How does getting paid to work with a dog all day sound? Where do I sign up, right? Our new K9 Handler, Wyatt Key, and his bed bug dog, Lex, are just that lucky. But it takes more than luck to get there.
Wyatt started at Western in 2022, but his experience goes far beyond that. While in the army, Wyatt attended a dog-handling school. He has earned three army achievement medals for K9 work and is trained in narcotics and explosives in addition to finding bed bugs. He has also been in the pest control industry for 8 years before coming to Western Pest Services. His extensive training and years of experience and expertise made him a perfect fit here. Not only do we thank him for his service, but we thank him for choosing us as his next company! But he’s only half the team. The other half has 4 legs.
Lex has been sniffing out bed bugs for Western Pest Services since 2018. His highly trained snout is between 95 and 98 percent accurate – which we think is pretty darn accurate! So, if you’re wondering can dogs detect bed bugs – Lex certainly can. Wyatt said, “Lex knows when the GPS says you have arrived at your destination.” According to Wyatt, he “flips out and goes crazy every time.” We call that passionate enthusiasm. Imagine being that excited when you get to work every day! Besides sniffing for bed bugs, Lex is a very sweet pup. He will stand on his back two legs when he wants attention and will stay that way until he gets it. Apparently, Lex is also determined to get what he wants. His favorite thing to do outside of work is swimming but on days that’s not possible, he will play with any ball you want to throw at him.
So, while our pets are home living the life of leisure, Lex is out there with Wyatt making a living. They are keeping hotels, dorm rooms, senior living communities, hospitals, and plenty of other industries safe from bed bugs and the damage they can do to those brands’ reputations – and their bottom line. More importantly, they are keeping the people in those places safe from these pests. Just how good with Lex’s bed bug sniffing dog accuracy? Lex is able to detect just one-bed bug – even just one egg! So, he can find them super early, keeping businesses and homes from having a full-blown infestation. Wyatt and Lex aren’t just working – they’re doing important work.
We’re proud to have Wyatt and Lex on our team here at Western Pest Services!