Orkin fights for factual bug portrayals in pop culture

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Apr 15, 2024, 09:15 ET

Pest control leader brings back Bug Week by calling for accurate representation of insects across the internet and beyond

ATLANTA, April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As pest season begins, bug content is everywhere – but turns out most of it is wrong. To acknowledge this, today, Orkin kicks off its annual Bug Week, dubbed Bug Week Bug Fails, by correcting illustrations and representations of bugs found across the internet, pop culture and beyond. From mascots to tattoos, Orkin, with the help of the public, aims to ensure no incorrect bug is left behind.

Orkin kicks off its annual Bug Week, dubbed Bug Week Bug Fails, by correcting illustrations and representations of bugs found across the internet, pop culture and beyond.

To understand the basic pest knowledge of consumers – Orkin recently surveyed the public with simple identification questions. While knowing the differences between household pests might not win many trivia night competitions, proper identification of pests is key to helping homeowners keep their property and families safe. Through our owned survey, we found:

Only 42% of respondents were able to correctly identify a termite from a winged ant. While that might seem like an innocent oversight, termites are known as "silent destroyers" because they can hide and thrive in your home or yard without any immediate signs of damage.
While a majority of respondents could identify a bed bug from a tick, four out of 10 people could not. Bed bugs are known for rapid population growth and can survive for several months while waiting for their next blood meal, so they're likely to emerge the moment a food source, such as humans or animals, becomes available.

Additionally, while not an identification question, but still a very important one, nearly a quarter of respondents did not know that mosquitoes are the deadliest creature in the world. This makes them one of the greatest public health threats, as mosquitoes are known to spread diseases like the Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, and malaria.

All said, Orkin's Bug Week Bug Fails is to shine a light on the pest inaccuracies seen in day-to-day content. Consumers can tag #BugWeekBugFails on Instagram and TikTok and Orkin might just fix it. Those who utilize the hashtag will also receive $50 off their first service.

Why this matters to consumers

Orkin Pros across the country embody being the "Best in Pests," by conducting proper identification of the insects that invade homes and businesses. They have the training and expertise to properly eliminate the common pests that consumers cannot identify, nonetheless treat. Based on the above results, below are a few implications that pest oversights can cost home and business owners.

Each year, termites and other pests cause an estimated $30 billion in damage in the U.S. alone. A homeowner who discovers termite damage will spend an average of $3,000 to repair the damage.
Hotels spend on average $6,383 per bed bug incident. This cost includes the replacement of soft goods, treatment and lost business. Additionally, almost half of all hotels have been the subject of litigation because of bed bug infestations, which according to Orkin's research, costs on average, $17,177 per incident. All in, that could be as high as $23,560 for litigation and remediation costs – not a small concern for a single bed bug incident. If hotels don't seek commercial bed bug control services, consumers who unknowingly take the pests home could spend weeks trying to rid the house of the pesky hitchhikers.

Bug Week is more than just a chance to right these wrongs. As the industry leader in pest control, Orkin is consistently looking for new and innovative ways to help people across the country proactively protect their homes from all pest varieties. Orkin hopes to inspire a fascination of bugs among the public and educate consumers about the pests that could be lurking nearby.

What to expect this week

Throughout the week, Orkin is using its expertise to identify, call out and fix bug fails across the internet. Beyond internet fixes, Orkin is also making it its mission to correct real-life inaccuracies, as portrayed with:

The Tattoo Fix: A beetle tattoo gone wrong, until Orkin came along.
The Feel-Good Fix: Killah Beez, while an incredible organization that provides families with an affordable youth sports program with quality coaching focused on building life skills through sports, their logo could really use some work.

Please visit bugweek.com to see what bug fails Orkin's fixing next. Have a bug fail of your own? Tag #BugWeekBugFails on Instagram and TikTok to receive $50 off your first service – and the chance to have your bug fail fixed by Orkin.

About Orkin, LLC

Founded in 1901, Atlanta-based Orkin® Pest Control is an industry leader in essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects. Orkin has over 300 owned and operated branch offices and over 45 franchises in the U.S. The company also has international franchises and subsidiaries in Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, and Africa. For more than 120 years, Orkin has been committed to protecting public health by helping prevent and control pests as well as educating consumers on the potential health risks posed by these pests. As such, Orkin Pros™ always put the customer first and approach every opportunity with the utmost professionalism and the knowledge and skillset to solve any pest problem. Since 2020 in accordance with mosquito season, Orkin has provided monetary donations to the American Red Cross in addition to encouraging the public to donate blood to the organization and hosting blood drives. Orkin is committed to hiring the world's best to help protect the places where we live, work and play. Learn more about careers at Orkin here. Visit Orkin.com for additional information. Orkin is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rollins Inc. (NYSE: ROL). Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.