A New Hampshire nursing home recently called on the assistance of an unusual helper to track down a dogged bed bug problem.

The Merrimack County Nursing Home, in Boscawen, has been dealing with an ongoing infestation in its third-floor resident area. Last week, workers there found seven bed bugs in the hallway and inside one room of the 44-bed unit, the Concord Monitor reported Thursday.

Administrator Matt Lagos said the nursing home brought in a bug-sniffing dog from a local exterminator Wednesday to inspect the premises, but the pooch found no traces of the problem. Workers also thoroughly washed and dried linens, with plans to fumigate the affected resident room.

“We have no reason to believe the problem has spread,” Lagos told the Monitor Thursday. “If we detect or see any type of bug, or carcass of the bug, we’re going to call in our contact immediately.”

Employees however, expressed doubts that the issue has been contained in the 300-bed home, with reports of bites cropping up on the fourth floor. They’ve been afraid to go home and spread the infestation, and are demanding further inspections. “These people are very vulnerable – they can’t speak for themselves,” Nursing Shift Supervisor Deborah Billings said. “They’re trusting us to take care of them.”

Bed bugs can be tough to exterminate, as they multiply quickly and can go long stretches without food, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Killing them typically requires both chemical and non-chemical approaches, the report noted.