Bed Bug Detection Dogs: Training & Effectiveness Explained
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No one wants to consider the possibility of having bed bugs in the home. But unfortunately, it does happen. These insects are difficult to detect and can be confused with other parasites, like fleas or carpet beetles.
This is where dogs trained to detect bed bugs can be truly beneficial. But how does this work, and how effective is it to use dogs? Here, we get into how dogs are trained to detect bed bugs and whether this is an effective method.
What Is the History of Bed Bug Detection Dogs?
Dogs are known for their exceptional skills at catching a scent and following it to its source. Dogs have 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses (to compare, humans have 6 million), which are put to use for sniffing out people, narcotics, and even explosives.
This enables dogs to accurately detect and analyze scents — they could even locate one single drop of liquid in 20 Olympic-sized pools!
When dogs were initially trained for the pest control industry, it was to locate termites in 1979. It’s believed that dogs were first trained to sniff out bed bugs in the early 2000s, when bed bugs had infested a few large cities. Bed bugs became resistant to the methods used to exterminate them, so dogs were trained to sniff them out.
Also at this time, several organizations were established that supported the standards and certification for canine inspections, including the World Detector Dog Organization and the National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association in the United States.
How Does It Work?
All pests have their own unique odor, no matter how tiny they are, which dogs can detect easily. However, bed bugs are incredibly tiny, and they find all kinds of nooks and crannies to hide in, so this is where the dog’s nose comes in handy.
Most dogs are trained while puppies and are rewarded for placing their nose on the odor. They are trained to find live bed bugs and the eggs, but they are also introduced to dead bed bugs in order to teach them to ignore these. So, the dog will learn to alert to eggs and live bed bugs but not any dead ones.
How Accurate Are They?
Rutgers University published a study in 2014 that tested 11 bed bug canine detection teams in three U.S. cities.1 Unfortunately, the accuracy rate was only 44%, but the study also found that a few of the errors in detecting the bed bugs were on the dog’s handler’s part rather than the dog’s. The study also used a small sample size and admitted that more studies should be done.
Most pest management companies will state that their canine bed bug detectors have 95% or more accuracy rates. Sometimes, dogs will detect dead bed bugs from a previous treatment, though, which can lead to a false positive result, so the 95% claim isn’t necessarily valid.
Overall, the accuracy of the dog depends on the dog, their handler, and how well-trained the dog is.
Advantages of Bed Bug Detection Dogs
There are a few definite advantages to using bed bug detection dogs:
- Early detection: If you’re on the fence about whether you have bed bugs or not, these dogs can detect an infestation before it becomes a big problem.
- Identifies specific areas: This method can pinpoint precisely where the bed bugs are hiding, which makes it easier to exterminate them.
- Fast: If the dog and handler are good at what they do, it can sometimes take minutes to locate the bugs, compared to taking hours for a professional inspector. This comes in particularly handy if an entire building needs inspecting.
- Immediate treatment: The quick results that the dogs provide mean treatment can occur immediately. This is essential to prevent the number of bed bugs from increasing.
- Detects eggs: Not only do the trained dogs find live bed bugs, but they can also locate the eggs.
- Easier for you: The use of dogs means you won’t have your belongings turned upside down hunting for pests. You will need to reduce any clutter in the home, but the dogs can detect bed bugs without your needing to flip mattresses or take apart any furniture.
Disadvantages of Bed Bug Detection Dogs
But with the good comes the bad. There are several disadvantages to bed bug detection canines:
- Accuracy: Accuracy is not a guarantee. Many things depend on the training, the dog, and the handler. While many of these dogs are accurate, others might not be quite as precise.
- Expensive: This depends on the size of the house or area that needs inspecting, but it can be pricey, ranging from $500 to $1,000 or more.
- Early detection only: These dogs are only used for early detection, which means they can’t help with a more advanced infestation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do bed bug dogs sometimes get it wrong?
False positives occur primarily because there might have been a previous infestation. These dogs became confused because of old shells, feces, and dead bed bugs. In some cases, the results are wrong because the handler misread the dog’s signals.
What breeds of dogs are typically used?
Almost any breed can be trained to detect bed bugs. But the best breeds tend to be hounds, such as Beagles and Bloodhounds, along with Australian Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Border Collies.
These breeds have exceptional scenting abilities and are motivated working dogs. Small breeds can also be successful in detecting bed bugs because they can fit into smaller spaces.
Where can you find bed bugs?
Bed bugs prefer hiding in tiny spaces only about 2 millimeters in size, and they hide from light. You can find them in places like baseboards, couches, electric outlets, folded clothing, and beds, of course.
Is paying for a bed bug detection dog worth it?
It depends on the situation and the dog and handler. Some companies use more than one dog, which can help with false positives. If both dogs are alert to the presence of bed bugs, it is more likely that they are accurate.
Read reviews, ask questions, and consider that as expensive as they are, they can help save you money in the long run by catching the infestation early.
Conclusion
Bed bug detection canines can be fairly hit-or-miss. There are just so many variables in play: the space itself and whether there was an earlier infestation, the breed and their training, how the handler interprets the dog’s alerts, and even just distractions during the inspection.
A dog’s nose is an amazing thing! Being able to detect such tiny insects by scent alone is incredible. While the results aren’t always accurate, you should have success if you do your research on the company that you’re interested in and ask them any questions. It might be worth the extra expense if you catch the bed bugs before your entire home is overwhelmed.
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Featured Image Credit: LightField Studios, Shutterstock
