I watched a programme on the ITV catch up player last night called The Secret Life of Your House (available for another week in the UK). In it, entomologist George McGavin releases all manner of “pests” into a house and spends a month observing them. Rats, mice, cockroaches, spiders and myriad bugs all given free reign to explore fixtures, fittings, furnishings and foodstuffs.

It was interesting although not nearly as scientifically informative as I had hoped. We think we spotted some signs of a murine visitation by one of the kitchen cupboards so I was hoping there might be clues on how to dissuade little furry visitors but the best hint from that program was that special bait lets you see their deposits glowing green under UV light while a high end thermal imaging camera makes it easy to see them running around. I’d love to have both gadgets but mouse traps will have to do.

Oh, and there was the bit about bed bugs. Maybe watching while sitting in bed wasn’t the best idea; it certainly made for lots of itchy, scratchy sensations after lights out!