The word is out – bed bugs can now be sniffed out and hunted down by specially trained dogs. Much like St. Bernard’s go hand-in-hand with avalanches, trained beagles are starting to be associated with the continual hunt for and extermination of those pesky bugs that hide in clothing, bags, and beds.
Here we’ll cover the positives and negatives of getting a dog to sniff through your house, apartment, or office, seeking out bed bugs. You’ll want to keep these pros and cons in mind before letting a bed bug sniffing dog into your home or place of work.
The Pros
These dogs can be found in the most populated cities. If you’d like to locate a bed bug beagle in NYC, you’ll have little-to-no trouble.
Popular extermination companies cite the rate of success by these bug-hunting puppies at 98% accurate. This means that a majority of the time, these dogs should be able to sniff out any hidden bugs within your carpets, clothing, walls, or elsewhere.
Bed bug inspections can go much faster with the help of a bed bug sniffing dog. A dog handler can quickly bring in the pup, allow him or her to sniff the area quickly, and then pass on to the next part of your home. Human inspectors would need to take much longer in order to confirm or deny the existence of bed bugs.
These friendly exterminators make the process of hunting for bed bugs far more welcoming. Who doesn’t like a visit from a safe, well-trained, pettable pooch? This is obviously a better experience if you are a pet lover.
The Cons
You may have a hard time finding a bed bug sniffing dog in an area besides cities. Rural parts of the nation might need to call in a specialist from the nearest large city if they would like to get a specially trained dog as part of the inspection.
Bed bug hunting dogs have been under fire recently as experts question whether their sniffing skills truly work. There have been many times where dogs have pointed out the location of a bed bug nest, and exterminators have found nothing.
If you dislike dogs or animals, it won’t be the best experience to have one hunting through your home. You might want to specifically outline you would not like to have your local exterminators use a bed bug sniffing dog when inspecting your home or place of work for an infestation.