4 days ago
Dogs may be the key to getting rid of these common pests
A new study has demonstrated that dogs can effectively detect the elusive egg masses of invasive spotted lanternflies, a pest threatening US agriculture.
Researchers from Virginia Tech and Texas Tech Universities trained over 180 dog-and-owner teams to identify the camouflaged egg masses.
In trials, 92 per cent of trained dogs successfully located the eggs, achieving 61 per cent accuracy in outdoor settings, which surpasses human detection rates.
Dogs' superior sense of smell, tens of thousands of times more acute than humans ', enables them to find the eggs without disturbing the environment.
This canine detection method offers a vital tool in combating the spread of spotted lanternflies, which could cost the US grape industry millions of dollars in damage.
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