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.
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 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.
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SOURCE Orkin, LLC