A bed bug sniffing dog, from company, Bell Environmental.

One of the more recent additions for the war on bed bugs (yep, war) is the use of dogs specifically trained to sniff the scent of bed bugs. Bed bug sniffing dogs are used for the detection of bed bugs, usually within homes or belongings.

The process is fairly straightforward – hiring a bed bug sniffing dog is actually quite expensive, do check with your local pest control experts before considering this option. I remember I actually refrained from hiring one because it would cost me $200/hour, with a minimum of 1 hour. The dogs are handled by a trainer who goes through your home much like a dog trained for sniffing drugs might do. When a bed bug is detected, the dog will give a signal – which can vary depending on what the dog was trained to perform. It can be a verbal signal, like a bark, or physical like a sit, or a lay.

Bed bug sniffing dog.

The most important thing you should remember is to ensure that the dog is not giving false signals. As bad as this may sound, pest control companies may just be looking for your business and dogs may not always be truly alerting. Be sure that when the dog alerts, that it was an alert for a bed bug – and that a physical follow up from the trainer is exercised. Otherwise, a signal can always be a false flag.

Good luck – and leave your questions and concerns below in the comments.

Popularity: 1% [?]