April 1, 2015
Jones (fellow, Royal Entomological Society and former president, British Entomological Society; Mosquito), explores our relationship with nonhuman housemates. In approachable, entertaining language and chapters divided by creatures' lifeways, the author explains what commensals eat, where they nest, how they developed a relationship to humans, and how an occasional nuisance becomes a pest. He relates how scientists look for nearest wild relatives and possible ancestral diets. There are plentiful references, an identification guide, and stipple illustrations that rival macros. Alas, Jones did not adapt his work for American readers. This means there is no coverage of fire ants and short shrift for crazy ants and naming differences, such as calling drugstore beetles biscuit beetles. Jones also omits Cooperative Extension's pest identification and advice. This title complements Amy Stewart's Wicked Bugs and Kelsi Nagy and Phillip David Johnson's Trash Animals. VERDICT Although not the intended audience, curious U.S. readers can still enjoy this gentle perspective on creatures that share our sacred space.--Eileen H. Kramer, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Clarkston
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from May 15, 2015
We humans like to think of our homes as our castles, where inside is a big distinction from outside. Outside is where nature is; inside is where we areor so we thought. As entomologist and nature-writer Jones points out, we are under constant siege from invaders who want exactly what we have created: shelter, food, and a warm, comfortable place to live. In this intriguing and highly entertaining cross between natural history and archaeology, Jones pieces together the rise of the home and the consequent rise of the home invaders. Homes provide, for both humans and their unwelcome visitors, four essential needs: dry shelter, warmth, food, and avoidance of natural predators and parasites. As the author examines the various niches our homes provide, he also introduces us to the animals (mostly insects) that are attracted to that niche. We learn where house mice lived before there were houses; why houseflies moved from the dung heap to hanging out on our ceilings; how clothes moths moved from eating molted fur and feathers to eating our stored clothes; and finally, in a lengthy appendix, just who all these pests are. You will never look at a flour beetle the same way again.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)