The number of bugs in our houses makes more sense when you consider that human-built spaces encompass an area as large as some natural biomes globally. But we know far more about the animals outside our houses than in them. “The finding that ‘non-pest’ species made up the majority, ... and the sheer number and prevalence of arthropod groups found highlights [our] current lack of knowledge,” says University of Liverpool biologist Crystal Frost.
Many of the insects identified in the study weren’t able to be identified to species---and some of them will probably turn out to be new species. Our homes aren't the Galapagos Islands, but they are unique environments that organisms may specialize in. We know that some fungi are found only in bathrooms and washing machines, and the same is quite likely of a few insects and spiders from this study. Carpet beetles, clothes moths, and cobweb spiders have limited abilities to disperse on their own, but we move them from place to place with our belongings.
This research is being continued across several continents, with hopes of finding patterns in our arthropod bunkmates. Their preliminary data is clear---you’ve got bugs in your house. All of you.
Keep Calm and Arthropod On
You probably weren’t freaking out about the hundreds (probably thousands) of tiny animals in your home before you read this, so why not strive to reclaim that Zen state of blissful ignorance? Even better, embrace the amazing diversity all around you. Wildlife doesn’t stop at your doorstep. It comes inside with you and lives on you.
Our homes are places of extreme environments and change. Showers go from dry to torrents of scalding water in an instant; sinks are deluged with minty alcoholic mouthwash, caustic cleaners, and hair from our grooming rituals. Humidity and temperature in ductwork change abruptly as air conditioning or heating kicks on. Anything that manages to live in this environment should get at least a little grudging admiration.
This research is just the latest in a series of papers beginning to investigate the urban environment around you. Most of the info is profoundly disturbing to people who want their homes to be immaculate. Microbial communities on our pillow cases and toilet seats are remarkably similar. Follicle mites are having sex in your facial pores right now. In the last 50 years, American basem*nts were quietly taken over by a foreign species of camel cricket. No one noticed. It's exploration of a whole new frontier, a new environment in which we can all be participants in the science.
You are an animal, surrounded by other animals. Get. Over. It.
https://youtu.be/_WWcbIsu3V4
Bertone et al. (2016), Arthropods of the great indoors: characterizing diversity inside urban and suburban homes.
PeerJ 4:e1582; DOI 10.7717/peerj.1582
Martin et al. 2015. Evolution of the indoor biome. DOI 10.1016/j.tree.2015.02.001
Dunn et al. 2013. Home Life: Factors Structuring the Bacterial Diversity Found within and between Homes. PLoS ONE 8(5): e64133. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064133
Epps et al. 2014. Too big to be noticed: Cryptic invasion of Asian camel crickets in North American houses. PeerJ 2: e523; DOI 10.7717/peerj.523
