The species we call pests are often those that learned our habits successfully.

The creatures we call pests are usually the ones that read us well. They worked out where we keep food, when we are absent, how our buildings behave, and their success is a direct measure of how legible we are. We punish them for the accuracy of their attention.

There is a cool observation buried in this about adaptability. What thrives around a system is often what understands the system, whether or not the system approves. When something keeps recurring despite your efforts to remove it, it is usually being fed by a pattern you have not changed. Looking for the pattern is nearly always more effective than looking for a stronger response.