of the bugs saliva will be injected into our skin. Over a period of several weeks exposure to bed bugs, we can become sensitized to the saliva, sometimes leading to allergic responses. The marks on our skin resemble those left behind by fleas and mosquitoes.
Where do they come from? Bed bugs hide in small cracks and crevices, they can be found in furniture, pillows, boxes, luggage. Purchasing used furniture or mattresses can prove an excellent way of these creatures gaining entry into your home. Bed bugs can survive for several weeks without feeding, they can also travel between walls and regularly move from house to house in search of new food sources.
Looking for bed bugs Inspect your furniture or mattress closely, used skins and tiny blood spots can be an indication of infestation at some stage in the furniture’s life. Don’t forget that bed bug larvae can be the same size as a grain of rice.
Our safe and non toxic solutions can eliminate bed bugs, please feel free to contact us for a non obligatory treatment cost.
