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It's the year 1446 BC and we're at a marketplace in Egypt. Ordinarily it would be crammed with people. Merchants trading exotic goods, vendors haggling for bargains, and men, women and children browsing the stalls in wide eyed wonder. But this morning, as we wander through the dusty streets in search of something to eat, there's no sign of the vibrant life it once boasted. The place is deserted and a warm wind whistles through abandoned shops and houses. The air is muggy and within a few minutes your hunger has turned to thirst. You fantasize about immersing yourself for a few moments in the cool waters of the River Nile. Except when you look over to where the Nile's meant to be, you don't see the river at all. Where the lush green banks should be, there are dull brown patches of grass and instead of shining water, a muddy sludge crawls slowly along the riverbed. Just weeks ago, these banks were crammed with boats transporting goods and passengers and housewives washing their clothes, not to mention the exotic species of fish and mammals that called the Nile home. You turn to walk away, but feel something soft against your foot. Looking down, you see a large frog jumping lazily along the dusty path. In fact, there are dozens of the creatures leaping and lurching on the dry ground. Dead frogs also lie along the riverbank. The sight of the slimy creatures makes you shiver. Shuffling out of their way, you try to continue your journey, but your vision is obscured by swarms of insects. You can taste gnats on your lips and tongue, hear their incessant buzzing in your ears. When you swap them away, more fly around your head. Insects like these have been growing in number the past few weeks and now seem to be as numerous as the grains of sand beneath your feet. Your stomach rumbles. So despite the pests, you press on through the ghost town, stepping over dried puddles where frogs are trying to find water, and through fields of dead vegetation swarming with giant locusts. You try not to look as you pass grotesque carcasses of livestock, their still bodies circled by halos of hungry insects. One particularly large fly lands on your arm and you swat it off in disgust. Suddenly, it's all too much and you take off. Run. You don't dare stop until you're back in the safety of your home. Slamming the doors and boarding up the windows, you breathe a sigh of relief. You're finally hidden from those armies of pests. The scene just described might be familiar to some of you as the Ten Plagues of Egypt, a story in the Hebrew Bible. Recently, historians and scientists have found evidence that similar events may have occurred in Ancient Egypt in around 1580-1450 BC. During this period, the Egyptian climate shifted significantly. Temperatures rose, causing the Nile to dry out. The resulting bloom of algae would have coloured the remaining water red and killed much of the pond life, allowing insects to breed. These then spread all sorts of nasty diseases. Now, this is just a theory, but one thing we can be sure of is that pests like those that plagued ancient Egypt, have been infesting, irritating and intimidating humans for millennia. So let's take a look at how humans and pests have lived side by side throughout history. I'm Ruth Goodman. I've spent my life exploring the extraordinary history of everyday items, the little things we often take for granted. You see, every object in your home has a fascinating hidden history, a story that's just waiting to be told. This week, we're creeping into the nooks and crannies of your house to learn all about historical pests and pest control. So come with me and together we'll explore the curious history of your home. The alleged plague of pests did eventually leave Egypt, but that's not to Say pests completely disappeared from the country. Ancient Egyptians had to contend with annoying insects, such as beetles and moths that would crawl in their water supplies and nibble at their clothes. There were also mice and rats, which would scurry into the woodwork to make their homes, damaging human houses in the process. And that's not to mention what their appetites would do to precious grain supplies. In response, the Egyptians set traps, hired professional pest catchers, or hung netting around their beds to keep flying insects at bay. Much like modern day mosquito nets, Some even adopted the pests. The tomb of a priest called Neferinpu, who lived during the fifth dynasty, reveals that his tiny pet mouse was buried alongside him. Talking of mice. They weren't necessarily unique to ancient Egypt. In fact, evidence shows they'd been living alongside humans long before the first pharaoh took to the throne. Archaeologists have found fossils of mice teeth in Natufian settlements in modern day Israel. These relics, dating from around 12,500 to 9,500 BC, suggest mice moved in with humans for the protection they provided from predators, as well as easy access to grain supplies. Further east, a Chinese manuscript dating from around the third century BC includes the first written reference to non wild mice. Drawings of mice have been found on ancient ceramics and evidence suggests there was widespread interest in domesticating and breeding coloured mice. Later writings from the han dynasty, around 80 BC, reference a certain type of yellow waltzing mouse. This breed became enormously popular, especially later in the 18th century, due to the mouse's strange tendency to spin round in circles, creating the illusion of dancing. In 1654, a Chinese Buddhist priest is even recorded as having traveled to Japan with his books, clothes and two pet mice. It seems as though mice were thought of as pets rather than pests. Over in ancient Greece, though, insects and rodents were held in much lower regard. The Greeks filled their myths with accounts of deadly and disgusting pests. Arachne was turned into a spider as punishment for defeating the goddess Athena in a weaving contest. Medusa, the monstrous Gorgon, who could turn a man to stone with one look, had serpents for hair. And the sole job of the minor God Myagros was to chase flies away from sacrifices offered to Zeus. But while the Greek gods shunned pests, others in the ancient world found a use for them. According to the Roman writer Herodian, in the second century, the defenders of Hatra in modern day Iraq found an ingenious way to hold off the invading Roman army. They hurled clay pots filled with scorpions at them, damaging the enemy and ridding their homes of scorpions in one fell swoop. So pests could be useful. But inevitably, where pests go, disease follows. 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Dreams, the new podcast from the award winning Noiser Network. Join me, Paul McGann, as we explore life and death on Titanic. I'll delve into my own family story, following my great Uncle Jimmy as he tries to escape the engine room. We'll hear the harrowing tales of the victims and the testimonies of the lucky survivors. I saw that ship sink and I saw that ship break in half. Titanic Ship of Dreams Listen wherever you get your podcasts. It's a warm spring morning in 1334, and we're in Chang'an, China. The sun has barely risen, but already the town is a hive of activity. Men trot past on camels, calling greetings to the sleepy merchants as wooden carts filled with spices and fresh produce trundle along. Chang'an is a key outpost on the famous Silk Road, a network of routes stretching 4,000 miles miles across Asia, connecting east to west. For the people here, life revolves around trade. A door to a small wooden hut swings open and an elderly man limps out. His arms are laden with sacks full of expensive, brightly colored linens. Trying not to trip over, the man waddles towards two men on camels who are stationed near his front door. He calls to them, drawing their attention to his materials. From within one of the sacks, he pulls out rich red, blue and green textiles. He runs his hand over the delicate fabrics, boasting about the perfection of his handiwork. When he invites the men to feel for themselves, they murmur in appreciation. The old man explains that he's interested in selling these goods across Asia. His eyes glisten with excitement as he convinces the merchants to buy his wares. With nods of consent, they jump down and begin tying the sacks of fabric to their already bulging saddlebag. Once the goods are in place, one of the men reaches into his traveling cloak and withdraws a bag of coins. He hands it to the old man and promises that if his textiles sell well, they'll be back for more in a few months. Bursting with joy, the old man lunges forward to shake the merchant's hands. As he does so, he notices a tiny black flower flea crawling up his bare arm. Nonchalantly, he swats it off and waves goodbye to the men. As he walks back to his house, his mind is only on the fortune he's been promised and not the flea or the tiny red bump it's left on his skin. However, unbeknown to him or the merchants, that flea spells disaster. These tiny pests which infest Chang'an and are now being born along the Silk Road, are all carrying the bacteria Yersinia pestis, also known as the Pl. The 14th century plague, or the Black Death as it became known, caused utter devastation in Asia, Europe and North Africa beginning between the years 1346 and 1353. Scientists and historians still debate its origins, but many believe it started in China, although it didn't remain there for long. In 1346, war broke out in the Genoese controlled port town of Caffa on the Crimean Peninsula. Tatar forces, led by Kipchak Khan Janibag, besieged Kaffa in the hope of seizing the city and controlling trade with Europe. However, after months of fighting, Janibeg's soldiers were struck down by the plague. Sensing defeat, Janibeg planned a final brutal act of warfare. He launched the plague infested corpses straight into Caffa. Days later, when the Genoese soldiers headed home to Italy, they unknowingly took the deadly plague with them. By January 1348, the Black Death arrived in northern Italy, thanks in part to Janibeg's actions, as well as global trade and travel. From there, it swept through Europe, reaching London within the year. Estimates suggest it killed anywhere between 25 and 60% of Europe's population. Cities ground to a halt amidst the Black Death. Shops, markets and theatres closed, public gatherings were banned and travellers were placed in quarantine for 40 days. Everyone came to dread the tell tale signs a high fever, rattling cough, pale skin and of course, oozing buboes. Without the scientific knowledge of today, it was difficult to identify the causes of the disease, and medieval theories ranged from ill positioning of the planets to punishments from God. At first, no one suspected rats or their fleas. That first wave of plague had mostly subsided by 1352, although there were periodic resurgences. The link between fleas, or at least the animals who carry them and the plague was made during an outbreak in 1665. As a result, the keeping of dogs, cats and many other domestic creatures was banned in London. Many were subsequently culled. However, it's not fair to lay all of the Blame on animals. Recent research suggests lice and fleas living on human bodies probably carried the plague as well. I guess it's easier to blame the rats. Not every pest in medieval Europe carried a deadly disease. Many were just a nuisance. And the men and women of the Middle Ages devised a range of methods to control infestations and live as pest free as possible. Around 1394, an anonymous French author published Le Mnagier de Paris, a book which offered a number of solutions to fleas and bed bugs. The author encouraged users to scatter alder leaves throughout their rooms to trap the bugs, or place a lighted candle in the middle of a slice of bread covered in glue. Presumably, hungry insects would crawl towards the bread, but be burned or stuck in the process. He also suggested dressing furniture in white blankets to draw attention to the pests so that you could see them and pick them off. Over in Italy, author Bartolomeo Sacchi stated, bed bugs are the most disturbing, which you will bear most easily. In this manner, pickle a cucumber in water and sprinkle this where you will on the bed, or pour bovine gall mixed with vinegar. None will come. I haven't tried the pickled cucumber method myself, so I'm unsure just how effective it was. While the men and women of the Middle Ages relied on these natural remedies to ward off pests, there were also more violent solutions. The early years of King Henry VIII's reign coincided with periods of severe food shortage and disease. We now know that these were triggered by factors such as poor harvests, spikes in population and the rapid growth of towns and cities. But Henry VIII pointed the finger at pests and his solution? A cull. In 1532, Henry VIII passed the Preservation of Grain act, which made it compulsory for every man, woman and child to kill any creatures they came across that were classed as vermin. The list included mice and rats, as well as badgers, foxes and certain species of birds. Even hedgehogs were classed as pests due to the erroneous belief that they stole milk from cows at night. Each so called pest had a bounty on its head. Kites or ravens were worth a penny, while hedgehogs, polecats, stoats and weasels were worth four. Badgers and foxes could earn a hunter 12 pence, a sizable sum considering the average agricultural wage was 4 pence per day. These laws triggered a killing frenzy in Britain, and over the next 250 years, wildlife was constantly hunted for money. Churchwarden accounts are full of entries indicating payment to someone for bringing in a hedgehog or fox. It was only in the mid 18th century that environmentalists started to worry that their actions were endangering certain species. Hedgehogs, wild cats and kingfishers were driven to the brink of extinction. The vermin laws were finally abolished, and Britain was forced to find alternative ways of dealing with pests. But halfway across the world, another country was about to encounter a new pest problem of its own. In January 1770, British explorer Captain James Cook and his crew landed in the bay of Tau Taranui, New Zealand, which Cook later renamed Queen Charlotte Sound. Cook was on an expedition to find the terra australis incognita, or undiscovered southern land. When they arrived on the island, Cook and his crew spent the first three days cleaning and repairing their ship. The vessel was turned upside down and scrubbed top to bottom until it sparkled like new. During the cleaning process, hundreds of rats scurried out from the bowels of the ship, tempted by the warm, sandy shores of New Zealand. At the time, Cook and his crew probably celebrated the rats escape. In fact, when he returned to New Zealand two years later, members of his crew encouraged the ship's rats to escape into the wild. No one spared a thought for the precious environment they were potentially harming. This was actually the second rodent invasion of New Zealand in the 13th century. Polynesian voyagers to the islands had brought Pacific rats with them. The European colonizers in the 18th and 19th century added mice, Norway rats, cats, and a variety of other species to the mix. These pests began competing with native wildlife for food and shelter and hunted small animals such as lizards, snails and flightless birds. The effect was devastating. It's estimated that rats alone contributed to the extinction of around 23 bird species in New Zealand. But rats were still a problem back in England, too. Throughout the 18th and 19th century, Britain's rapidly growing towns and cities were crawling with rats. None more so than London. A famous saying claimed residents were never more than six feet away from a rat. Keen to stop the infestation and earn a little money while doing so, a new profession arose among the working class in London. The rat catcher. It's the year 1855, and we're in Regent's Park, London. The sun's shining, and as you wander down a winding path, you hear chatter emanating from a clearing ahead. The cheerful noise brings you to a small makeshift stage between the trees. You take a seat on the grass and wait for the show to begin. But if you're expecting magic tricks, an amusing puppet show, or impressive Stunts. You're wrong. From behind the white curtains, a man appears, dressed in leather trousers, a bright green jacket and a dashing scarlet waistcoat. His hair is long and greying, and as he swaggers onto the tiny stage, the sun sparkles on a selection of silver medals pinned to his chest. But it's not the man's eccentric clothing that draws a gasp from the crowd. Rather, it's what he holds in his hands. Cages filled with live rats. Resisting the temptation to jump up and run away, you listen to the man as he speaks. He clears his throat and announces that his name is Jack Black. Rat and Mole destroyer to Her Majesty. Today he's here to show us some of his tricks. There's a ripple of nervous applause and Black reaches into one of the cages and selects two rats. The crowd clap and laugh as the rats crawl onto Black's arms and over his face. They sit on his shoulders, nibble his ears and kiss his cheeks. Black doesn't flinch as they nimbly scurry up and down his body. He's working the audience now, encouraging the rats to play in his hair and hang from his clothes. All the while, he talks softly to them, offering little treats and words of affection. The audience can't get enough of this bizarre rat catcher. Somehow Black's creatures seem sweet, even impressive. More like prize pets than common household pests. Perhaps you think rats aren't so bad after all. Rat catchers like Jack Black were just one of the ways Victorians dealt with pests. Other methods included training cats or dogs to hunt rodents, laying traps or calling upon the services of exterminators. Men like John Southall. In 1730, this London based exterminator published a book titled A Treatise of Bugs, which is considered to be the first scientific study on bed bugs. In it, Southall claimed that there was a magical elixir that could poison all pests. The recipe had allegedly been taught to him in Jamaica by a formerly enslaved man who had noticed Southall's relentless scratching. When they met, Southall assured readers that once the elixir had been applied to the bed, vast numbers come out of their holes and die before your face. And while the recipe was top secret, Southall did sell his exterminating liquor for two shillings a bottle. Moving west across the Atlantic, America didn't escape pest infestations either. During the Civil War from 1861-65, soldiers constantly complained about finding pests in their food rations. Maggots laid eggs in tinned meat while worms crawled into crackers, earning them the Name worm castles. One disgruntled prisoner of war wrote in a letter home that his beans were well seasoned with sand and bugs. Attempts were made to pickle food in brine, but this generally ruined the taste, making food just as inedible. Around half a century later, in the years leading up to the Great Depression, pests reared their ugly heads again in the States. The most notorious was the boll weevil. This was a small beetle native to Central America, which fed on cotton pollen and laid its eggs on the buds. The infected buds then provided food for the developing larva. Boll weevils devastated American agriculture. Between 1914 and 1923, thousands of farmers were forced to leave their homes in the south and move north in search of work. It's estimated that in some states, cotton Production fell by 70%. Something had to enter. Pesticides. World War II triggered massive advancements in chemical technology, and following the war, scientists supplied these to the home, creating new cleaning products, cooking surfaces, and gardening supplies. One new pesticide that was introduced at this time was a product known as ddt. Developed as an insecticide by Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Muller, DDT was deadly to small pests such as lice, fleas, mosquitoes, and beetles. To begin with, farmers hailed it as a miracle cure for their pest problems. By the early 1970s, America had sprayed more than 1.35 billion tons of it across farmland. But things were not as rosy as they looked. In 1962, US biologist Rachel Carson published her book Silent Spring, which highlighted the dark side of such chemical solutions. Carson linked pesticides to biodiversity loss, cancers, the decline of microorganisms in the soil, the destruction of habitats, and more. She hauntingly warned of a time when all life, from birds and blossoms to human children, would be silenced by the insidious effects of pesticides. Due in part to Carson's work, DDT was banned in America in 1972 and soon after in Europe, as were numerous other pesticides. Many remain closely monitored today. Depending on who you ask, you'll probably get a different definition of pests. Some people might think of fleas, license and locusts, while others list rats, mice, and pigeons. A few might extend the category to larger animals, such as badgers, foxes, and even hedgehogs, just like the Tudors. But no matter what you consider a pest, we can all agree that they've irritated humans for millennia. Our ancestors tried hundreds of ways of dealing with them. Animal lovers domesticated them. Some ancient societies used them as weapons. Medieval writers came up with creative ways to extinguish them. While modern scientists turned to chemistry. Though some methods have undoubtedly reduced their number, humans have never managed to exterminate them completely. And with environmental concerns rising, perhaps it's best if we just learn to live with the pests. After all, as history shows, they're not going anywhere without a fight. In the next episode, we take the time to learn about the unexpected. History of Clocks A miniature sundial survives the destruction of Pompeii in London. The man starts a business literally selling time. And the most elaborate clock the world has ever seen is constructed in 11th century China. That's next time on the Curious History of your. Listen to the next episode today without waiting a week by subscribing to Noiser plus, head to www.noiser.com subscriptions for more information.