If It's Not a Bed Bug, It Might Be A.............................Cont.

Yesterday, I blogged about "cat mites" and how they were confused with bed bugs.

There are three other bugs, that without a microscope it is impossible to tell the difference between them and the bed bug, as they are related. Before treating for bed bugs it is imperative to look at a bug specimen under a microscope or take it to an extension office and have it verified as a bed bug. The reason it is important to actually determine if you have bed bugs or not is because if you treat for bed bugs and it turns out to be a bat bug, swallow bug or a poultry bug they will be back the next day as these bugs move from the outside to the inside.

The bat bug is the bug we see most often that turns out not to be a bed bug. Some people believe that bed bugs are decedents of the bat bug, or the Cimex Adjunctus.  If a home has bat bugs the bats need to be addressed, as well. Bat bugs are usually found in old two story homes with lots of trees and vegetation surrounding the home. Bats have been seen flying outside at night, near the house. However, this is not always true as we have seen bat bugs in a suburban tri-level home with the owner unaware that bats were close by. We have also found them in a two-story home with a flat roof.

The first bat bug we found was in a two story Denver Square home close to the Botanic Gardens. The customer had treated for bed bugs a few days before and now the the bugs were back. Dusty Boot thoroughly searched the upper levels of the home where the bug specimens were found. We looked outside the window and on the ledge there was some bat guano and low and behold it looked like a "bed bug" crawling into the room at the window sill, outside in! We picked up the bug and taped it to a white sheet of paper and looked at it under a microscope.

Sure enough, after looking at the length of the hairs on the upper covering of the thorax of the bug the length of the bug's hair was longer the width of it's eye, so it was a bat bug.  A bed bug hairs that are smaller than the width of it's eye.

See picture:

Bat bugs prefer bats to humans so their infestations do not seem to be as entrenched, and we've found that they can even be somewhat seasonal. We have found bat bugs typically close to the window openings or on the drapes.

So do you have bat bugs or bed bugs, something to consider!

If It's Not a Bed Bug It Might Be a............................

Because we see bed bug infestations early on we see a wide variety of bugs that might resemble the bed bug but aren't. This past summer we ran into one of these scenarios, which turned out to be a new one for us, too!

A customer had bites that her doctor thought were bed bug bites, she had not seen any bugs but she works with the homeless population and it was very possible she had brought them home. 

She called us in to do a home inspection to verify that she had bed bugs before treatment. Bed bug mitigation is expensive. She also wanted to know what rooms to treat if treatment was needed.

Dusty Boot inspected her home but did not alert. 

After discussing, at length her situation she informed us that she had recently brought a stray cat into her house. The cat was in need of medical attention. The veterinarian thought cat mites were a possibility. As It turned, out she did not have bed bugs but cat mites. 

Here is an except from the customer's email after our inspection:

Hi Sunny!

 

 

I took the cat back to the veterinarian for the scheduled booster dose of mite medicine yesterday.  I have had no more bites since you were here (yay!).

 

The very next day after I saw you I was visiting a new client of mine and she told me she has bedbugs and had thrown out her bed. 

I thought, "You gotta be kidding me!" ...after everything I had just gone thru. What are the chances?

I have been super careful and taking better precautions. 

 

The veterinarian wrote down the name of the mite he thought the cat and I were affected by... thought you'd like to know.

 

cheyletiella mites on humans

 

 

Take care

Cheyletiella is a genus of mites which live on the surface of the skin of cats, dogs and humans. Symptoms in animals range from no manifestations to extreme itching, scales on skin, and loss of hair. Manifestations in humans are – numerous red bumps on the trunk, arms, and buttocks; which are very itchy. Symptoms usually fade in 3 weeks.

The adult Cheyletiella mite is 0.385 millimeters long, has 8 legs with combs, and palpi which terminate in hooks. They do not burrow into the skin, but dwell in the keratin. Their 21-day life cycle is on 1 host.  

The red text was copied from this site.

Cat mite bites look very similar to bed bug bites.

Cat mites though much, much smaller do look similar to bed bugs.

We had a happy ending, the veterinarian treated the cat for cat mites, problem solved. No bed bugs, no bed bug treatment! We wish more house calls ended like this one!

Accurate K-9 Pest Detection takes no referral fees from any pest company. The only money we receive is from our customers. We do not make more money if our dog finds bugs, which is not true for all bed bug scent dogs.

Here is an addition except from customer's email:

Thank you Sunny and Brad for coming to my home. You guys are special to work with folks like me living in a nightmare and feeling so vulnerable, emotional and confused 

about learning they may have a problem.  I have some peace of mind now and have been educated about how to be more vigilant and hopefully prevent any problem in the future. Once again, thanks so much for coming and accommodating me so soon!

I'd be happy to reference for you anytime.

 

 

 

 

Can a Bed Bug Dog Tell the Difference Between a Live Dead Bug and a Dead One?

I had a call for an inspection this morning. An ex-husband's wife had had bed bugs and he was afraid with the children going back and forth from one house to the other that he also had bed bugs. Very probable! However, he indicted that the ex-wife had not had me come to check her house after treatment because someone had told her that a scent dog cannot tell the difference between a dead bug and a live bug.

I will tell you what I told him:

When you hire a bed bug dog, ask to see the handler's training vials. Are their vials clean?

If you see dead bugs, or skins or exoskeletons that dog won't be able to tell the difference between a dead bug and a live bug.

We keep our vials clean. We clean them every week to ten days. The dog is only as good as the handler is, behind the scenes. Attention to details at home makes for a great dog is the field.

Yes, "Dusty Boot" can tell the difference between dead bugs and live bugs because he has been proofed off of them. He trains twice a day, morning and night. We have two vials of live bugs and one vial of dead bugs. We hide the dead bugs along with the live ones. He is only rewarded when he alerts on live bugs. You can tell when he smells the dead bugs, there is a difference in his body language but he does not alert. He does not alert on skins, sheddings or exoskeletons, either.

Absolutely, "Dusty Boot" can tell the difference between a dead bed bug and a live bed bug.

Do you have a question I can answer about bed bugs?

Too Good Not to Share.........

James 3:7

All kinds of birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed, and have been tamed but no man can tame the tongue it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Enjoy, you dog! I do.

When Dusty Boot goes into a home to find bugs, the resident wants to meet and greet him. They expect to watch him. It is fascinating, I agree and wish I could accommodate. But we need it to be quiet, no TV, dog bones, dog food, crumbs on the floor, etc. But don't clean before I come and vacuum up the bugs!  Taking 122+ breaths a minutes and moving as quickly as possible, the dog and the handler need all the concentration they can muster, together. Presenting the bugs to the dog, is the handler's job. Hunting bed bugs is hard, tiring work--for both the dog and the handler. He and I are there to do a job. Dusty Boot does not have a cuddly personality, even with me. I wish he did. It would be fun for me to take time for the customer to socialize with my dog afterwards. It isn't going to happen. So enjoy, this lovely video and hug your dog for me.

What would you like to teach your dog to do? Maybe I can help. 

Veteran's and "Dusty Boot" Team Up For Responsible Retailing!

Shop the Go Green Warehouse, at 2627 West 6th Avenue, Denver, CO and save big, up to 75% off retail! Find a bargain on donated, used, recycled and surplus furniture, office appointments, building materials, tools, painting supplies, doors, flooring and bathroom fixtures. The Go Green Warehouse is supported not only by their loyal customers but by dozens of product suppliers and community members including one small, but essential four footed helper, “Dusty Boot” a Border Collie mix with a nose for bed bugs. One of the basic tenets of frugality is that you don’t have to buy “new”.  But in the past few years there is a big reason to be reluctant to bring used furniture home: BEDBUGS!
That's where “Dusty Boot” comes in. Dusty Boot is a certified Bed Bug Scent detection dog. Dusty Boot and Accurate K-9 Pest Detection thoroughly inspects Go Green Warehouse’s furniture inventory every couple of weeks, or as needed.  
Bed bugs hide any where you can slide a business card. Trained and certified bed bug dogs like "Dusty Boot" find bed bugs with 90+ accuracy while trained pest professional's visual inspection accuracy is in the range 30%. That is why bed bug dogs are in demand.
Brad Hackman, Dusty Boot’s handler and a owner of Accurate K-9 Pest Detection explains, 
"Dusty Boot” is not looking for the bug itself but their sweet strawberry-like pheromone signature, their scent, to find them. He can find as few as one or two and tell the difference between live bugs and dead ones.”
With Dusty Boot’s help the Go Green Warehouse is a socially responsible retailer of used furnishings. Dusty Boot provides a safety net for the Warehouse as they sell home and office furnishings, at prices so low that everyone can afford to buy them. In addition, Dusty Boot keeps good, reusable items out of the landfills while benefiting American Veterans. 
The 40,000 square foot Go Green Warehouse is open Tuesday through Friday are 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Leave happy knowing you saved money and the profit supports job and training programs for military veterans seeking employment opportunities in sustainability sectors or green jobs.

www.bedbugdogscolorado.com

Accurate K-9 Pest Detection

303.233.7901

720.301.4870 cell
http://www.gogreenwarehouse.org/

Bed Bugs and Condo Living

Accurate K-9 Pest Detectionʼs

Recommendations for the Multi-Family Housing Resident 

303-233-7901

1.  Keep a clutter free home. Cleanliness has nothing to do whether you have or get bed bugs but clutter free living spaces make detection and mitigation easier and less expensive. Early detection is the key factor for cost effective mitigation. Pest professionals are only 30% accurate while a certified bed bug scent dog is 95-98% accurate. “Dusty Boot” can do an inspection in a fraction of the time it takes a pest professional.

2.  Do not buy second hand items at garage sales, thrift stores or bring home used furniture from unknown sources. If you do buy small used items take the immediate precaution of washing the item and/or putting them in the freezer for four days or dyer for forty-five minutes.

3.  Do not waste hard earned cash on any bed bug spray or chemicals found at local big box stores. Sprays need to be professional strength and even then sprays are the least effective way to mitigate against bed bugs. There are too many failure points and the infestation may worsen or spread, as a result.

4.  As a preventive buy and spread Food Grade Diatomaceous earth liberally in crevices and a strip by egress doors. Diatomaceous earth is green, economical and effective against a number of insects, including bed bugs. However, it does not kill bed bugs quickly but retards infestation.

5.  Put 1/3-1/2 cup of Borax in vacuum bag to prevent infestation and spread of bugs by way of the vacuum. This should be done to any vacuums used in central and common halls. Common areas, lobbies and laundry areas particularly upholstered furniture should be routinely inspected for bed bugs.

6.  Inspect bed routinely, seams, around cording and between mattresses looking for small black flecks and or bugs. Donʼt wait for bites, only four out of ten people react to the bed bug bite. Yes, it is possible to have bed bugs without knowing it.

If you suspect you have bed bugs do not move to another bedroom or couch. Moving from bed to bed or bed to couch makes the problem worse by spreading the bugs to multiple rooms. Call a pest professional, immediately.

7.  Do not move infested furniture through common halls and corridors without bagging the item. Large bags may be bought from U-Haul. When discarding infested items deface i.e. pour ketchup over them, so that no one is tempted to take the items.

www.bedbugdogscolorado.com

303-233-7901 

Accurate K-9 Pest Detection

Bed Bugs 101--Colorado's Top Bed Bug Dog; "DUSTY BOOT"

FROM MSN HEALTH: 

Health Menaces Of 2011

Whether it was superbugs or super-dumb drivers, half a dozen health scares invaded the headlines this year. Here's how to take them on in 2012.

Health scare:  Bedbugs

Bedbugs are notorious city dwellers. But now the little bloodsuckers are spreading so fast that even suburbanites are finding them under mattresses and in dark corners. Infestations leaped by as much as 30 percent in 2011, according to a new survey from the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). The reason for the spike isn't entirely clear, though the study points to an uptick in travel, bedbugs' increased resistance to pesticides, and a lack of education on how to stop their spread.

Outlook for 2012:  Scientists recently convened in Washington, D.C., for the Second National Bed Bug Summit, but it may be a while before we see the results of their strategizing. After the meeting, the EPA awarded 1-to 2-year research grants to explore new methods of eradication. In the meantime, you can expect the spread to continue: The little buggers are among the toughest pests to eradicate, according to the NPMA.

FROM: THE BED BUG SUPPLEMENT:

Single-family homes (40.7 percent) and apartment (39.3 percent) were the primary leading types of accounts treated for bed bogs. Hotels and motels were ranked as the third leading type of accounts for bed bugs with

12.2 percent of the respondents mentioning them. (See chart below.)

Early detection dramatically reduces the cost of bed bug mitigation! Call Accurate K-9 Pest Detection with your bed bug questions: 303-233-7901.