Dogs Used to Sniff Out Bed Bugs

A recent MSNBC segment on bed bugs states that reports of bed bugs have increased by 71% in the past five years, according to the National Pest Management Association. Bed bug infestations are on the rise.

Although typically associated with low-quality hotels or poor sanitation, bed bugs are not discriminatory; they are just as happy living in a five star hotel as in a run-down, dirty place. And they don't just live in beds; they can live on walls, in furniture, upholstery, and more. Usually people bring them home with them in their luggage after they travel. The bed bugs are only too happy to take up residence in their new locale. What's really awful is that they are extremely difficult to erradicate once they've infested an area.

One reason they're hard to kill is that they are hard to locate. That's why more and more people who find themselves with bed bug problems are turning to dogs. Studies have shown that dogs are about 98% accurate in locating bed bug hideouts, while exterminators have a rate closer to 30%. Using dogs to sniff out where the bed bugs are can cut down on the amount of time it takes to achieve a successful extermination, cutting down, therefore, on costs because efforts can be focused on the areas of the home that need it.

Ways to protect yourself from bed bug infestations in the first place include the following:

  • When you return home from vacation, keep suitcases and clothes in a bag or in the garage until you are able to wash them in very hot water.
  • Wash or dry clean all clothes – and your suitcase – even if they haven't been worn.
  • Use special mattress covers that will keep bed bugs from infesting your mattress, while still letting air circulate through.

For more on bed bugs, see Five Ways to Bite Back at Bed Bugs.

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