How Accurate Are Dogs For Detecting Bed Bugs?

Some well-known pest control companies have a service that includes dogs trained to detect bed bugs. Companies like Terminix, Ehrlich, and Orkin offer this service. But there are some drawbacks to these services, including the fact that these dogs cannot completely eliminate bed bug infestations and have high rates of false positives.

These dogs are trained to detect the scents of bed bugs and can distinguish between different types of bed bugs and their eggs. This helps them detect bed bug infestations in places that are inaccessible to humans. They can detect them in crevices and electrical outlets before humans can see them. However, they are only effective if the airflow is conducive to the spread of the smell.

While most dog handlers say that their dogs are highly accurate at detecting bed bugs, a recent study in the Journal of Economic Entomology has cast doubt on these claims. The researchers compared the success rate of bed bug dogs with that of human handlers. They also tested the dogs’ ability to detect bedbugs under real conditions.

In one study, researchers trained seven puppies to detect the smell of live bed bugs, bed bug eggs, and debris. After training, researchers tested the dogs’ ability to differentiate the smell of bed bugs from those of other household pests, including termites. The dogs’ performance varied considerably, but the accuracy rate was still high.

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