Detection Of Bed Bugs From Volatile Organic Compounds In Dwellings

So, developing a tool to detect volatile chemical emission of bed bugs for non-experts represents a great interest. In this context, we developed a method of detection of bed bugs using their emitted VOCs indoors. An exhaustive VOC profile emitted in the air by bed bugs was first conducted in the laboratory. Measurements of these specific tracers were then realised in real dwellings to assess the analytical performance in living conditions. A detection index was developed, demonstrating promising performance in terms of both sensitivity (accurate bed bug detection) and specificity (accurate safety), which led to a patent application.