Your backyard is not the only place that can be an animal jungle. Take a look inside your house some time. You might be surprised to find that there are just as many creatures living with you - right under your nose! Some are helpful and others are harmful, just like the creatures that live in your backyard jungle.
			Cockroaches are a common household insect. They like dark, warm places, especially the kitchen, where there are food scraps. A cockroach's body is flat and slippery, so it can easily slip through small cracks. Because cockroaches live in sewers and can get into houses through drainpipes, they carry germs. This makes them a pest.

	Cats are good hunters, and they catch and eat rats and mice. This makes them helpful to people. Cats also make great pets because they can be a good companion. Cats like warm, cozy places, just like people.

		Flies are a nuisance around the home, especially houseflies and blow flies. They live and lay their eggs in garbage, rotting things, and food. Flies crawl over lots of things, including the food that we eat, and they often leave germs behind. Flies eat rotting meat and plants.

	Ants are a pest because they enter homes to search for food. They travel in large groups, and they like to feed on many of the foods that we eat, including cereals and sweet things, such as honey and sugar. Ants also eat seeds and other insects. They live together in a nest, which is usually underground, but they can also be found in the cracks, window sills, and empty spaces in your home. Some kinds of ants also damage the wood in houses.

		House spiders like quiet, dark spaces. You will find them in the basement, in closets, and in other out-of-the-way places around your home. House spiders are usually helpful to people because they eat flies and mosquitoes, which are pests.

	Rats like to live in warm, dry places, especially in winter. Rats will eat almost anything, which makes them a pest. They like the same foods as people, and their sharp teeth help them to eat just about anything. Rats also carry germs, which they leave on food and other surfaces.