YOUR DOG COULD SAVE US FROM AMERICA’S MOST ANNOYING INVASIVE SPECIES

Spotted lanternflies have been making headlines since they were first observed in the U.S. over a decade ago. These colorful, invasive insects pose a serious threat to fruit trees and other important crops by feeding on sap and leaving behind sugary residue that attracts harmful pathogens and fungi. But these costly pests may have met their match in an unexpected ally: your dog.

Dogs have long been professionally trained to detect invasive species for conservation purposes. What makes a new study, published July 16 in the journal PeerJ Life & Environment, unique is that it focuses on everyday dogs—not professional detection dogs. These canine citizen scientists were still able to successfully locate spotted lanternfly eggs.

“It was a proof-of-concept study to ask: Can citizen scientists and their awesome, everyday companion dogs help support conservation efforts in their local communities?” says lead author Sally Dickinson, an applied animal behaviorist and search-and-rescue dog handler. “It provides enrichment for both dogs and their owners.”

Since few dogs receive professional conservation training, involving regular pets makes this approach more scalable for managing invasive species. Many owners were eager to participate—according to Dickinson, a social media post about the study was shared nearly a million times. The researchers formed 182 dog-and-handler teams across the country, including retired working dogs and everyday pets who simply enjoy sniffing things out for fun.

“Anytime you can stimulate your dog, it’s good for them,” said Bill Wellborn, one of the study participants. “Pepe,” his Tibetan terrier, clearly enjoys it. “And it’s a way we can use our dogs’ skills and training to help our community.”

The research team provided handlers with a sample of the spotted lanternfly’s scent to train their dogs to recognize it. Once prepared, the teams tested their dogs’ scent detection abilities in two evaluations.

Indoors, the dogs located spotted lanternfly eggs 82% of the time, and in the field, they succeeded 58% of the time. Since these insects lay eggs in hard-to-see places—like under lumber or in tree bark crevices—dogs prove to be far more efficient searchers than humans.

According to Dickinson, the dogs’ success wasn’t tied to breed. Instead, teams with strong bonds and good teamwork performed best. Besides helping protect local plants and crops, the activity offers a fun and rewarding way for dogs and owners to spend time outdoors together.

“There are many ways to volunteer to protect your local environment, but this is one you can do with your dog,” Dickinson says. “How cool is that? Go to a winery, work your dog, and have a great day. Sounds like the perfect life to me.”