Canine Bed Bug Detection:

Philip G. KoehlerMargie & Dempsey Sapp Endowed

Professor of Urban Pest Management

University of Florida

Department of Entomology and Nematology

Building 970

Gainesville, FL. 332611

Bed Bug Detection

• Visual detection difficult

• Early infestations go unnoticed

• Early control more likely to succeed, and these infestations are less likely to spread and are cheaper to control

15 bed bug nymphs in slots of drywall screw

Bed Bug Infestations• Active

– Live bed bugs– Eggs

• Inactive– Dead bed bugs– Blood spots – Fecal stains– Cast skins

Training Materials for a Detector Dogs

(US Customs)

Training Steps

Basic Retrieve

Controlled Retrieve

Buried Hides

Food Reward

Station for Evaluating Canine Scent Detection

PVC Tube

PVC Cap with Hole

Bed Bugs Inside Pill Cup with Perforated Lid

Objectives

• Determine whether a dog can be trained to detect the scent of Cimex lectularius with a method giving food as a positive reward

• Determine whether dogs can differentiate between:-Other general household pests-Active from an inactive infestation

• Determine if dogs can locate bed bugs in hotel rooms

Materials and Methods

Scent Vials

Materials and Methods

PVC Tube

PVC Cap with Hole

Scent Vial

Scent-detection stations

Data• Positive indications

• False positive indications

IACUC approval # E732

General Household Pest Experiment

• 4 dogs, 20 replicates per dog

Ants Roaches

5 Live Bed Bugs

Blank Termites

~ 1 meter

Bed Bug Detecting Canine

Differentiation Between General Household Pests

97.5

0 0 0 00

20

40

60

80

100

Bed Bugs Ants Roaches Blank Termites

% In

dic

ati

on

Bed Bug Materials Experiment

• 3 dogs, 20 replicates per dog

~ 1 meter

Dead Bed Bugs Feces Cast Skins Blank

Live Bed Bugs

Viable Eggs

Live Insects

Differentiation Between Bed Bug Materials

10090

3.33 0 0 00

20

40

60

80

100

Live BedBugs

ViableEggs

Feces Dead CastSkins

Blank

% In

dic

ati

on

Hotel Field Experiment

• 3 vials male adults only- 1, 5, and 10

• 3 vials female adults only- 1, 5, and 10

• 2 hotel rooms:– One with only female vials– One with only male vials

• Randomly hidden in 17 possible locations

• 3 dogs, 6 replicates per dog

Ability to Locate Bed Bugs in Hotel Rooms

10088.9

100 100 100 100

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 5 10 1 5 10

% I

nd

ica

tio

n

Vials Containing Females Vials Containing Males

Conclusions

• Dogs can be trained to detect the scent of Cimex lectularius

• Dogs differentiated – Bed bugs from other household pests– Active from inactive infestations

• Determined that dogs could locate bed bugs hotel rooms

Using a Bed Bug Dog