Dogs Helping New York With Bedbugs

Bedbugs have been making a comeback in New York City. The insects are terribly difficult to get rid of and spread very easily. The nickname “bed bug” is not especially accurate, as they are not restricted to beds or bedrooms.

Now the parasites have been found in the Empire State Building, which has lead to more coverage of the problem — even though the bugs there have allegedly been exterminated.

Part of the coverage has been on what is apparently the most effective way to find the pests: specially trained dogs! As you might imagine, an insect that prefers human blood for a meal once every 5 to 10 days has a distinct scent. Dogs can be trained to locate this scent and signal to their handlers. This provides exterminators and inspectors with a way to target the much more accurately than just carpeting an area with chemicals.

Another example of how valuable man’s best friend is to us.