Dogs Trained to Sniff Out Bedbugs

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May 31, 2007 — Trained dogs can detect the scent of everything from bombs to humans, and now bedbugs may be added to list of things dogs can sniff out, according to researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Twenty such dogs aced a series of termite- and bedbug-finding tests conducted at the Southeast Pest Management Conference held earlier this month in Gainesville. While termite-sniffing canines have been used since at least the 1990’s, a resurgence of bedbugs over the past few years prompted the additional training.

"Properly trained dogs can assist an inspector by locating the odor of live bedbugs or viable eggs and ignoring evidence of past infestations, like cast skins, dead bugs, fecal matter and hatched eggs," handler Jose "Pepe" Peruyero told Discovery News.

Peruyero’s J&K Canine Academy in High Springs, Florida, has been teaching dogs like Nudie, a Chinese crested terrier mix, to find the elusive insects. Peruyero said many different breeds, including mixes, are up to the task, but "hound types tend to work better."

More than one trainer handles the dogs, which work every day, to get them used to dealing with different people. A food reward system — usually treats procured from a bag latched onto the handler’s waist — encourages the dogs to sniff and search for bedbugs. Repetitive training teaches the canines to associate bedbug odors with work, which, in turn, is associated with tasty treats.

Peruyero, who formerly worked for the Gainesville and Miami Police Departments, said the dogs may sniff at sites, such as apartment complexes and hotels, "where bedbug bites have been reported." They can also verify when an insecticide treatment was effective.

Bedbugs are wingless, reddish brown, oval-shaped nocturnal parasites that feed on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts. Their name comes from their insidious habit of hiding in bedding before feeding on people at night.

Cindy Mannes, spokeswoman for the National Pest Management Association, said that from 2000 to 2005, bedbug inquiries to pest control agencies went up 71 percent.

While it is estimated that termites cause around $5 billion worth of damage each year in the United States, she explained that it hasn't been possible to assess their total monetary damage because there is a "stigma" that keeps hotel and building managers from reporting them.

No one is entirely sure why bedbugs have been on the rise, but entomologists have proposed that increased travel may play a role since the parasites may hitch a ride in luggage and clothing. Still others have suggested that the U.S. ban on the insecticide DDT, which is linked to health and environmental impacts, led to the bedbug increase.

Phil Koehler, an entomology professor at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, indicated the bedbug-sniffing dogs offer a more environmentally friendly, and perhaps even more effective solution to the problem.

"We’ve been working to try to make sure that there are quality dogs out there to detect termites, and now bedbugs," Koehler said.

"Both those pests are very difficult to detect in structures," he added, explaining that researchers have found up to 15 bedbug nymphs in the slot of a drywall screw.

Peruyero already has taken calls from interested bedbug-infested property owners from California to Australia. He tells them they will get a "nose with four legs to carry it."

As he said, the dogs "love to eat, love to smell...It’s what they live for."