When is a Woodlouse a Canary?
When you have just had a carpet laid, it seems.
It turns out that we have a bit of an infestation of woodlice in our bedroom. I need to find out where they currently regard as home.
However, their demise all over our newly laid carpet highlighted another problem. In my quest for all things natural, I had insisted on a wool carpet. It didn’t cross my mind to ask about the fire retardants that they undoubtedly have to dowse over all soft furnishings. I’m assuming that is what is causing it.
I didn’t think to ask about underlay either. Maybe we are being given double dose. Whatever it is, I am really glad I am not sleeping in there at the moment. If it is killing off woodlice so easily, I don’t feel too happy about what it will do to us.
Yerrell were unable to find any information about any fire retardant treatment on the carpet. It’s all wool, so it shouldn’t really need it. They confirmed that the underlay was Cloud 9 Cirrus.
So I sent Ball & Young, who make the Cloud 9 products, an email, enquiring what it could be and got a very prompt reply from Stephen Wilkinson. He said that he wasn’t sure why but that this was a common fact with many new carpets laid in older homes regardless of manufacturer. He wondered if it was the dryness since woodlice like damp conditions. I’d wondered that, too, until I found a curled up spider. He went on to say that the foam used in the production is the same type as that used in furniture and car seats.
I am still not happy about this. New carpets should not be killing off insects.
I’ve sent my query to the New Scientist Last Word page.