The average American homeowner spends significant time and money trying to keep bugs out of his or her house, but the homeowners aren't winning. A recent study published in the journal Biology Letters found that pretty much every house has over a hundred different types of spiders, ants, flies, and other bugs running around in dark and hidden places. The study examined about 50 houses in Raleigh, North Carolina, resulting in the collection of 10,000 specimens, which were then categorized over two years. And if you think that more cash will help put a cap on the creatures, think again: Homes in wealthier neighborhoods have even more uninvited guests living in them because they tend to have larger gardens, which are very attractive to insects. On the bright side, most of the insect and arachnid invaders are benign and possibly even beneficial, unlike the cockroaches or termites that send shivers down your spine.
A closer look at insects (and spiders):
- There are approximately 200 million insects for every human on Earth.
- Every acre of land contains approximately one million spiders; it is said that no one on Earth is ever more than 10 feet (3 m) away from a spider.
- Every continent has insects, but Antarctica has only one: a wingless midge (fly) known as Belgica antarctica that grows to a maximum length of 0.23 inches (0.58 cm).