About

Bed Bug Foundation CIC (12231220) is a not-for-profit foundation, dedicated to raising standards in the detection and management of bed bugs.

BBF was founded in 2010 by Oliver Madge, former head of the British Pest Control Association. Although initially registered as a charity, the BBF is now a Social Enterprise, set up to support the pest control and canine scent detection industries in their management of bed bugs.

Dr. Richard Naylor, an entomologist specialising in bed bug biology and behaviour, joined BBF as a Trustee in 2011. Richard was the main author of version 2 of the European Code of Practice for Bed Bug Management.

Larry Hansen, a highly experienced dog trainer from Frankfurt Airport, joined BBF and became a Trustee in 2017. Larry worked with BBF to establish a programme for certifying bed bug scent detection dogs in Europe. The goal was to provide something equivalent to the certification programme offered by NESDCA in the US, thereby allowing scent detection teams across Europe to undertake an annual assessment, to a broadly agreed standard, without the expense of travelling to the US.

Larry’s employer, Fraport AG (Frankfurt Airport), assisted the BBF in establishing this programme, by providing administrative support and covering Larry’s time and travel expenses for the first two years. During this time Fraport acted as an agent, issuing certifications on behalf of BBF.

The BBF’s relationship with Fraport ended in 2019, when Fraport closed it’s canine department. The BBF now runs the certification programme independently.

The BBF is run by a board of directors. There are currently four directors: Richard Naylor (UK), Larry Hansen (DE), Patric Corpataux (CH) and Stefan Hedin (SE). The roles and responsibilities of the directors are available on the Terms and Conditions page.

BBF at PestProtect 2018. Copyright Frances McKim, Pest Magazine.