Invasion of the Creepy Crawlies
A survey of urban households has revealed how the layout of your home could be inviting unwanted insects and arachnids inside.
Experts found that a greater number of bug species live in high traffic, ground level, carpeted rooms with numerous doors and windows.
The study also showed tidiness plays little role in insect diversity, with human behaviour having minimal impact on the kind of bugs that were discovered.
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A survey of urban households has revealed how the layout of your home could be inviting unwanted insects and arachnids inside. Experts have revealed a number of ways you can keep unwelcome bugs at bay
Researchers from the California Academy of Sciences, North Carolina State University, and the Natural History Museum of Denmark are behind the find.
The team surveyed 50 urban homes in Raleigh, North Carolina, to see what it is about a house that can lead to an influx of bugs.
This revealed that as floor numbers increase, fewer types of insects thrive.
Larger rooms, especially on the ground floor, or even below ground, harboured more insect diversity.
More varied types of insects were also discovered in carpeted rooms versus those with bare floors.
Airier rooms with more windows and doors offering greater accessibility to the outdoors were also preferred habitats.
Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Michelle Trautwein, senior author of the study, said: ‘We literally crawled around on our hands and knees and collected every bug we saw.
‘It was surprising to me that we found that whether a house was clean or dirty, whether the residents used pesticides or not, didn’t affect the diversity or the kinds of arthropods found in houses.’
The team also found that the type of bugs in your home also vary from room to room.
An analysis of core representative species, like booklice, fruit flies, and ladybug,s revealed how common areas like living rooms hosted more diverse insect life.
Bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms were less populated with these types of insects.
Basements also provided a unique habitat.
These dark, damp, and cavernous spaces lent to diverse communities of cave-dwelling insects.
While the idea of uninvited insect house guests may sound unappealing, the tiny critters may actually contribute to our health, the researchers say.
Dr Trautwein added:’If you have an infestation, for example, where there is really high abundance of say cockroaches or termites or something, that would not be good for inhabitants.
Experts recommend that you make sure your keep your home dry, to avoid attracting insects.
If your basement or other rooms are particularly damp, pesticide manufacturer Bayer Advanced recommends running a dehumidifier to help dry the air.
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