Dogs sniff out bedbugs at SFU (Vancouver)

[momopi]

http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/local ... ugs-at-sfu

Dogs sniff out bedbugs at SFU
sarah n . fitzgerald
13 October 2010 05:44

After a handful of Simon Fraser University students reported bedbugs in their dorm rooms, the school brought in man’s best friend in a preemptive strike against the spread of the itchy, unwanted pests.

“We made sure to address (this issue) from a very proactive and aggressive manner ... (by bringing in) a canine inspection team,� said Chris Rogerson, residence associate director.

Enter Vegas, the bedbug-sniffing beagle. With his keen nose, Vegas can more accurately detect bedbugs in a less obtrusive manner, said Marcos Michelet, his handler.

“A human inspection is just what (can be seen). Because (Vegas) goes by smell, even if the bedbug is hidden in an area where (one) cannot look, he can smell it,� Michelet said, noting Vegas can sniff out bugs behind heavy bookshelves, under carpets or even inside walls.

There are less than a half-dozen bedbug-detecting dogs in the Lower Mainland, which might be because the dogs require a lifetime commitment from their handlers, suggested Michelet.


Metro Vancouver

[momopi]

The online edition of the article is considerably smaller than the print edition, which was on the front page the Vancouver Metro paper today.

The print edition pointed out:
* 12 reports of bedbugs at SFU since Sept
* There are less than half dozen bed bug sniffing dogs in the lower mainland
* For those unfamiliar with Canadian geographic terms:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Mainland

So, there are less than 6 dogs for a region with 2.5+ million people, and at SFU student dorms they already found 12 reports of bedbugs in less than 2 months.

IMO there's a huge potential for bedbug detection business, if anyone actually wants to obtain the dogs and relocate here. Your work day is basically walking the dog. However I have zero experience in this field, so you need to do your own research. According to this article, Orkan in Vancouver received 10-15 calls a day to inquire about bed bug detection service:

http://www.vancourier.com/life/City+put ... story.html