Bed Bugs: detectors / traps

Visual inspections mostly rely on identifying live bugs and fecal droplets. Visual inspections can be time-consuming and unreliable when only some few bugs are present.

The use of dogs for detecting bed bugs has gained popularity, but it can be expensive and it can still generate false conclusions depending on the expertise of the handler and the training system used for the dog.

Bed bug detectors or monitors can be classified as active detectors and passive detectors. Active detectors use carbon dioxide, heat, pheromones, chemicals, or a combination to attract bed bugs to a trap.

Passive detectors are basically traps that use the sleeping human as a bait and do not have any heat source or chemical deemed to be an attractant.

In a recent study, passive detectors were more effective than visual inspection alone in identifying bed bug infestations. Bed bug interceptors are passive detectors.