A New Way To Get Rid of Bed Bugs

July 11th, 2010 Posted in Bed Bugs & Fleas, Green Living & News

With an increase in global travel and close living quarters, the once nearly-eradicated bed bugs have begun to find their way back into the United States.

To battle this problem, many have begun to train dogs to actually sniff out and find bed bug infestations. These services have been widely used in dorm rooms, apartment buildings and hotels.

Can dogs really help get rid of bed bugs?



The Method

Government officials, police officers and security personnel have been using dogs for years to sniff out bombs and drugs, using the animal’s extremely sensitive nose to its fullest potential … or so they thought.

Recently, many people have been using dogs to sniff out a different problem — bed bugs.

Dogs can be trained to track almost anything, so by using many of the traditional tried-and-true techniques, many have found success in training dogs to sniff out bed bug infestations.

The process, in theory, is quite simple. Trainers start off slowly, introducing dogs to the bed bugs, and then hiding them in easy to access places. As time goes on, training becomes more intense, and the bed bugs are places in cupboards, boxes, behind furniture and in other hard to reach places.

This gets them ready to work in homes, sniffing out bed bugs in even the most unusual of places.



The Proof

While this method may be a bit unconventional, a handful of pioneers in the field have teamed up with universities to conduct research.

One New York City man has developed a close relationship with the University of Florida to prove that dogs can be used for effective bed bug detection. So effective, even, that dogs have a 95% success rate, compared to the 30% success rate of visual human inspection.

Plus, dogs can detect even the smallest infestation of bed bugs, which makes it easy for homeowners to stop the problem early.



The Next Steps

While dogs are able to detect a bed bug problem, they are not able to eliminate it.

That, friends, is up to you.

To avoid using harmful and toxic chemicals around your home and in your bedding, consider using a natural bed bug spray. It is a natural and effective way to get rid of bed bugs.

Prevent further infestation while combating other household pests, by using EcoSMART’s natural home pest control to keep all insect pets at bay year-round.

Consider using a canine detection service at the first signs of bed bug infestation or before moving, and you will greatly decrease your risk of an intense bed bug infestation.

Getting rid of bed bugs — just another reason why dogs really are man’s best friend.

  1. 13 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By S.K. on Jul 31, 2010

    Your website is very useful and full of interesting comments and links. Thanks for this. However, throughout the blog’ings you continually mention such things as “consider using a natural bed bug spray”… but you never mention where one can find such a natural bed bug spray. Am I right to assume that EcoSMART does not have such a product? If they have such a product, I would immediately jump on it. I live in a New York City apartment and am afraid the epidemic may finally have reached me. At present I merely clean regularly, vacuum my mattress and spray it with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water. Please list any resources possible for natural bed bug sprays!!! Many thanks!

  3. By Monique on Jul 31, 2010

    I’ve been looking for a product that I can feel comfortable with using and while looking at a couple of videos on a website, I was referred to EcoSMART. I just recently found out about an infestation of bed bugs in my area and became subconscious to the fact that they may be in my home. Since my children play with the children in the neighborhood and we stay in an apartment, I decided to check my home for bed bugs as well. I too, have bed bugs!!! I am so horrified of bugs that right now I cannot sleep and came in search of a product to use immediately. I will be at my local retailer…as soon as it opens to purchase products from EcoSMART.

  4. By EcoSMART Zach on Aug 16, 2010

    S.K. –

    Here is a website that may help you out in your search for an organic bed bug spray:

    http://www.bedbugsspray.net/

    Hope this helps!

    Zach

  5. By Tara on Sep 12, 2010

    I travel a lot for work and frequently stay overnight in different hotels. I am very paranoid about bringing home bedbugs in my suitcase. Is their anything on the market I can treat my suitcase with to prevent “hitchhikers”?

  6. By Jvill on Sep 22, 2010

    Use a steamer portable they hate the heat go slow do your mattress and carpets baseboards curtains put bedding in dryer on high to kill them haven’t heard of a spray that works

  7. By Bdav on Oct 14, 2010

    Since I don’t have a sensitivity to the bites, it probably took a long time to find them. Now they are everywhere. Although listed pesticides can kill them, it doesn’t get them all. I have spent hours trying to find out how to kill them all, not having much success. They drive you crazy; you can’t sleep good; i cannot concentrate at work; I don’t let my daughters who away at school come home. I am not wealthy enough for some of the estimates I have received ($2,500 +). Looking for solutions other than dedicating my entire life to eliminating them.

  8. By N.G. on Jan 5, 2011

    There are bed bugs in my building and we discovered that we have them, too, so I was reading information about getting rid of them and in a report about multiple dwelling buildings I found a reference to EcoSmart being one of the products that pest control managers use. I found out that your products are available in stores in my neighborhood, so will be checking purchasing some.

  9. By Dorothy on Mar 24, 2011

    I have a dog and kid, and love this stuff. I started using this stuff and no one gets sick. Yes, this stuff does work.

  10. By StephenW on Jun 25, 2011

    I have been looking for this stuff and according to the “Find a retailer” link, Walmart is supposed to carry it yet when I go there they do not and nobody knows what it is.

    Any suggestions?

    thx

  11. By Ram on Jul 15, 2011

    Discovered bedbugs in my NYC apartment and came across your product while looking for chemical free products. Any local stores that carry your bedbug killer? I’d love to test out your bedbug killer products :-)

  12. By Jayne Chandler on Jul 22, 2011

    I am looking forward to trying out your products for all of my pest problems (well the kind that BUG me anyway). I don’t have bed bugs, thankfully, but I am glad there are eco-friendly ways to eradicate the nasty things. Ticks, fleas and fungus gnats are on the top of my despise and wage war on list.

  13. By Div on Sep 12, 2011

    I really need something natural. I have a baby! Hate these bugs, and I don’t want to expose my child to toxins. I have been drying everything on high heat, but that just helps to keep them at bay. I have tried d.e., industrial steamers, living out of plastic bags: Nothing has worked!

  14. By fahmeeda on Sep 25, 2011

    We are about to go crazy with bugs…invisible gnats bitting all night…My grandson has bites all over…we are doing every trick we have read about..just did the fogger today..immedately coming back in the house getting bite…now I see I have a bedbug on my pillow…we have sprayed outside all around the house..we have sprayed ourselves..now the fogger…this is crazy…washing all bedding over and over…help they have taken over the house…

13 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers! (details)