Providence court using dogs to find bed bugs

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Bed-bug-sniffing dogs are set to descend on the Garrahy Judicial Complex Saturday, hunting for any bed bugs exterminators may have missed–across all six floors.

“It will be an enhanced effort on our part to once again inspect the building and where necessary, if necessary, treat the building,” said Rhode Island State Court administrator Joe Baxter.

This comes just two days after a second round of inspections–and weeks after the bugs were initially spotted. According to union leaders, court employees have reported being bitten as recently as Wednesday.

“The dogs can go through a room very quickly as opposed to a human inspector,” said Tony DeJesus of Big Blue Bug Solutions.

DeJesus says these canines, which are trained in much the same way as bomb- or drug-sniffing dogs, can smell bugs where crews can’t see them.

“It might be on the wall, under a bench in an area that you can’t really see, in someone’s desk. The dog can walk around that desk and get a possible scent that they’re there too.”

Rhode Island State Court administrator Joe Baxter hopes that does the trick.

“Hopefully is a one-time effort, and we won’t require them to come back. But if we need to down the road we will,” said Baxter.

But DeJesus cautions it’s an imperfect science, and more treatment may in fact be needed to get rid of these bugs.

“It’s the nature of the beast because they are so difficult to get rid of. Sometimes, and almost every time to be honest with you, multiple treatments are required to get rid of bed bugs,” said DeJesus.

Court officials say only five bugs have been found so far, but union leaders say based on the reports they’ve gotten from court employees, the actual number is probably higher than that.

© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2018