UK bedbugs: sniffer dogs called in to seek out insects in homes and hotels

Homeowners and hotel managers are calling in specially trained dogs to sniff out bedbugs amid concerns that infestations are on the rise in the UK.

After Paris was hit by a mass surge in bedbugs, there has been widespread panic - particularly in London - that the breakout may reach the rest of Europe.

Google searches for 'how to prevent' and 'how to get rid of' bedbugs have skyrocketed as people frantically try to prepare for the worst, while others have adopted a more hands-on approach and deployed an expert in the field in the hopes of stamping out the problem.

The expert in question is none other than the beloved spaniel. In addition to being a popular family pet, spaniels have a range of other talents - from hunting bodies after natural disasters, to tracking down bombs and drugs at airports, to sniffing out diseases in humans.

And, as it so happens, locating hard-to-find bedbugs is another thing on their impressive skills list.

Brian Leith, who runs BDL Canine Services in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and assesses dogs’ hunting skills for the Bed Bug Foundation, said that the springer spaniel he works with - called Benji - can sniff out an infestation in mere seconds.

He explained to The Times: "It could take someone in pest control 20 minutes to find the bedbugs - if they can find them. To search the whole floor of a hotel is very time-consuming for humans. [But] my boy can sometimes find them in less than ten seconds."

While - in very high concentrations - humans are capable of smelling bedbugs, dogs detect a pheromone the insects emit, meaning they can catch them before the problem gets too severe, even when they're hiding in places like mattress seams, skirting boards, and plug sockets.

This means that, although distressing for most of the population, concerns around bedbugs have prompted a boom in business for pest control companies. As Gary Jakeman, chief executive of K9 Detection Services in Solihull, the West Midlands, told The Guardian: “We’re getting more and more interest. We’ve probably had a 25% increase in callouts since June.

“These dogs are spot on. There’s very little that can get past a well-trained nose."

The most common signs of bedbugs include bites, which are often itchy, and specks of poo or blood on bed sheets. However, it can be incredibly difficult for humans to find bedbugs without practically tearing their home apart - with pest control experts reporting finding them in TV remote controls or tiny crevices in the joint of a bed frame.

While they are generally physically harmless, bedbugs can have a huge emotional impact. "The mental health implications can be devastating,” said Dr Richard Naylor, the director of the Bed Bug Foundation.

“It isolates people. They feel shame because others falsely associate them with poor living conditions. People don’t go and see their friends, and they don’t want friends to come to them.”

But as Mr Leith explained: “It’s nothing to do with dirty houses at all. I’ve been in five-star hotels that have got them.”

If you're concerned about bedbugs then, it may be worth giving an expert sniffer dog a go. Many pest control companies have them, and some are bringing in new recruits in response to the increase in callouts.

It's worth noting though that a rise in reports does not necessarily equate to a rise in infestations. Mr Leith for instance conducted two inspections last Saturday, but found no evidence of bedbugs. So while he said he is "not going to complain, as it's good for business", there may not be cause for mass hysteria just yet.