Jacksonville, January 22, 2004 - A research team from the University of Florida's Entomology Department has confirmed the effectiveness of especially trained dogs in the detection of termites. In a study of a group of dogs trained here in Florida, the dogs were found to reliably detect termites over 95% of the time. Over a period of months, the dogs clearly established their ability to "sniff out" termite locations in difficult, otherwise undetectable locations. Training followed the U. S. Customs Method combined with food-reward techniques.

Bestec Exterminators Inc, has pioneered the use of termite detection dogs over the years. Born January 1999, Tracker is a Beagle and lives with his trainer, Bart Bruni. The two have been trained separately and as a team together intensively for over five years.

Compared to a typical human, who can inspect at best only 45% of a structure, Tracker can "X-Ray" a home with his nose, with no need to tear apart areas of walls, floors, flat roofs, brick, stucco, wood or other porous materials. Using a properly trained termite detection dog is not only much more effective, it is also far less disruptive.

Currently, Tracker is not only being used to detect termites initially, but he is being used for a follow-up K-9 Inspection after a thorough Termidor™ termite treatment to verify the effectiveness of the treatment. Tracker has participated in Case studies with BASF™ (the venders of Termidor) on the nasutitermes costacalis termite, very rare to North America. As result, Bestec Exterminators was chosen to be a part of the task force funded by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and conducted by the University of Florida to eradicate the nasutitermes tree termite. see industry research for more info...

Many articles have discussions about the pros and cons of termite dogs. The debate has been going on forever. All that i can say is Tracker has found Formosan termites many times in areas that the infrared, microwave and experienced eyes have not. The result of that is less damage on our customers home or building.