Q&A with Orkin’s Kevin Eyre and Sutter

Meet Sutter the Black Lab.

?Prior to his retirement in May of 2020, Sutter had quite the unusual job: sniffing out bed bugs! Aside from being man’s best friend, dogs can also be specially trained to detect bed bug scents at all life cycle phases — from eggs to adults — and can help locate these elusive pests with ease.

?Before his retirement, Sutter was one of the best bed bug detectors out there. Now, he lives in a happy home with his new owner, Kevin, a fellow Orkin employee. Here’s what Kevin had to say about his post-professional best friend:

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How did you and Sutter meet and what made you want to adopt him?

Kevin: I met Sutter a few times at company events and when he was in our head office with his handler over the years. Our VP at the time knew I was looking for a new dog since mine had passed away a few years earlier and thought Sutter would be a great fit.

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Do you have any fun stories about Sutter?

Kevin: One evening we were out for a nightly walk and he was pulling at his leash to get close to a couch out that was near the road for garbage, and he was REALLY checking it over well. He always walks well on the leash, which made me wonder what he was so interested in. Then I remembered what he was doing for a living just a few weeks earlier, and we quickly moved away. Clearly that couch had bed bugs, and I didn’t want any hitching a ride back to my home with Sutter and me!

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How are bed bug canines useful allies in helping pest control providers detect bed bugs?

With their powerful noses, trained dogs can quickly confirm or deny the presence of bed bugs and bed bug eggs in a location much faster than one of our Orkin Pros. They can even find bed bugs in hidden areas that are more difficult for a human to check, where there is a lot of ground to cover, such as, airplanes, movie theaters, university lecture halls, checking multiple hotel rooms and apartments.

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Are there only certain breeds that can become bed bug canines?

Many breeds can be trained to detect bed bugs, but most Orkin bed bug canines are Spaniels, Beagles or Labrador Retrievers.

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What is something most people might not know about adopting a retired professional dog that you think is important to share?

Retired professional dogs are great pets and can be a great addition to any family. He is so quiet and so well behaved from his bed bug training. He really is a perfect dog!

While Bed Bug Canine Inspections aren’t available across all Orkin locations, you can learn more about how they can help protect your business in our blog about how bed bug canines can help sniff out infestations in your business.