Scientists investigate how different houses and lifestyles affect which bugs live with us

Humans have lived under the same roof with bugs since we first began building shelters 20,000 years ago. Now, scientists are studying how physical factors of our homes—from the floor plan and the number of windows to even how tidy we are—may play a role in the diversity of the multi-legged communities populating the indoor environment. Researchers from the California Academy of Sciences, North Carolina State University, and the Natural History Museum of Denmark published findings today in Scientific Reports revealing that a greater number of bug species can be found in high-traffic, ground-level, carpeted rooms with many windows and doors. (And a word of comfort for pet owners with messy habits: don’t worry, bugs don’t really care.)