The Living House

The ordinary des/res houses a lot more besides the people that pay its mortgage. The older the house the richer the variety of plant and animal cohabitants (welcome or otherwise) it is likely to entertain - and then there's the garden and the shed. This new addition to Watts reliable 'Naturewatch' series takes a long look at the house as wildlife habitat, discovering snails, spiders, swallows, starlings, barn owls, butterflies and bedbugs to name but a few. The book's principal value is that of a well-illustrated list, but what holds it together is the repeated demonstration of the mutual advantage that we creatures derive from living together. The wren nesting in the ivy-clad wall removes hundreds of destructive caterpillars, the barn owl culls the mice, loft-dwelling lacewings mop up garden aphids and the harmless silverfish devour our discarded newspapers. So, indirectly, we learn a lot about the tolerance of other life-forms in our living space. This is a must for all confirmed cobweb cleaners and spider-squashers - and its facts and messages will fit lots of school projects.