NASHVILLE, Tenn. – From sniffing out rare species to tracking down poachers, dogs aid conservation efforts in a variety of ways. And a growing list of successes shows how the nose of “man’s best friend” can be an especially powerful weapon in the battle against invasive organisms.

Lately, dogs have proved to be particularly useful allies against one infamously unwelcome guest: spotted lanternflies.

Winnie and Marcel are two specifically trained detection dogs that have joined the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Plant Certification Section to inspect areas where the invasive spotted lanternfly has been reported, but not visually confirmed.

“These dogs are an efficient new tool to fight the spread of the spotted lanternfly,” Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “Our trained inspectors who work with the dogs report that the dogs’ ability to detect the pest in all stages gives us an advantage in safeguarding Tennessee’s fruit and forest industries.”

Winnie and Marcel graduated from the USDA’s National Detector Dog Training Center in Georgia, operated by the agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine Program. The program started in 1984 with just one dog and one trainer. Today, the 17-acre compound includes eight buildings and 100 kennels. The center is in Newnan, Ga.

The center’s dog teams carry out a range of activities, from inspecting passenger baggage, cargo and parcels at ports of entry to detecting certain invasive species in the environment, such as the spotted lanternfly.

Requirements for the dogs are that they are 1-3 years in age, healthy, friendly and highly food driven. The dogs are recruited from animal shelters, rescue groups and even private owners.

Derrick Tillman, supervisory training specialist at the center, said each dog is given a physical exam and tested in real inspection environments to expose them to the sights, sounds, smells and surfaces and equipment. If the dogs pass the screening process, they begin the 13-week training. Tillman said 75 percent of the dogs in training finish the program successfully.

Breeds used to sniff out spotted lanternflies include Labrador Retrievers, Belgian Malinois and Cardigan Welsh Corgis. Tillman said the training process involves exposing dogs to the scent of the lanternfly eggs, allowing them to identify and locate them.

Winnie and Marcel are actively working alongside plant inspectors Mary Glover and Kyle Webb. Glover and Winnie are stationed in Knoxville, while Webb and Marcel operate out of Mt. Juliet near the state’s largest known spotted lanternfly area.

The insect-sniffing duos will be used to help clear plant shipments from nursery-producing areas if any spotted lanternflies are found nearby. Currently, they inspect retail plant dealers because the movement of infested material posts a greater risk for lanternfly spread. Already, they’ve successfully detected spotted lanternflies in Sumner County in Tennessee.

Populations of the invasive insect are currently found in 18 states: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Spotted lanternflies excrete a sugary waste called honeydew. This leads to the proliferation of sooty mold and black-colored fungi. The public has been recruited to try to stop the spread and is encouraged to kill the insect. But before they can be killed, they must first be found. Finding them is like searching for a needle in a haystack. That’s where the dog’s nose comes in.

Tennesseans have been asked to report any sightings of the spotted lanternfly, then destroy the egg masses by smashing them or dousing them with rubbing alcohol. Photos should be taken and reported at www.tn.gov/protecttnforests/resources/report-a-pest.html.