Conservation dogs work on all kinds of tasks. They can sniff for endangered wildlife, detect disease, and locate invasive species. One invasive species that they can track? The spotted lanternfly (SLF), an insect that can wreak havoc on agriculture. Spotted lanternfly detection dogs are among conservation dogs making a difference.
Professional conservation detection dogs are skilled at finding the lanternflies’ egg masses, but recent research has shown that pet dogs can be spotted lantern fly dogs too. Could your dog be a conservation detection dog?
What Is a Spotted Lanternfly?
Spotted lanternflies are native to Asia but were discovered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014. They have now spread to 19 states and the District of Columbia, where they damage fruit and forest industries. But what makes them harmful? First, they feed on agriculturally important plants such as hops, stone fruit trees, and grapevines. Second, they excrete honeydew, a sticky, sugary fluid. This honeydew encourages the growth of sooty mold and other pathogens, which further harm plants.
A study showed that spotted lantern fly dogs can be very helpful in the effort to locate and destroy these insects. By detecting SLF egg masses, the dogs can help reduce the population in areas where SLF are already present. And inspections of shipments by dogs can control the spread to new areas. However, the number of detection dogs is far less than required to tackle such a task.
Why Do Detection Dogs Sniff for Lanternfly Egg Masses?
So why do detection dogs sniff out SLF egg masses instead of nymphs or adult insects? Because nymphs and adults are much harder to catch and therefore more difficult to destroy. Plus, each egg mass contains between 20 to 60 individuals, so the return on finding one is much higher.
Egg masses are very hard to find because they blend into their surroundings. And the lanternflies lay their eggs in protected areas, like bark crevices or behind car bumpers.
Dr. Sally Dickinson is a post-doctoral research associate at the School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech. “The SLF wants to protect its eggs to ensure they survive the winter and can hatch,” Dr. Dickinson says. “Additionally, the egg mass is very camouflaged, often looking like a mud smear or other lichen-type growth on the plant.”
How Do Detection Dogs Compare to Humans?
Humans can search for egg masses, too. But it takes people a long time to completely inspect a given area. Plus, it’s impossible to visually inspect concealed locations. Relying on a dog’s sense of smell is far more efficient.
When Dr. Dickinson studied how dogs compare to humans, the dogs were not only more effective at searching, but they could also detect the egg masses from further away. “Dogs, using scent, are able to ‘scan’ an area very quickly and parse through all the conflicting scent information to isolate where the odor is coming from.”
Can Pet Dogs Be Spotted Lanternfly Dogs?
Because conservation detection dogs are so effective at locating egg masses, Dr. Dickinson wanted to see if pet dogs were up to the task. She teamed up with principal investigator Dr. Erica Feuerbacher, associate professor at the School of Animal Sciences at, Virginia Tech. They recruited 110 citizen science dog-handler teams from across the U.S. Many of these dogs had previous scent work experience, but all were pet dogs. A variety of breeds participated in the research, including a Chow Chow, a Havanese, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, and several Labrador Retrievers.
Using inert egg masses, the teams trained independently for 3-6 months with oversight from local dog trainers. Their performance was assessed using an indoor odor recognition test (ORT) and an outdoor field test. The results showed that the dogs could reliably detect the egg masses 82% of the time in the indoor ORT and 61% of the time in the field test.
As a professional detection dog handler for over 20 years, Dr. Dickinson says the ORT was very challengingchallenging, and she was impressed by how many teams were successful. However, the drop in performance outdoors didn’t surprise her because these pet dogs were less experienced in complicated discrimination problems than professional dogs. “If we spent time with our citizen science dog teams and helped them understand dynamic outdoor environments and how to detect in those places, they would be able to detect in that space at a higher rate.”
Why Test Pet Dogs as Detection Dogs?
Dr. Feuerbacher calls the research a proof-of-concept study to see if pet dogs can be recruited on a relatively large scale and trained to this challenging standard. “What our work shows is that community dogs and owners are likely an untapped resource for addressing local environmental and agricultural issues. While our study focused on SLF, the even bigger picture is that community dogs likely can be trained to detect a variety of targets so that each locality can use dogs to address their particular concerns. The community dog-handler teams, then, can be a very flexible but ubiquitous force!”
In fact, Dr. Dickinson explains that some of the citizen science teams from her study are now actively engaged in SLF detection projects in their home areas. For example, a team from Ohio has partnered with Cleveland Metroparks. The Rhode Island and SW Virginia teams are doing SLF detection work at local wineries.
Could Your Dog Become a Detection Dog?
Although research is ongoing, Dr. Dickinson believes that any dog, even those with no prior scent work experience, can become a detection dog. As long as the dog and owner participate in a well-developed training program, both are dedicated and physically able to do the work, and you find an appropriate reward for the dog, she says, any team could train up.
“There are a lot of variables associated with becoming a successful detection team, and there are some things that we are not looking at, like handler skills in mapping or ability to hike longer distances. However, we believe that it would be possible to match up the detection target, the environment, and the dog and the handler to be able to detect SLF or other invasive species in the future,” she adds.
Dr. Feuerbacher notes that given the above conditions, breed isn’t a barrier to success. “While certain breeds might be better suited for working in different environments, there is likely a scent detection task any breed of dog can be useful for, and so this is really an activity that is open to all types of dogs.”
And the benefits of participating in scent detection are many. Dr. Dickinson, who has mainly worked in search and rescue, believes it’s not only fun but also enriching for both the handler and the dog. The dogs gain confidence and come to understand that scents that are so salient to them can also result in praise, treats, play, and attention. “Watching a dog understand its world through odor is fascinating, and I encourage anyone with a dog to interact with their dog through odor. It could be as simple as a little treat treasure hunt, starting a nose work class, or getting involved with a conservation group.”
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