Bed Bugs Still Prevalent in New York

RONKONKOMA, NY, July 11, 2012 (Press-News.org) New York City ranked first place in the nation for the city most infected with bed bugs in recent years, according to the world's largest pest control company. But 2012 has Philadelphia topping the list, while New York City gladly takes third place thanks to certified bed bug sniffing dogs like Daisy, Midas, and Tater from Discovery Dogs.

Bed bugs are parasites that typically live in beds and furniture, preferring to feed on human blood. They have made a comeback this past decade due, in part, to the increase in world travel and globalization. As bed bugs are nocturnal, victims are bitten while asleep -- often unaware. Depending on your skin's sensitivity to the bites, some infestations may go unnoticed. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to detect and many people find them horrifying, but they do not carry disease and actually pose less of a threat than mosquitos.

Discovery Dogs was founded in 2009, when owner Lee Browning Jr. noticed that effective detection services and education were lacking, while bed bug infestations were becoming more prevalent. Still today, the general public's knowledge on bed bug breeding habits, hiding places, their detection, and methods of extermination needs improvement. Discovery Dogs offers inspections independent of extermination services and/or products. They have made it their mission to educate and empower homeowners, property managers, and anyone needing to identify and manage the presence of bed bugs. Their team handles the screening and detection process quickly and discretely. If a plan for extermination is required, it can be implemented immediately.

Canine inspection combines the skills of trained and certified dogs, with an experienced handler, to inspect suspect areas for potential bed bug infestation. A handler focuses on specific target areas for infestation, but will direct the canine to inspect all areas for varying degrees of time. These inspections are commonly conducted in hotels, hospitals, and other areas with community bedding and furniture such as dorm rooms, cruise ships, automobiles, and planes. Discovery Dogs also regularly services residential homes, office spaces, apartment buildings, and personal residences.

The training of the Discovery Dogs is identical to the training used for the detection of explosives and narcotics. While the accuracy rate of canine detection for bed bugs is very high, results are based on the handler's ability as well as the ability of the dogs.

It is key that dogs be trained several times a week to keep their noses and skills sharp, and rested once per hour during inspections of large footage areas. Bed bugs are more active in summer months. When they are not working, the dogs live with Mr. Browning, taking on their role as man's best friend.

For more information on bed bugs and signs of infestation, visit www.DiscoveryDogs.com or call (917) 721-6594.