Orkin kicks off annual Bug Week

IMAGE: ORKIN

Orkin kicked 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,” according to the news release.

To understand the basic pest knowledge of consumers, Orkin recently surveyed the public with simple identification questions. Proper identification of pests is key to helping homeowners keep their property and families safe. its exclusive survey, Orkin found:

• Only 42 percent of respondents were able to correctly identify a termite from a winged ant.
• While a majority of respondents could identify a bed bug from a tick, four out of 10 people could not.
• Nearly a quarter of respondents did not know that mosquitoes are the deadliest creature in the world.

Why this matters to consumers

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.
• Mosquitoes are known to spread diseases like the Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue and malaria.

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 is an incredible organization that provides families with an affordable youth sports program with quality coaching focused on building life skills through sports. Their logo, however, could use some work.

Visit bugweek.com to see what “bug fails” Orkin’s fixing next. The Atlanta, Ga.-based company is encouraging the public all week to tag #BugWeekBugFails on Instagram and TikTok to receive $50 off their first pest control service and the “chance to have their bug fail fixed by Orkin.”