The bed bug infestation problem is getting worse and worse each year. It all began during the Covid-19 pandemic, when hotels, hostels and short-term rental accommodation remained closed and therefore were not cleaned. Now the unwanted insects crisis is taking place all over the world - and the situation is worst in the French capital and the UK.

To reduce the number of blood-sucking insects, hotel owners in the UK have come up with an innovative idea. Dogs trained to find bed bugs are showing up in rented bedrooms in increasing numbers. The animals work in both private homes and five-star hotels.

Gary Jakeman, general manager of K9 Detection Services, a company that searches for bed bugs, among other things, said that there has been a growing interest in his services. His team includes two trained springer spaniels, Milo and Kobie. "We’re getting more and more interest. We’ve probably had a 25% increase in callouts since June," Jakeman told The Guardian. "These dogs are spot on. There’s very little that can get past a well-trained nose."

It takes between a year and up to 18 months to train a dog to find bed bugs. During this time, the animal undergoes training similar to that associated with detecting drugs or explosive substances. The trained dogs smell the pheromones that the bed bugs secrete to gather in groups. In strong concentrations, the smell is perceptible even to humans.

To a human equipped with an electric torch and good eyesight, finding bed bugs can take several hours. A well-trained dog will pinpoint the insects’ location in a few minutes. The presence of bed bugs negatively affects the psychological comfort of hotel guests. Although the insects are not capable of causing much physical damage, the bite marks are an unpleasant reminder and can be embarrassing.

Source: The Guardian