“Don’t let the bedbug dog bite” |
| Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:31 AM PST Good Shepherd is buying the city's first bedbug detection dog to help sniff out Hamilton's growing pest problem. The nonprofit expects to pay $15,000 to $20,000 for the highly trained canine, which will be the star of its new "bedbug centre of excellence." "We're trying to meet a need in the community," said Matt Bowen, manager of operations for Good Shepherd Works. "Bedbugs are overwhelming our city." The number of complaints about the quarter-inch bugs jumped nearly 65 per cent last year, according to Hamilton public health. The city logged 606 complaints in 2010, up from 370 the year before. "It's been a very sharp upward trajectory," said Matt Lawton, the city's environmental health manager and cochair of Hamilton's Bedbug Collaborative. "The complaints are flying up." While increased awareness is partly to blame for the spike, it also appears the bedbug population is growing. Tackling the pests has become big business across North America and the Good Shepherd is hoping to capitalize on the trend. In addition to private clients, the organization was recently awarded a contract to deal with bedbugs in the city's subsidized housing. The bedbug initiative is part of the Catholic charity's social enterprise, which employs vulnerable clients and helps them make the transition to other workplaces. Any money made by the program is invested back in the organization. The bedbug division made $500,000 last year. The Good Shepherd is investing nearly $250,000 to build the bed bug centre, which will feature commercial laundry units to treat contaminated linens and clothing. There will also be a hotbox to "bake" furniture and a walk-in freezer to treat items that can't be heated, like books. The services are helpful for customers who can't afford to replace their possessions after a bedbug infestation, noted Bowen. The centre will also be a training facility for staff and an information hub for the public. "We're trying to be innovative," said Bowen. "It's definitely a market that is growing in the city." He believes the detection dog will help the organization be more effective in rooting out the bugs. Early detection and pinpointing the source of a bedbug outbreak is critical to stopping the spread, noted Lawson, comparing the insects to a fire. "All it takes is a spark." The detection dog will come from J&K Canine Academy in Florida. The dogs undergo three months of training and are believed to more than 95 per cent effective in detecting live bedbugs. A bedbug sniffing dog from Richmond Hill-based Purity Pest Control was called in to inspect hotel rooms during the G20 summit in Toronto this summer. Good Shepherd is in the process of hiring someone who will live and work with its dog. The employee with be sent to the U.S. for training. 905-526-3299 This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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