Sniffer dogs are being deployed at hotels around the country.
It’s not due to a heightened terror alert or drugs, but to sniff out a growing population of bedbugs.
Hotels have been calling in specially trained dogs to sniff out the crevices where bedbugs hide.
The problem of bedbugs declined during the Covid pandemic with most hotels effectively closed and travel at a standstill.
However, they have made a comeback.
This means dogs specially trained for this are in demand.
Gary Jakeman, CEO of K9 Detection Services in Solihull told the Guardian hotels are a big growth market.
“We’re getting more and more interest. We’ve probably had a 25% increase in callouts since June. There’s very little that can get past a well-trained nose.”
He has two dogs capable of sniffing out bedbugs.
He says it can take up to 18 months to train a new dog.
Dogs are able to detect a certain pheromone that the insects emit.
Private homeowners are also increasing seeking his services, he says.
Bedbug bites can cause swelling and severe itchiness.
Another bedbug detection company says interest in its services have been spurred by panic from over dramatic media headlines of the problem in France.
“People see the press and panic. I’m not going to complain, it’s good for business,” said Brian Leith of BDL Canine Services in South Lanarkshire
