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Termite-sniffing Dog Can 'See Through Walls'

Updated: Tue 9:15 AM, Mar 05, 2013

They can destroy your home and you'd never know until it was too late According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, termites eat their way through $1.5 billion in damages each year

So how can you combat something you can't see until the damage is done?

That's where Blazer comes in hand.

The short-haired border collie is trained to smell for termites.

"He has about 2,000 hours of training into him for detection work," said Joshua Zapalac. The Aggie graduate owns EcoZapp and got Blazer in October of 2012. Since then, he's been hunting bugs.

"I can't see through walls. He can," said Zapalac.

Termites are small and you can't always see them with the naked eye. Plus, they can hide their damage. Zapalac carries a two-by-four that was found at a house. It had been hollowed out by termites. No one knew that until someone fell through it.

But Blazer, sees it all.

"If they're there, he'll find them," said Zapalac.

That's a big relief for homeowners.

"Whenever you buy a new home, there are so many unknowns," said Jesse Montelongo. He knows how effective Blazer's snout is at seeking out termites. He hired Josh to make sure his house was bug free.

"Anytime you buy an older home and you start renovating, you just worry about things that might be in the walls or the things that might be along the edges of the landscaping. This has really allowed us to feel really confident," said Montelongo.

Confidence that means, with Blazer's help, you're protecting your home, inside and out.

Blazer was originally trained as a narcotics dog by the US Canine Unlimited. Zapalac says that he's the only dog like this in the area.


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