Documentary examining household bug ecosystems set in Toronto home
Documentary-style TV show The Nature of Things tends to focus on big, exciting, or controversial topics relating to the natural world, but its newest episode sets its sights on something a little more ordinary. Tonight's episode will explore the household ecosystems of bugs that inevitably end up forming to some degree in even the cleanest of homes. Usually relegated to a deep background role in our lives, the CBC program is thrusting them into the spotlight for an hour.
Specifically, this episode (titled "The Great Wild Indoors") hones in on the Vettesse family and their newly renovated home in the St. Clair West neighbourhood of Toronto. Until director and family friend Roberto Verdecchia approached them about the idea, they were fairly unaware of the degree to which there were various bugs living in their home, going about their business almost entirely unnoticed.
During the week-long filming process, the crew searched extensively throughout the home, using tools like pincers, tubes, and a vacuum-style aspirator to corral bugs and study them. They also got into all kinds of nooks and crannies in order to film the creatures, capturing spontaneous scenes such as a fight between a spider and a beetle.
Some of the main bugs encountered over the course of the filming were pill/potato bugs, carpet beetles, booklouse, cellar spiders, and house centipedes. Part of the sentiment of the documentary is that we shouldn't be alarmed by the presence of these common creatures, as they have always been living with us, from the time we were living in caves up until now.
Bed bugs and similar infestations, on the other hand, are a different story. Even though they can cause incredible damage, they often are not included in home insurance policies. Make sure you are aware of your home coverage as it relates to insects and other bugs.