A positive pest invasion at Columbus library

Usually when we report on libraries, it’s in the context of pests like rodents, silverfish or bed bugs shutting them down until the infestations can be brought under control by a pest management professional (PMP). That’s why it’s such a joy to report on a different kind of pest invasion going on at the Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) in Columbus, Ohio. Now through Oct. 30, 2025, visitors to the library can wander through an interactive, free exhibit of “giant bug models.”

As the news release notes, the library is “inviting customers of all ages to come face-to-face with an 8-foot-tall firefly, dragonfly and moth, a 7-foot-tall grasshopper and a 4-foot-tall bumblebee.

Special staff-led programs and customer-led activities will accompany the exhibit, and CML staff will have bug-themed books available for customers to check out. The exhibit even merits its own page on the website: ColumbusLibrary.org/giant-bugs-at-main.

Columbus is less than a two-hour drive from Pest Management Professional’s headquarters office in Cleveland, Ohio, so maybe a staff field trip is in order. The only way this story would have been sweeter is if a local pest control company had been a part of the program. At the very least, it could have been a good way to remind them that while all bugs are insects, not all insects are bugs!

That said, the models were provided by Frisco, Texas-based Billings Productions Inc. — in case this sparks any ideas for your business and community outreach plans.

And if you want to do outreach without 8-foot animatronics, check out the offerings of the industry fraternity Pi Chi Omega. In addition to its scholarship and grant programs, the organization offers its Jr. Entomologist Program, billing it as “a free educational initiative designed to inspire curiosity about insects and the field of entomology among young learners. Developed by professional entomologists, the program offers downloadable PowerPoint presentations, pre-recorded video sessions, and customizable certificates of completion.”