Bed Bug Dog Inspections: What to Expect

A bed bug dog can help confirm a suspected infestation, but the result is only as good as the dog, the handler, and the follow-up search. Use a bed bug dog when you need help finding live bugs or viable eggs in a room, then make sure the company can explain the training, certification, and confirmation process before you pay for treatment.

How Does Canine Bed Bug Detection Work?

Canine bed bug detection works by utilizing dogs’ powerful sense of smell. Bed bugs emit a distinct odor that is detectable by dogs even when the infestation is still in its early stages.

The dogs are trained to detect this scent and indicate the location of the bed bugs to their handlers. The accuracy is so good that it can even detect bed bugs in areas difficult to reach or hidden from human sight.

Does Canine Scent Detection Work?

Yes, using a canine to sniff for and find bed bugs works great, but only under conditions such as those listed below:

The dog is trained by a reputable canine detection program for bed bugs only and not cross-trained to detect other insects (reduces false positives)
A trained handler with an accredited certification to work with and understand alerts from the dog.
Dog can accurately detect a single bed bug (used as a test of the canine’s sniffer).
Dog can detect live bed bug eggs (used as another sent test).

The handler will work to confirm the dog’s findings and point out the infestation.

A university study found that dogs who completed a “bedbug detection” training program had a 97% accuracy rate¹. Unfortunately, some inspection services use this statistic to promote their services despite not receiving this unique training. Make sure the canine used has been trained by a respectable detection program.

If the company is as good as they say, they shouldn’t have a problem providing you with a sealed pin-holed plastic vile containing a few live adult bed bugs that you can hide in a room for testing. They will explain that conducting the test near a vent or up high may prevent detection.

The Benefits of Canine Bed Bug Detection

Canine bed bug detection offers several benefits over traditional bed bug detection methods. A few advantages include:

Canine bed bug detection is highly accurate, with a success rate of up to 98%. In addition, the dogs are trained to detect even the slightest traces of bed bugs, making locating and eliminating them easier.
Canine bed bug detection is non-invasive, meaning it does not require any damage to your property. Unlike traditional detection methods, such as tearing furniture apart or cutting into walls, canine detection is gentle and non-destructive.
Canine bed bug detection is fast and efficient, allowing you to locate bed bugs quickly and start treatment immediately. These dogs can search an entire room in just a few minutes, making it possible to treat multiple rooms or whole buildings rapidly.
Canine bed bug detection is cost-effective, especially compared to traditional detection methods. It can save you money by reducing the damage caused by tearing apart furniture or walls and by eliminating bed bugs quickly, which can prevent the need for expensive treatments down the line.

Canine Bed Bug Detection: What to Expect

If you’re considering canine bed bug detection, here’s what you can expect:

Once you’ve decided to use canine bed bug detection, you’ll need to schedule an appointment with a professional bed bug detection company. They will coordinate with you to set up a time for the inspection.
Before the inspection, you will prepare your home by removing clutter, vacuuming floors, and washing bedding and linens; this will make it easier for the dogs to detect any bed bugs that may be present.
During the inspection, the trained dog and its handler will search your home for bed bugs. The dog will alert its handler by sitting or pawing at the location of the bed bugs. The handler will then confirm the bug found was indeed a bed bug.
A dog trained to sniff out bed bugs may cost you about $350 regardless of whether the dog detects an infestation or not.

Canine bed bug detection offers a fast, efficient, and cost-effective way to locate bed bugs in your home or business. By utilizing the powerful sense of smell that dogs possess, bed bug detection dogs can find bed bugs quickly and accurately, even in areas that are difficult to access.

¹ Richard Cooper, Changlu Wang, Narinderpal Singh, Accuracy of Trained Canines for Detecting Bed Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 107, Issue 6, 1 December 2014, Pages 2171–2181, https://doi.org/10.1603/EC14195

If the inspection confirms an infestation, you can read our step-by-step guide on how to get rid of bed bugs yourself for around $25.

What happens when the dog finds a bed bug?

When the dog locates a bed bug or infestation, you have two options; read how to get rid of bed bugs yourself or, hire a pest control company.

Is canine bed bug detection safe for my pets?

Yes, canine bed bug detection is safe for your pets. The dogs are trained to detect only the scent of bed bugs and will not harm your pets in any way.

How long does a canine bed bug detection inspection take?

The length of time for an inspection can vary depending on the size of the area being inspected. However, most inspections take less than an hour.

Can canine bed bug detection dogs be used in apartments or hotels?

Yes, canine bed bug detection dogs can be used in apartments, hotels, and other types of buildings. They are particularly useful in large buildings where it may be difficult to locate bed bugs using traditional methods.

How often should I schedule a canine bed bug detection inspection?

Whenever you suspect the presence of these blood suckers, schedule a canine bed bug detection inspection, it can help prevent the problem from worsening.

Testimonials About Bed Bug Sniffing Dogs

Below you’ll find positive and negative testimonials about using dogs to sniff to find an infestation. In the negative review, you’ll see a response from a canine bed bug detection company.

Scent Detection That Worked Great

Mimi hired pest control companies that failed to find her infestation. Instead, it was a bed bug sniffing dog that solved the problem! Her story is listed below:

My nightmare started two weeks ago. That is when I caught my first bed bug on my body around 2 am. I feel “lucky” that I caught the little *#%@ because I suspected there may have been an infestation a couple of weeks prior but could not find any evidence.

I had three pest control companies come out (Terminix, Orkin, and OPC Pest Control), and all did what I thought was a thorough inspection, but none found any bed bugs.

So next, I called this guy who has dogs that can detect bed bugs and their eggs. His dog identified a bag that contained my down comforter!

I have been vigilant in searching for bed bugs, exoskeletons, larvae, and eggs, but I still couldn’t find anything except for that single bed bug I captured. However, I knew there must be more as I had 15 bites on my neck two weeks ago.

The bed bug dog handler said the one I caught was a female, so I am waiting to see what happens in the next two weeks.

It’s been two weeks today since my last bite, but I still wake every night with nightmares of bed bugs crawling on my neck. I caught this early and have total faith in the dogs. Fortunately, only my comforter was compromised, but time will tell!

Wish me luck, and I wish all of you luck as well; this has been the most emotionally devastating experience I have gone through to date.

A bit about the bed bug sniffing dogs used.

The dog service was $360. But, for me, it was worth it as the dogs were well-trained and invaluable in helping to find their location in my house! I am keeping my fingers crossed as it’s been three weeks since I realized I had bed bugs and no bites!

He had two dogs. The first dog he called “the sweeper” was a black lab, which found the plastic garbage bag I had put my comforter in, the same comforter on which I found the bed bug. (The handler opened the black plastic garbage bag into which I had stuffed my bedding so the dogs could get a whiff of them).

The second dog, a terrier, was brought in after the first dog and was the “pinpoint dog,” which only indicated the same bag. Both dogs went through the whole house (3 levels) and all closets, dresser drawers, and my car.

He lives 1.5 hours away from me, so the fee for traveling was included in my bill. He had been a pest control specialist in the Cincinnati area before he got into training these dogs. He is very knowledgeable about bed bugs and has a lot of experience.

I was initially skeptical; he told me there was no guarantee but that he had a lot of confidence in his dogs. So, as of now, I do too!

Scent Detection That Didn’t Work

Below is Jenifer’s story on how sent detection repeatedly failed her & a canine detection company’s response.

About 2 1/2- weeks ago, I suspected I might have bed bugs and had an exterminator inspect my home.

The exterminator turned my house upside down, looking for bed bugs. After a long search, he said that he felt very confident that I did not have bed bugs and went on and on about all the telltale signs of bed bugs and how nothing in my home showed evidence of any.

Anyway, after a week or so of bite-free, restful periods of sleep, I woke up with more bites. I was/am upset, disgusted, frustrated, and in pain. I envy those who are not allergic to these awful bites. Consider yourselves lucky.

I called my dermatologist the following morning, who saw me that afternoon. He said he was 95% certain they were from bed bugs. At this point, I am starting to lose my mind. Not only have I spent $40 on a doctor visit copay, but $185 on pest inspection, and nothing has changed:

I have spent nearly $200, lost a lot of sleep, and look like I have a skin condition you could catch, not a pretty picture.

I spent nearly all of Wednesday night becoming a web MD/expert on and about bed bugs. After doing all my online research while I was paralyzed by fear of falling asleep – I decided the smartest thing I could do is to hire special dogs to come and sniff out the bed bugs!

Okay, so I hired this company with hounds that only can identify the scent of a bed bug. Scam? Who knows? I certainly didn’t care because I was/ am so desperate to get these things out of my house! So here is what happened. Yesterday the man with the dog came over to my home.

The dog goes up to the beds in my house and reacts to something on the bed in my master bedroom and the bed in my guest room. You can’t imagine how excited I am that I am THIS close to hard evidence of real, live, disgusting, blood sucking bed bugs! I am this close to a solution!

Okay, the bed bug dog, handler, and I return to the bedrooms to hone in on the exact spots the dog reacted to. This way, I can find out where to treat the infestation. The dog shows me the spot again.

I look at the box spring and then at the guy and dog and say, “Uh, okay- umm can we see them… or like one”? The dog handler tries to find one for me but says “how hard it is to find these little suckers,” and “gosh, they are just so sneaky.” Ughhh.

My hope of finding these bed bugs was quickly deflated. All I can think to myself is what a crazy, gullible idiot I have become in a mere two weeks. I will not even say how much money I spent on this. It is shameful!

Believe it or not, that was my day yesterday. C’mon people- HELP ME!

Jennifer

Response from the owner of a canine bed bug detection company

Jennifer,

I own a Bed Bug dog scent detection company that uses dogs to detect the odor of LIVE bed bugs and viable eggs. The team here at BadBedBugs contacted me to shed light on this matter for you.

First, I want to say that using dogs to detect bed bugs is not a scam. In fact, scientific studies have been done on dogs to prove the accuracy of their findings.

Now here is where that last sentence gets tricky. Yes, the University of Florida has done extensive studies regarding the use of dogs and posted that their findings were that dogs were averaging 98% accuracy. But you need to understand that the University used dogs trained at a special Canine Academy.

Because the University released its report without discussing who’s dogs they used, everyone with a bed bug dog now thinks they have the right to say that their dog is 98% accurate when that statement is entirely inaccurate.

All dogs should be single-scent dogs and certified via a third party and not an in-house certification program.

Now onto the situation at hand.

I don’t know what the rules and regulations of the company you used are, but I will say this, when we do an inspection, we rely 100% on the dog’s accuracy. So if our handlers start second-guessing our dogs, that completely defeats the purpose. The extensive study that the University did claims humans were only as high as 30% accurate in finding bed bugs, so we don’t search for them after the dog alerts.

Now, it is true that bed bugs can be elusive, especially if they are nymphs (babies). In some cases, they can hide within your bed’s fabric, making them almost impossible to find. But, also, keep in mind that they could be elsewhere in your living space, such as a nightstand, couch, chairs, carpet, clock radios, etc., And for that reason alone, this is why using a dog like the ones we use, are a perfect fit for your situation.

Secondly, if you could see them on your bed, you wouldn’t need a dog.

I recently had a customer go through the same thing as you. She had four pest management companies come in, and none found a single bug. She then called us in, and the dog alerted us to bed bugs on each side of her mattress.

I wrote in my report that the dog alerted to both sides of the bed and was also trying to crawl under the mattress. So I suggested that if her pest control company wanted to find them, to look on the mattress and under the bed.

The customer called me back two days later crying, saying that the pest control company had not found anything. I asked if the pest control company had searched the bed and box springs. She said yes. I asked how, and she told me they had flashlights looking all around the bed.

When I asked if they took the fabric off the bottom of the box spring, she replied NO. I suggested looking there because the dog was trying to crawl under the bed.

She called me back 30 minutes later in tears apologizing and stating that she found the evidence she was looking for. At last, they identified bed bugs.

I truly hope this restores your faith in the accuracy of a trained dog’s ability to sniff out bed bugs.

If a bed bug dog alerts in your home, treat that as a strong sign to confirm the location and then move to our how to get rid of bed bugs guide for the next step.