House guests, house pests : a natural history of animals in the home / Richard Jones.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jones, Richard, 1958 July 14- author.

Contributor:

Ellis D. Williams, College 1865, Endowment Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Insect pests.

Insects.

Urban pests.

Animals, Domestic.

Pets.

Medical Subjects:

Animals, Domestic.

Pets.

Physical Description:

288 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2015.

Summary:

Today we live in snug, well-furnished houses surrounded by the trappings of a civilized life. But we are not alone--we suffer a constant stream of unwanted visitors. Our houses, our food, our belongings, our very existence are under constant attack from a host of invaders eager to take advantage of our shelter, our food stores and our tasty soft furnishings. From bats in the belfry to beetles in the cellar, moths in the wardrobe and mosquitoes in the bedroom, humans cannot escape the attentions of the animal kingdom. Nature may be red in tooth and claw, but when it's our blood the bedbugs are after, when it's our cereal bowl that's littered with mouse droppings, and when it's our favorite chair that collapses due to woodworm in the legs, it really brings it home the fact that we and our homes are part of nature too.

Contents:

I Introduction: Our first big mistake was coming down out of the trees 9

II The attractions of home: Shelter, food and respite -it's the formula for success 33

III Shelter: Stored supplies, in the warehouse, the cellar, the larder and the pantry 55

IV Making a mess everywhere: Maggots, dirt, filth and droppings everywhere 79

V Eating us out of house and home: Warehouse, larder and pantry 105

VI Eating the house and the home: Woodworm, clothes moths and carpet beetles - the end of civilisation as we know it 127

VII They're after us: Bloodsuckers 159

VIII Hangers on: Forgotten friends, casual visitors and a rag-tag of other uninvited callers 175

IX To live and let live? Or squish 'em? How to deal with your own visitors 195

X Appendix: Rogues gallery and identification guide 205.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Ellis D. Williams, College 1865, Endowment Fund.

ISBN:

1472906233

9781472906236

OCLC:

881206089

Publisher Number:

99963199693