Hi there! Let me first introduce myself. My name is Indiana, but almost everyone calls me Indy. I’m a 2 ½ year old fox red retriever and one of my favorite things to do is to help get rid of bed bugs. I do this by sniffing out adult bed bugs and their live eggs.
I’ve been hunting bed bugs for half my life now. And, one thing I’ve learned is that these little suckers will hide anywhere. Just, how do you get bed bugs? Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and move from place to place by hitching a ride on people and their belongings. Luggage, backpacks, briefcases, and jackets are common items in which bed bugs travel.
Kirk, my handler, and I spend most of our days inspecting homes, hotels, medical facilities, libraries, and even vehicles in search of bed bugs – basically, anywhere people spend extended periods. We often find bed bugs hiding in beds, sofas, recliners, computer bags, purses, wheelchairs, and sometimes electronics like TVs, computers, and even calculators! We inspect homes and businesses throughout Indiana, including Evansville and Indianapolis, Kentucky, including Bowling Green and Louisville, and parts of Illinois.
Most people are surprised at the size of bed bugs because they expect them to be much smaller. The truth is they’re about the size of an apple seed and reddish-brown. One of the biggest advantages I have over the rest of the team at Action Pest Control is that I can even find the bed bugs’ tiny eggs.
When I’m not working, I enjoy relaxing at home with my handler and his family and playing with my canine friends, Izzy, another bed bug hunter, and Star, a waterfowl hunter.
Well, enough about me for now. Thanks for taking the time to get to know me and learn about my job as a bed bug detection dog. Be sure to check back for updates from me and the rest of the canine team. And, leave me your questions or comments. There are some pretty smart people on the Action Pest Control team, (one or two even as smart as me!) so if there is something that’s got me stumped, I’m sure they can figure it out. Or, if you suspect you may have a bed bug problem, contact us for an inspection.