Bug Sniffing Dogs May Help Save CA Vineyards From Mealybug

Thursday, January 18th, 2007 by Elle Woloszuk 0 Comments

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As our world warms, different species of insects are migrating to different areas of the workd. Such is the case with the mealybug that is invading the lucrative vineyards of California. As stated by Michael Honig, vintner: “The problem with the bug is that by the time you see it, it’s almost too late.”

One possible solution is to train man’s best friend to sniff out the pheromones the mealybug produces at feeding time. Thus, the dog can pick out the one infested stick amongst thousands that needs to be removed, before the bug spreads to uninfested vines.

Rick Young, a dog trainer is quoted as saying: “They say humans, when they smell stew cooking, smell stew. Dogs smell carrots, onions. They have the ability to detect everything out here.” As Wayne Freedman states in this article, “Which means that dogs have smelled mealybugs and whatever else, in places like this for eons. Only now, it’s not just a mealybug anymore. It’s a meal ticket.”