Bed Bug Finders, LLC.
Every so often a new product comes along that's so out-there we have to write about it. This one is a company that uses a beagle and a basenji to literally sniff out bedbugs. And take it from us, who once got pinched by a fruit-and-meat-sniffing beagle in the customs line at JFK Airport, dogs have got some noses on 'em. (OK, so we'd had an orange from our Italian aunt's arbor, but it was eaten well before we'd touched down. We'd even thrown away the rind — and beagle-boy still picked up the scent!)
Bedbugs are, unfortunately, a factor wherever mattresses and bedding are found. (See "Bedbugs and Boards: What to Expect If Your Apartment's Infested," Habitat December 2006.) Locating the little buggers is a laborious and time-consuming process. Cut down on the time, and you theoretically cut down on your costs.
Bed Bug Finders says its two dogs, Pasha and Ruby, were trained in scent detection using the same methods as that of David Latimer, head trainer of the renowned Forensic & Scientific Investigations and its K9 Academy. The dynamic duo have also been tested and certified by the nonprofit World Detector Dog Organization (WDDO) — which we'd have called the Forensic Investigation Dog Organization (FIDO), but that's just us.
In any case, if your building has Cimex lectularius bugging you, then maybe you need some Canis lupus familiaris to nose around. Because their bark is better than the other things' bite.
Bed Bug Finders • 304 Main Avenue #384, Norwalk, Conn. 06851 • (203) 377-2847 • info@bedbugfindersllc.com