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Bugs in houses

I recently had a conversation where the topic of discussion was a giant house spider. One person had spent their night chasing it around and finally trapped it under a trash can, only for the spider to escape by morning. Lamentation about the spider becoming a permanent member of the household ensued.

Wait, the giant house spider has the word "house" in its name. That's weird...

It's nice to think our homes are sterile boxes distinct from "outside," with the exception of the occasional unwanted intruder. If you find something from the outside in your house, you're probably going to kill it. Maybe you'll take it outside because you think that's the more humane route. Both views are missing the point. The point: There are lots of animals (most of them spineless) whose "natural" habitat is now human settlements.

Consider the camel cricket. They're also appropriately known as cave crickets because they like caves. The crickets aren't picky, though, so any cool, dark, and damp environment will do, including cellars and basements.

Camel crickets are great. And they have the distinction of having documented history with humans! An engraving of a cricket, among other things, was found on a bison bone in a cave in France. How nice it is that they've been a part of human life ever since we actually did live in caves (prominent enough for someone to draw a nice picture of one).

https://www.persee.fr/doc/bspf_0249-7638_1929_num_26_3_6692

Camel crickets are generally regarded as pests, even though, unlike some other pest insects, they don't do anything other than exist. Despite this, if you do an internet search for them, many of the results will happily tell you how to get rid of them. Bugs don't belong in houses, you say. If I get rid of these, everything will be fine!

It's a futile effort, trying to clear your home of all these unwanted roommates. Many bugs that live in human settlements are like camel crickets: they like the safety of a dark and cozy place. In a world where many dark and cozy places have been steamrolled by human development, houses are often the only option they have available to them. The giant house spider is one such bug.

Large critters like spiders or crickets are easy to detect, but there are many more that aren't visible to the naked eye. Some of them live in your pipes and drains, some live in your plants, some live in your showerhead and fall on you every time you turn it on, and some even live on you personally. These bugs you'll never be able to get rid of, no matter how much you think you've scrubbed and disinfected every surface in your house.

There are lots of things on and around you. Best for you and all of them for you to get used to it. You'll never be lonely again!

Also, read this:

http://yourwildlife.org/2016/05/they-are-the-most-harmless-innocent-creatures-in-the-world/

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