About Us
As a team of scent-detecting canines and talented handlers, we are integral players our clients’ demand for pest management for bed bugs. And it is our privilege to provide our service to clients in New York City and the tri-state area.
Our quality control and quality assurance for training and testing our working canines are best in market. ‘We work the way we train and train the way we work!’ true to the pepedogs’ mantra. We adhere to the training protocols of NESDCA and best practices for integrated pest management endorsed by the Cornell University NY State IPM Program, the US EPA, the IPM Institute of North America, and the National Pest Management Association. Below is information about us, J&K Canine Academy, and NESDCA certification.
Principal
The teams, including the Principal, participate in the intensive training course supported by J&K Canine Academy and test with our canines as their handlers for NESDCA certification under specified conditions to uniquely identify live bed bugs and viable eggs.
Fiona Boneham: The motivation for Bed Bug Detectives & Advisors was guilt! A desperate friend, and it seems that every week there is another friend grappling with similar issues, asked if she and her child could stay while her house was fumigated for bed bugs. Fiona said no, she wouldn’t take the risk of bringing the bugs into her home. Even though she still believes this was the right action to take, she felt like a terrible friend. It was at that moment that she understood bed bugs were not just a nuisance but were an epidemic and that unless there was a major cultural shift in our reporting and treatment practices, there would be bed bugs in Fiona’s house. There would be bed bugs in EVERY house, office, school and theater. When she looked into the resources available to fight the vampirious critters she found that the most accurate, efficient and completely non-chemical tool to detect bed bugs at all stages, including eggs, was the adorable and friendly trained beagle. Bed Bug Detectives & Advisors is the inspired result.
Hercules & Fiona
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Mary is a native New Yorker and our second dog handler. She is excited to be joining BBD&A, bringing her innate skill with animals and desire to help people to the team. Like many of us she has watched the resurgence of bedbugs here and abroad with growing alarm and as a musician who tours frequently was especially concerned about bringing home “unwanted guests”! When approached by long-time friend Fiona about coming on board she felt it was the right move and when she met her incredible canine co-workers Archie and Hercules, it sealed the deal. It is truly rewarding to be able to give people peace of mind and to also help them with tackling what can often seem like an insurmountable problem.
Detectives: Hercule “Hercules” Poirot & Archie Goodwin
Hercule ‘Hercules’ Poirot, a two year old Beagle-Kelpie mix, was also trained at the J&K Canine Academy. An abandoned hunting hound, he was rescued from an animal shelter in Florida to train with Pepe Peruyo, founder and head trainer at J&K. Pepe and his team worked with Hercules daily for four months, training for over 800 hours to perfect his bed bug scent-detection routines. Hercules is focused and determined, he enjoys the hunt and is a consistently reliable performer.
Because you’re worth it
Hercules is named in honor of Hercule Poirot, the Belgian master sleuth created by Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie’s most famous and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels and 51 short stories published between 1920 and 1975 and set in the same era.
Archie is a Beagle trained by J&K as a pup, along with six siblings, from a Georgia breeder. A true sniffer, he is an enthusiastic worker and a good natured one-year old named for Archie Goodwin of Nero Wolfe mysteries. The witty voice of all the stories, he recorded the cases of the detective genius from 1934 (Fer-de-Lance) to 1975 (A Family Affair). Like this working dog, Archie Goodwin lived and worked in New York City.
The Training Process
Our teams are trained by J&K Canine Academy Inc., the training school with scientifically proven accuracy rates of above 97%. Once a team has completed their course together, they are eligible to receive certification from the National Entomology Detection Canine Association (NESDCA.)
J&K Canine Academy is lead by Pepe Peruyero, founder and trainer. ‘Pepedogs’ are chosen for their personalities and abilities. They receive customized, daily training at the facility until they are ready to go to work paired with their handlers. The bonded team receives at additional week of intensive training together at the Academy before returning to their market. The teams reinforce the training by practicing daily to maintain their efficacy in the field.
National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association
NESDCA is the certifying organization assuring the highest quality standards of scent- detecting canines and is an information resource for the consumer and Pest Control Industry. NESDCA was formed by Pest Control Professionals to ensure the highest standards for Entomology Scent Detection Canines are upheld. Certified teams undergo annual reaccreditation.
