How Bedbug Dogs Can Be Amazingly Effective In The War On Bedbugs – Care2.com

Bedbugs. Just the words may make you start to squirm. Itchy, inflamed bedbug bites are annoying and creepy. Unfortunately, bedbugs are (still) rampant, no matter how clean you keep your home. They can also be awfully hard to detect, whether in private homes, hotels, dorms, or even upscalesecondhand shops. The good news is that entomology scent detection canines (AKA bedbug dogs) have an excellent success rate when they and their human handlers are professionally, skillfully trained. Find out more.

Why use dogs to inspect for bedbugs?

Canine inspection is much more efficient than human. Two-footed technicians rely on visual inspection. However, a newly hatched bedbug is smaller than a pinhead and thus very difficult to spot visually. Besides, the human sense of sight is no match for dogs powerful sense of smell. For these reasons, two human technicians will take about 2 hours to check a small room; a single bedbug dog can tackle the task in a matter of minutes. How do they rate in terms of accuracy? Well, the score is approximately as follows. Human inspection accuracy: 25-30 percent. Canineinspection accuracy:95 percent.

What breed or type is best as a bedbug dog?

The most important characteristics for a bedbug dog besides a keensense of smell, of course are a calm, sociable nature and a willingness to obey. The breeds that tend to be most successful as bedbug inspectors are the same ones that have been traditionally used as hunters, retrievers, or other working dogs, such as border collies, Labrador retrievers, and Belgian shepherds. Some handlers prefer to work with smaller breeds like beagles (which have an extremely acute sense of smell, though their temperament can be a bit too excitable) or Jack Russell terriers, because these are less threatening to clients who may be afraid of dogs.

How are dogs prepared to inspect for bedbugs?

Besides a natural aptitude, bedbug inspection dogs must have rigorous training, similar to the program that narcotics and explosive detection K9s undergo. Master trainers will spend hundreds of hours teaching their young students to recognize the smell of live bedbugs or eggs and to associate locating it with a food treat or verbal reward. The dogs complete the later stages of the program together with highly qualified handlers. Throughout their careers, many bedbug dogs attend refresher sessions on a weekly or biweekly basis to keep their skills sharp. Third party certification from professional associations like theNational Entomological Scent Detection Canine Association(NESDCA) and the World Detector Dog Organization (WDDO) assures the quality of the bedbug dogs training and performance. There have been numerous reports of false positive bedbug IDs; a combination of proper training, handling, and certification is the best way to avoid these problems.

How exactly do the dogs inspect?

For optimal results, the occupants should not clean up premises before an inspection. Vacuuming, changing bedsheets, and the like will not get rid of bedbugs but might drive them deeper into hiding. When a scent detection canine is brought in by its handler, the dog will sniff-search the room according to a learned pattern, either circling the perimeter or zigzagging back and forth. If the bedbug dog detects the scent, it will track it down to the source and then alert its handler with a predetermined signal, such as nosing the spot. The handler should verify the alert visually. Each confirmed area of infestation should be marked for follow-up. Afterits check of the premises, a team of humans will come in to do a detailed inspection of all marked spots, while the dog is rewarded for a job well done.

By Laura Firszt, Networx.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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How Bedbug Dogs Can Be Amazingly Effective In The War On Bedbugs - Care2.com