Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » General Topics

Can K9 dog detect live bedbugs and eggs inside a sealed/airtight bag?

(15 posts)

  1. simsk

    newbite
    Joined: Apr '10
    Posts: 9

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Wed Apr 21 2010 13:41:19
    #



    Login to Send PM

    I mean if the scent of BBS/eggs can't permeate throught a sealed airtight bag/container, the K9 dog won't be able to detect their presence right?

    Any experts opinion or research on this?

    TIA!

  2. DougSummersMS

    oldtimer
    Joined: May '07
    Posts: 1,969

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Wed Apr 21 2010 17:16:34
    #



    Login to Send PM

    Depends on the level of air-tightness of the bag or container.

    A standard Ziplock bag will allow enough VOCs to permeate the plastic for the K9 to detect a strong source... depending on the temperature and the length of time the bed bugs are sealed up in the bag.

    Multiple layers of vacuum sealed freezer bags might cause the dog to miss them.

  3. simsk

    newbite
    Joined: Apr '10
    Posts: 9

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Wed Apr 21 2010 17:30:36
    #



    Login to Send PM

    it was the standard XL, XXL Ziploc brand bags, i only single layer bag the items. they were sealed up between march 20-25th 2010. K9 inspection on April 1st and 16th 2010 didn't detect anything in those sealed bags. items in those bags are hot washed/dried clothes/linens, paper, dvd, books, some electronics. room temp maybe 21-22C

    my full story here http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/pls-help-and-hello-from-vancouver-bc-canada

  4. DougSummersMS

    oldtimer
    Joined: May '07
    Posts: 1,969

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Thu Apr 22 2010 7:54:15
    #



    Login to Send PM

    While it is possible for the K9 to detect bed bugs in a sealed Ziplock... The bags will reduce the amount of VOCs that are available for the dog to detect.

    The best way to utilize the K9 in this situation is to open each bag briefly and puff some air from the Ziplock while the K9 is checking the bagged items.

    The air from inside of the bag will contained concentrated scent that should enable the dog to detect any bugs that remain inside of the bags.

  5. simsk

    newbite
    Joined: Apr '10
    Posts: 9

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Thu Apr 22 2010 9:26:00
    #



    Login to Send PM

    Thanks for the reply. I don't think I can afford another K9 inspection yet. I will go the DDVP route, any recommendations how long to leave the DDVP in the sealed bags for? It'd be kept at room temp 20-22C in unoccupied space. The bags were sealed between march 20-25th 2010, so any eggs from then should be hatched/hatching by now...

  6. DougSummersMS

    oldtimer
    Joined: May '07
    Posts: 1,969

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Thu Apr 22 2010 11:24:06
    #



    Login to Send PM

    I sent a PM to you.

  7. Andrew Farago

    newbite
    Joined: Apr '10
    Posts: 4

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Tue Apr 27 2010 10:20:50
    #



    Login to Send PM

    Drug traffickers have tried for decades, unsuccessfuly, to mask or eliminate the odor of drugs to fool and fowl the K-9 search units. Everything from freezing to vacuum packing and/or both with mixed in scent of steak, or cat urine, etc., but nothing has worked.
    In my humble opinion, the same applies to any odor the dog is trained for. It all depends on the dog, the training and the handler.

    The liners used by hotels to seal box spring and mattress work well to keep the bugs in and out but, my pup hits on the odor every time as long as the bugs are alive.

  8. simsk

    newbite
    Joined: Apr '10
    Posts: 9

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Tue Apr 27 2010 11:24:42
    #



    Login to Send PM

    Andrew Farago,

    Thanks kindly for replying. Regarding drug trafficker trying to smuggle drugs by using the vacuum sealing method, would it have been possible that the K9 picked up drug traces outside of the vacuum materials (instead of the ones inside)? Unless the traffickers usually double/triple/quadruple/etc vacuum packing the drugs and the K9 still picks up the scent?

    Yeah as you can see, I am still paranoid with bedbugs/eggs still present in my sealed bags. I've been DDVPing them for about 4 days now.

    Any further comments/discussions is highly welcome.

    Or can K9 handlers on this board pls do an experiment to see if your dogs pick up the bedbugs/eggs scent from a sealed ziploc bag? just a thought/idea, perhaps can be an educational one for those interested.

    As always I DO appreciate everyone taking their time to comment/answer/help the paranoid bedbug sufferers on this board.

  9. LVK9

    member
    Joined: Mar '09
    Posts: 281

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Tue Apr 27 2010 11:39:14
    #



    Login to Send PM

    simsk, I will seal a vial in a Ziploc bag and let you know the results.

  10. simsk

    newbite
    Joined: Apr '10
    Posts: 9

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Tue Apr 27 2010 11:42:06
    #



    Login to Send PM

    LVK9,

    Thanks for your help! Perhaps also to put in some clothing, dvds, books, other things with it to reflect more like field testing? This thread is getting some action YES!

    Cheers, and thanks.

  11. LVK9

    member
    Joined: Mar '09
    Posts: 281

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Tue Apr 27 2010 21:05:13
    #



    Login to Send PM

    simsk, I placed a vial of bed bugs in a Ziploc bag and placed that bag in the middle of a draw under the clothes at 8:45am. At 2:00pm I had my canine sweep the room and she alerted to the closed draw that contained the bed bugs. I then switched draws and had her sweep the room again at 5:00pm. This time she did not alert to the closed draw that contained bed bugs. I opened all draws 2 inches and had her sweep the room again, she alerted to the draw with bed bugs in it. As a control I placed an identical bag and vial (this vial contained carpet beetles) in another draw she ignored this bag.

  12. simsk

    newbite
    Joined: Apr '10
    Posts: 9

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Tue Apr 27 2010 21:08:36
    #



    Login to Send PM

    LVK9,

    THanks for the effort! Very interesting findings. Curious, were the bed bugs mix of adults/nymphs/eggs?

  13. soscared

    senior member
    Joined: Sep '09
    Posts: 429

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Tue Apr 27 2010 21:47:23
    #



    Login to Send PM

    LVK9, you rule.

  14. LVK9

    member
    Joined: Mar '09
    Posts: 281

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Wed Apr 28 2010 2:25:10
    #



    Login to Send PM

    simsk, yes there was a mix of the life cycle in the vial. I will look closer tomorrow to see exactly how many and let you know.

    soscared,thanks for the kind words.

  15. simsk

    newbite
    Joined: Apr '10
    Posts: 9

    offline

    Posted 3 years ago
    Wed Apr 28 2010 2:34:43
    #



    Login to Send PM

    Awesome thanks. Very enlightening tests so far.


RSS feed for this topic


Reply

You must log in to post.

160,627 posts in 24,657 topics over 76 months by 10,432 of 17,346 members. Latest: bedbuggertest, jyajyagbr, BB23
Site Meter