Transcript
Canine Scent DetectionKelly Robbins: Four Paws K-9 Detection, LLCLee Johnson: Bed Bug Inspector, LLC
Agenda•Intro to Canine Scent Detection •The Science•Quality Assurance•What Affects Accuracy?•Realistic Expectations
Intro to Canine Scent Detection
Canine Scent Detection• Well-known canine careers
▫ Narcotics Detection▫ Bomb Detection▫ Tracking Lost Persons
• Training methodology applied to new fields▫ Insect (Bed Bug) Scent Detection▫ Mold Detection▫ Tumor Detection▫ Conservation- Sea Turtles, Ivory Trade▫ Agriculture- Fruit Trees, Golf Courses
• Utilizing dogs in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) makes a difference!▫ NYC went from #1 to #9 on Orkin’s list of Most Infested Cities in 2012
Who Uses Our Services?• Commercial Clients
▫ Landlords▫ Hotels▫ Call Centers / Offices ▫ Healthcare Facilities
• Residential Clients▫ After travel / houseguests▫ When bites appear▫ Frequent use of public
transportation
The Science
It's All About The Nose!• The Nose
▫ Beagle: 225 million scent receptors▫ Human: 5 million scent receptors
• The Brain▫ A dog’s brain devoted to analyzing
smells is 40% LARGER than a human's
▫ Dog: 8"x11" Paper▫ Human: Postage Stamp
Quality Assurance
Training• Dogs Are Highly Trained & Well
Maintained• Team (Handler + Dog)• Use live bed bugs in training daily• Keeps daily logs: training &
deployment• Communicates with trainer• Attends Advanced Training
Seminars
Evaluations• Annually evaluated by
NESDCA• Team (handler + dog)• Third Party Evaluators
• NESDCA’s certification is an evaluation method modeled after law enforcement
• Evaluation should include live bed bugs & dead bed bugs
What Affects Accuracy?
Accuracy of Inspection Depends On:• How the team trains
• Blind hides vs. Known hides• Air Flow
• HVAC, Fans, Computers, Exhaust Fans• Protocols in place to protect the integrity of the search• Pesticides (30 days after application) & Cleaning Products • Heavy Infestations
• Overwhelming odor = canine may not alert. Not trained to detect high amounts (high threshold vs. low threshold). Humans should notice bugs at this point. Staff must be trained!
• Odor must be present for the canine to alert. The team counts on the odor dropping, not rising.
• Where was the canine trained?• Does the trainer have scientifically proven training techniques to back up
claims of accuracy? • 98% rate is based on Univ. of FL study using canines from J & K canine
Academy in High Springs, FL trained by Pepe Peruyero & Bun Montgomery & published in Entomological Society of America 2008
Realistic Expectations
Expectations• Be realistic
• Teams are not 100% accurate- nothing is! But K-9’s are the most useful, scientifically proven tool we have to this date.
• Communication is critical for success• Documentation of areas inspected & not inspected should
be included in the inspection report• Teams train with low quantities of bed bugs (1-15)
• Goal is to identify low infestations- Low Threshold # of bed bugs
• Canine is alerting on the odor presence of live bed bugs &/or viable eggs• Keep in mind - air flow can move the odor• Target scent/odor must be present for the K-9 to alert • Checklist/Protocol adherence is vital for success
Dogs at Work!
Questions?Thank you!
Kelly Robbins Four Paws K-9 Detection, LLCPhone: 614-378-0023Email: office@fourpawsk9detection.comWeb: www.fourpawsk9detection.com
Lee JohnsonBed Bug Inspector, LLCPhone: 614-747-3463Email: lee@bedbug-inspector.comWeb: www.bedbug-inspector.com
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