Jill Harness
Dogs That Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite
by Jill Harness - March 16, 2010 - 4:34 PM

soldierant

I remember that as a child I always thought the expression “don’t let the bed bugs bite” sounded outdated. But in recent years, the pests have come back in plaguish numbers.

Hotels and low-rent apartments in big cities seem to have the biggest problems with the bugs, but there’s a new detection method that may help “sniff” out the pests at their source: that’s right, bed bug sniffing dogs may be headed to a hotel near you. The dogs can actually detect a live bed bug or an egg with a 96% accuracy. Best of all, they can inspect a whole room in a matter of minutes.

[Illustrative image courtesy of soldierant's Flickr stream.]

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Comments (8)

  1. Being from the south, I have always heard that the bed bug was the red bug. Pillows were stuffed with spanish moss which is infested with chiggers or little red bugs.

    posted by KevinGA on 3-16-2010 at 4:42 pm

  2. Dogs can do anything. If if wasn’t for their irrational fear of vacuum cleaners, they could take over the world.

    posted by 8rustystaples on 3-16-2010 at 5:53 pm

  3. … and thumbs.
    opposable thumbs are mighty helpful in world conquering.

    posted by Vanessa on 3-16-2010 at 6:40 pm

  4. I agree with Vanessa on the opposable thumbs thing.

    We got bedbugs when my husband was traveling for business. They are hell to get rid of! Beware everyone… make sure you don’t put your suitcases on the floor or the bed in a hotel. And if you can, leave them in a hot car for a day before bringing them inside.

    That said, we almost used a dog for our situation… but they charge per building, and it’s over $300. Just to sniff, not to kill. We ended up having three treatments and finally are free!!!

    posted by Rachel O. on 3-17-2010 at 12:00 am

  5. @KevivGa- I’ve lived in the South (Savannah) for 46 of my 50 years, and I never heard that chiggers (or redbugs) are bedbugs. And they aren’t. Entirely different critter. Never encountered a bedbug, but about 15 years ago, right before my first appointment with an ob-gyn with my last child, I got eaten up on both legs with chiggers. Of course, I had to explain to her what the angry red scratches up and down both legs were. And she absolutely floored my when the doc had never heard of ‘chiggers’…

    posted by old hippy chick on 3-17-2010 at 6:10 am

  6. It took six months to get bed bugs out of my house using professional pest control. They are no fun. In fact they are horrible. But you can get rid of them, it’s just not easy.

    posted by tarrabyte on 3-17-2010 at 10:42 am

  7. Red bugs live outside.Bedbugs live inside. Look for rust-colored stains on the sheets. If you do find them, leave and tell the management why.

    posted by Sara in Al on 3-17-2010 at 12:57 pm

  8. I wouldn’t wish chiggers on anyone! What a horrible affliction. Don’t know anyone who has ever had to deal with bed bugs, but those chiggers were nasty!

    posted by Hyacinth on 3-17-2010 at 4:18 pm

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