Who Wins the Bed Bug Battle when It’s Man vs Dog?

Bed bugs dogs are making a lot of noise these days; but is their “bite” as good as their bark? The new darlings of the New Jersey pest control industry, bed bug dogs are being trotted through upscale hotels and stores to scent out bed bugs and put guests’ minds at ease. Cute and furry, bed bug dogs have developed a big fan club; but are canines actually more effective than licensed NJ pest control professionals in searching out bed bug infestations?

That’s the question the New Jersey Pest Management Association sought to answer when it held a Doggone Bed Bug Contest at its 65th Annual Pest Control Clinic in August. The contest pitted licensed NJ pest control pros with experience rooting out and eliminating bed bug infestations against Scout, a retired police dog trained to sniff out bed bugs.

Bed bug dogs are advertised as being faster than humans at finding bed bugs and, due to their superior olfactory equipment, better than humans at detecting small numbers of bed bugs. Early detection is critical in battling bed bugs because it allows bed bug infestations to be treated before they spread. Bed bugs emit a distinctive scent that dogs can be trained to detect, just like training to detect bombs or drugs. A dog has 200 to 250 million scent receptors in its nose; we humans get by with a paltry 5 million. Biology makes a dog’s sense of smell 10 to 100 times more powerful than man’s. The odds seemed to be in Scout’s favor.

Many people were surprised when the contest finished in a tie. NJ pest control pros were just as fast and accurate as Scout at finding a small hidden cache of bed bugs. NJ pest control techs actually had the edge over Scout because they could immediately follow-up their discovery by initiating bed bug-control treatment. Scout was ready for a treat and nap.