Spotted lanternflies have quickly become one of the most concerning invasive species in the US, threatening vineyards, orchards, and hardwood trees across multiple regions. As agricultural agencies and businesses look for effective ways to contain the spread, an unexpected but highly effective solution is gaining traction: detector dogs.
Detector dogs are already well known for their roles in law enforcement and search-and-rescue. Now, they are being trained to identify the egg masses of spotted lanternflies. These egg masses are notoriously difficult for humans to spot. They often blend into tree bark, outdoor equipment, or even vehicles and shipping materials, allowing the insects to hitchhike across state lines. Dogs, however, can be trained to detect the specific scent associated with these egg clusters, even in complex environments.
Detector dogs are already integrated into broader pest management strategies across government agencies and agricultural organizations. In general, these highly trained dogs use their sense of smell to find specific targets, such as explosives, drugs, wildlife products, human remains, currency, or, in this case, agricultural pests.
Their training teaches the dogs to ignore most other smells and give a clear alert when they find the target scent. Dogs can detect very tiny odor concentrations, and their speed and precision make them more efficient than manual inspections alone, especially when large volumes of goods are involved. This is why they’re so effective in places like airports, border crossings, and inspection checkpoints to prevent the movement of invasive pests.
Spotted lanternflies are one of the newest targets for these super-sniffers. The pest was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, so it is a newer threat. Its preferred host plant is “Ailanthus altissima,” also known as the “Tree of Heaven,” but it will happily feed on over 70 other plants, including grapes, hops, and a variety of hardwood and fruit trees.
One important note about the spotted lanternfly diet – researchers are not sure what all they will eat. According to Gregory Parra, a staff scientist in the USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program, researchers don’t know if they pose a threat to any specific crops until they invade an area where something is grown in large quantities and the pests start causing damage.
Spotted lanternflies congregate on tree trunks, where they suck sap. Large numbers of the insects feeding on a plant can weaken it and make it more susceptible to disease. They also excrete a sugary waste called “honeydew” that promotes black sooty mold. This mold harms plant health, reduces photosynthesis, and can ruin outdoor property. The honeydew also attracts ants and wasps.
Local governments have gone to great lengths to try to prevent the spread of spotted lanternflies, even enlisting citizens in campaigns to literally crush them out. However, the pest has now spread to at least 19 Eastern states and the District of Columbia, along with millions of dollars in damage.
Parra and the PPQ team have now enlisted detector dogs to help in the ongoing efforts to reduce the accidental spread of spotted lanternflies. They started recruiting the dogs around 2020 after experiments proved that the dogs would be able to detect spotted lanternfly egg masses.
The dogs train at the National Detector Dog Training Center (aka “the Center”) in Newnan, Georgia, which has been training dogs and their people handlers since 1984. This is the same training ground that produces the“Beagle Brigade,” which sniff out prohibited agricultural products at airports, seaports, and mail facilities to protect US agriculture from foreign pests and diseases.
The Center tries to get its dogs from shelters and rescue facilities. Appropriate candidates – 1-3 years old with a desire to work – have recently become more difficult to find so the Center also works with breeders and professional finders. The spotted lanternfly detectors aren’t allowed to graduate until they achieve a consistent success rate of at least 85%.
Unfortunately, the Center also has trouble finding enough places to take dogs newly trained to detect the spotted lanternfly. Many decision makers may not even know these dogs exist. More often it is a bureaucracy problem, though, as a new detector dog likely creates a new handler role, or adds to an existing one. That could mean additional payroll on top of expenses for the detector dogs, which must be kenneled.
Para and his colleagues hope more locales see the value these dogs bring once they hear of successes in other states. The Indiana and Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture both train their own teams of spotted lanternfly detectors, while the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is using dogs trained at the Center. Cleveland MetroParks uses dogs that were trained at Virginia Tech, and whose handlers volunteer their time. You can learn more about the National Detector Dog Training Center HERE. (Sources: Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Cornell Chronicle, Abrook Research, USDA)
Spotted lanternflies have quickly become one of the most concerning invasive species in the US, threatening vineyards, orchards, and hardwood trees across multiple regions. As agricultural agencies and businesses look for effective ways to contain the spread, an unexpected but highly effective solution is gaining traction: detector dogs.
Detector dogs are already well known for their roles in law enforcement and search-and-rescue. Now, they are being trained to identify the egg masses of spotted lanternflies. These egg masses are notoriously difficult for humans to spot. They often blend into tree bark, outdoor equipment, or even vehicles and shipping materials, allowing the insects to hitchhike across state lines. Dogs, however, can be trained to detect the specific scent associated with these egg clusters, even in complex environments.
Detector dogs are already integrated into broader pest management strategies across government agencies and agricultural organizations. In general, these highly trained dogs use their sense of smell to find specific targets, such as explosives, drugs, wildlife products, human remains, currency, or, in this case, agricultural pests.
Their training teaches the dogs to ignore most other smells and give a clear alert when they find the target scent. Dogs can detect very tiny odor concentrations, and their speed and precision make them more efficient than manual inspections alone, especially when large volumes of goods are involved. This is why they’re so effective in places like airports, border crossings, and inspection checkpoints to prevent the movement of invasive pests.
Spotted lanternflies are one of the newest targets for these super-sniffers. The pest was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, so it is a newer threat. Its preferred host plant is “Ailanthus altissima,” also known as the “Tree of Heaven,” but it will happily feed on over 70 other plants, including grapes, hops, and a variety of hardwood and fruit trees.
One important note about the spotted lanternfly diet – researchers are not sure what all they will eat. According to Gregory Parra, a staff scientist in the USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program, researchers don’t know if they pose a threat to any specific crops until they invade an area where something is grown in large quantities and the pests start causing damage.
Spotted lanternflies congregate on tree trunks, where they suck sap. Large numbers of the insects feeding on a plant can weaken it and make it more susceptible to disease. They also excrete a sugary waste called “honeydew” that promotes black sooty mold. This mold harms plant health, reduces photosynthesis, and can ruin outdoor property. The honeydew also attracts ants and wasps.
Local governments have gone to great lengths to try to prevent the spread of spotted lanternflies, even enlisting citizens in campaigns to literally crush them out. However, the pest has now spread to at least 19 Eastern states and the District of Columbia, along with millions of dollars in damage.
Parra and the PPQ team have now enlisted detector dogs to help in the ongoing efforts to reduce the accidental spread of spotted lanternflies. They started recruiting the dogs around 2020 after experiments proved that the dogs would be able to detect spotted lanternfly egg masses.
The dogs train at the National Detector Dog Training Center (aka “the Center”) in Newnan, Georgia, which has been training dogs and their people handlers since 1984. This is the same training ground that produces the“Beagle Brigade,” which sniff out prohibited agricultural products at airports, seaports, and mail facilities to protect US agriculture from foreign pests and diseases.
The Center tries to get its dogs from shelters and rescue facilities. Appropriate candidates – 1-3 years old with a desire to work – have recently become more difficult to find so the Center also works with breeders and professional finders. The spotted lanternfly detectors aren’t allowed to graduate until they achieve a consistent success rate of at least 85%.
Unfortunately, the Center also has trouble finding enough places to take dogs newly trained to detect the spotted lanternfly. Many decision makers may not even know these dogs exist. More often it is a bureaucracy problem, though, as a new detector dog likely creates a new handler role, or adds to an existing one. That could mean additional payroll on top of expenses for the detector dogs, which must be kenneled.
Para and his colleagues hope more locales see the value these dogs bring once they hear of successes in other states. The Indiana and Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture both train their own teams of spotted lanternfly detectors, while the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is using dogs trained at the Center. Cleveland MetroParks uses dogs that were trained at Virginia Tech, and whose handlers volunteer their time. You can learn more about the National Detector Dog Training Center HERE. (Sources: Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Cornell Chronicle, Abrook Research, USDA)
Spotted lanternflies have quickly become one of the most concerning invasive species in the US, threatening vineyards, orchards, and hardwood trees across multiple regions. As agricultural agencies and businesses look for effective ways to contain the spread, an unexpected but highly effective solution is gaining traction: detector dogs.
Detector dogs are already well known for their roles in law enforcement and search-and-rescue. Now, they are being trained to identify the egg masses of spotted lanternflies. These egg masses are notoriously difficult for humans to spot. They often blend into tree bark, outdoor equipment, or even vehicles and shipping materials, allowing the insects to hitchhike across state lines. Dogs, however, can be trained to detect the specific scent associated with these egg clusters, even in complex environments.
Detector dogs are already integrated into broader pest management strategies across government agencies and agricultural organizations. In general, these highly trained dogs use their sense of smell to find specific targets, such as explosives, drugs, wildlife products, human remains, currency, or, in this case, agricultural pests.
Their training teaches the dogs to ignore most other smells and give a clear alert when they find the target scent. Dogs can detect very tiny odor concentrations, and their speed and precision make them more efficient than manual inspections alone, especially when large volumes of goods are involved. This is why they’re so effective in places like airports, border crossings, and inspection checkpoints to prevent the movement of invasive pests.
Spotted lanternflies are one of the newest targets for these super-sniffers. The pest was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, so it is a newer threat. Its preferred host plant is “Ailanthus altissima,” also known as the “Tree of Heaven,” but it will happily feed on over 70 other plants, including grapes, hops, and a variety of hardwood and fruit trees.
One important note about the spotted lanternfly diet – researchers are not sure what all they will eat. According to Gregory Parra, a staff scientist in the USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program, researchers don’t know if they pose a threat to any specific crops until they invade an area where something is grown in large quantities and the pests start causing damage.
Spotted lanternflies congregate on tree trunks, where they suck sap. Large numbers of the insects feeding on a plant can weaken it and make it more susceptible to disease. They also excrete a sugary waste called “honeydew” that promotes black sooty mold. This mold harms plant health, reduces photosynthesis, and can ruin outdoor property. The honeydew also attracts ants and wasps.
Local governments have gone to great lengths to try to prevent the spread of spotted lanternflies, even enlisting citizens in campaigns to literally crush them out. However, the pest has now spread to at least 19 Eastern states and the District of Columbia, along with millions of dollars in damage.
Parra and the PPQ team have now enlisted detector dogs to help in the ongoing efforts to reduce the accidental spread of spotted lanternflies. They started recruiting the dogs around 2020 after experiments proved that the dogs would be able to detect spotted lanternfly egg masses.
The dogs train at the National Detector Dog Training Center (aka “the Center”) in Newnan, Georgia, which has been training dogs and their people handlers since 1984. This is the same training ground that produces the“Beagle Brigade,” which sniff out prohibited agricultural products at airports, seaports, and mail facilities to protect US agriculture from foreign pests and diseases.
The Center tries to get its dogs from shelters and rescue facilities. Appropriate candidates – 1-3 years old with a desire to work – have recently become more difficult to find so the Center also works with breeders and professional finders. The spotted lanternfly detectors aren’t allowed to graduate until they achieve a consistent success rate of at least 85%.
Unfortunately, the Center also has trouble finding enough places to take dogs newly trained to detect the spotted lanternfly. Many decision makers may not even know these dogs exist. More often it is a bureaucracy problem, though, as a new detector dog likely creates a new handler role, or adds to an existing one. That could mean additional payroll on top of expenses for the detector dogs, which must be kenneled.
Para and his colleagues hope more locales see the value these dogs bring once they hear of successes in other states. The Indiana and Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture both train their own teams of spotted lanternfly detectors, while the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is using dogs trained at the Center. Cleveland MetroParks uses dogs that were trained at Virginia Tech, and whose handlers volunteer their time. You can learn more about the National Detector Dog Training Center HERE. (Sources: Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Cornell Chronicle, Abrook Research, USDA)
Spotted lanternflies have quickly become one of the most concerning invasive species in the US, threatening vineyards, orchards, and hardwood trees across multiple regions. As agricultural agencies and businesses look for effective ways to contain the spread, an unexpected but highly effective solution is gaining traction: detector dogs.
Detector dogs are already well known for their roles in law enforcement and search-and-rescue. Now, they are being trained to identify the egg masses of spotted lanternflies. These egg masses are notoriously difficult for humans to spot. They often blend into tree bark, outdoor equipment, or even vehicles and shipping materials, allowing the insects to hitchhike across state lines. Dogs, however, can be trained to detect the specific scent associated with these egg clusters, even in complex environments.
Detector dogs are already integrated into broader pest management strategies across government agencies and agricultural organizations. In general, these highly trained dogs use their sense of smell to find specific targets, such as explosives, drugs, wildlife products, human remains, currency, or, in this case, agricultural pests.
Their training teaches the dogs to ignore most other smells and give a clear alert when they find the target scent. Dogs can detect very tiny odor concentrations, and their speed and precision make them more efficient than manual inspections alone, especially when large volumes of goods are involved. This is why they’re so effective in places like airports, border crossings, and inspection checkpoints to prevent the movement of invasive pests.
Spotted lanternflies are one of the newest targets for these super-sniffers. The pest was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, so it is a newer threat. Its preferred host plant is “Ailanthus altissima,” also known as the “Tree of Heaven,” but it will happily feed on over 70 other plants, including grapes, hops, and a variety of hardwood and fruit trees.
One important note about the spotted lanternfly diet – researchers are not sure what all they will eat. According to Gregory Parra, a staff scientist in the USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program, researchers don’t know if they pose a threat to any specific crops until they invade an area where something is grown in large quantities and the pests start causing damage.
Spotted lanternflies congregate on tree trunks, where they suck sap. Large numbers of the insects feeding on a plant can weaken it and make it more susceptible to disease. They also excrete a sugary waste called “honeydew” that promotes black sooty mold. This mold harms plant health, reduces photosynthesis, and can ruin outdoor property. The honeydew also attracts ants and wasps.
Local governments have gone to great lengths to try to prevent the spread of spotted lanternflies, even enlisting citizens in campaigns to literally crush them out. However, the pest has now spread to at least 19 Eastern states and the District of Columbia, along with millions of dollars in damage.
Parra and the PPQ team have now enlisted detector dogs to help in the ongoing efforts to reduce the accidental spread of spotted lanternflies. They started recruiting the dogs around 2020 after experiments proved that the dogs would be able to detect spotted lanternfly egg masses.
The dogs train at the National Detector Dog Training Center (aka “the Center”) in Newnan, Georgia, which has been training dogs and their people handlers since 1984. This is the same training ground that produces the“Beagle Brigade,” which sniff out prohibited agricultural products at airports, seaports, and mail facilities to protect US agriculture from foreign pests and diseases.
The Center tries to get its dogs from shelters and rescue facilities. Appropriate candidates – 1-3 years old with a desire to work – have recently become more difficult to find so the Center also works with breeders and professional finders. The spotted lanternfly detectors aren’t allowed to graduate until they achieve a consistent success rate of at least 85%.
Unfortunately, the Center also has trouble finding enough places to take dogs newly trained to detect the spotted lanternfly. Many decision makers may not even know these dogs exist. More often it is a bureaucracy problem, though, as a new detector dog likely creates a new handler role, or adds to an existing one. That could mean additional payroll on top of expenses for the detector dogs, which must be kenneled.
Para and his colleagues hope more locales see the value these dogs bring once they hear of successes in other states. The Indiana and Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture both train their own teams of spotted lanternfly detectors, while the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is using dogs trained at the Center. Cleveland MetroParks uses dogs that were trained at Virginia Tech, and whose handlers volunteer their time. You can learn more about the National Detector Dog Training Center HERE. (Sources: Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Cornell Chronicle, Abrook Research, USDA)
