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A few weeks back I was booked in for a bed bug dog search for a lady in Islington, London. She had been noticing insect bites for some time, but couldn’t find the source of the problem.  After taking the bed bug sniffer dog through her whole house we knew for sure it wasn’t bed bugs.

Determined to solve the mystery, I searched through her bedroom but still couldn’t find any signs of insect activity.

Finally I went up into the loft to see if there was any clue to what might be biting her in case they were dropping down from above. On the far side of the loft, in the eaves of the roof, I noticed some twigs sticking out. On closer inspection, it turned out to be the nest of a small bird and I found bird mites in the nesting material.  Now we knew exactly what to do.  As well as getting rid of bed bugs, Heat Treatment is also highly effective for treating bird mites.

We removed the nesting materials and carried out a heat treatment and have put a stop to her parasitic problem.

We are bed bug specialists and by proxy can help with other biting insects – remember, whatever goes bump in the night- Trust K9 can help!

Paddy

If you have been unlucky enough to be bitten by a bed bug, then you will know that they like to feed on human blood. But what about our pets- should we be worried about Fido and Felix as well?

Trust K9 know for a fact that the answer is yes. Bed bugs will bite other mammals including your pet dog or cat. However, animals are not the bed bugs first choice for a source of food, mainly because they have to get through the fur, which is more work for them.

Whilst on a recent Trust K9 bed bug heat treatment for a fairly heavy infestation in East London, our technicians were looking over the property for items to be removed and for obvious reasons, pets need to be taken out whilst the house is structurally heated up over 24 hours. The owner was about to take Fido’s bed with him, and we asked to check the bed – we found 15 bed bugs just from a visual inspection.

Trust K9 often gets asked by customers ‘how did I get bed bugs?’

Firstly, bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness.  The following are common ways you can get bed bugs, with a bit of bad luck thrown in.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Bed bugs will live anywhere where they can get a blood-meal, so planes, buses, trains, the tube, anywhere that people frequent and sit still for a while are perfect habitats.

Some airlines do use bed bug dogs to check aircraft for bed bugs, but many don’t.

Hotels
Anywhere where there is a high turnover of guests will be at high risk for bed bugs.  This could be in hotels, hostels, friends or families houses and shared accommodation.  One of our own staff members encountered bed bugs when she moved into a rented room which already had a bed bug problem.

Second hand furniture
People unwittingly bring bed bugs into their homes by buying second-hand furniture. This previous blog goes into more detail about this particular issue.

Neighbouring property
Bed bugs can travel between houses so if your neighbours have bed bugs, it is possible you will get them too. Tell-tale signs are beds or mattresses outside the house.

If you suspect you have bed bugs, or have recently stayed somewhere with bed bugs, Trust K9’s bed bug sniffer dogs are a great solution for early detection.

If you are unlucky enough to have a bed bug infestation, the golden rule is to get it treated by a professional.  Trust K9 is a member of the BPCA and the NPTA, so you can be sure you are in safe hands.

Trust K9 has had a long year fighting and sniffing out bed bugs. 2012 has been a great year, and here are some of our highlights:

• This time last year, our Bed Bug Dogs Alfie and Bess were bringing up 8 gorgeous pups
• We kept 2 of those pups who are now fully trained bed bug dogs giving us the largest UK dog team , of 5 dogs
• In November we attended the NPTA’s Pest Tech Exhibition -Mark was a guest speaker with his sidekick Lola, showing the audience how she sniffs out bed bugs
• Trust K9 opened a second office in Wiltshire
• We successfully treated an entire Nursing Home using bed bug dogs and heat treatment
• Trust K9’s bed bug dogs gave the all clear for the Olympians
• Trust K9 launched ‘Mobile Heat’ option

After such a busy year, we have decided to give our staff and dogs a well-deserved break over Christmas and New Year to come back refreshed in 2013. Click here for information whilst we are closed.