The Pest Control Logo Review

Pest control has always been a bit of an affront to my sensibilities, as everything society deems "vermin" tends to be somewhere in my top 50 most beloved animals of all time, and the very concept of a "pest" is hypocritical. We like to think that rats and cockroaches are degenerate, primitive life-forms because they thrive on the same diet and environment as ourselves...which makes us what, exactly?    Add to that the overall deceitfulness of the bigger businesses, and you have yourself an industry as questionable as the fictitious "big tobacco". Many pesticide manufacturers knowingly sell short-term solutions with long term environmental impact, eliminate beneficial predators (natural competition for their services), and know damn well that their products are only breeding more aggressive, more resilient insects and rodents. Still, all soapboxes aside, your local pest service is more than likely comprised of honest, hard-working individuals who have nothing at all do with the scum and villainy of retail pest management, and it is not uncommon for an exterminator to be a naturalist or conservationist themselves.    Either way, there has always been one by-product of the bug business that I can appreciate, and that is the rich characterization and often outstanding creativity prevalent throughout their logos, mascots and magazine advertisements; a world where silverfish, carpet beetles and boll weevils become cackling hobgoblins hell-bent on making our lives miserable.    The following are some of my favorite obscure pest-control mascots, gleaned from countless Google image searches or sent to me by other people. Unfortunately, I could not always find their source, and I honestly have no idea what companies some of these represent. If anyone can send me further information on the origins of these masterpieces, please drop me an e-mail.

I like the almost postmodern style to this particular logo, reminiscent of certain Polish movie posters. It's especially interesting how the "bug" itself is "all in one", a veritable chimera of insect and arachnid traits, and that the word "in" is literally "in one". That's a lot of subtle symbolism for a pest control logo.

RATING:

6 out of 5 Termites

Though plain and assembled in some sort of paint program with minimal effort, I like that the spider in this logo is portrayed as a friend and ally to the pest control business, even giving Jeff its personal approval for their common lifestyle of killing ants and flies to sustain themselves.

RATING:

3 out of 5 Termites

This is one of those sugar-coated logos contrived to distract customers from the gruesome reality of what they're really paying for. Arnie, you twisted little traitor...what are they offering you? Money? Women? Old tuna cans with a little bit of dried up tuna on the bottom? At least you're nicely drawn and colored.

RATING:

3 out of 5 Termites

...And on the opposite end of the spectrum is this truly chilling logo that makes no attempt to soften its message. I can appreciate this kind of honesty, though I'd be curious to know what kind of psychological impact it might have on consumers. Who's really going to call these Orange County guys when they could just call the Peachtree guys, secure in the fantasy that "Arnie" will lead Mr. Orange Centipede off to orange centipede eden?

RATING:

4 out of 5 Termites

Another logo acknowledging the beneficial nature of backyard predators, but with a lot more pizazz than Jeff and his arachnid pal. What could possibly personify a "pest control club" better than a club-wielding mantis? First they get the wallop of a lifetime, then they're ensnared by the spiny forelegs and eaten alive.    The insect world is lucky that Mantodea don't really have opposable thumbs.

RATING:

5 out of 5 Termites

This isn't actually a logo for a pest control company, but stock art on the front page of a pest control company directory. An online phone-book of entomologic destruction. Now, I've always enjoyed the aesthetics of gas masks, and this guy reminds me a lot of the mutant soldiers from Ralph Bakshi's "Wizards", but all I can really do is ponder what that is on his pesticide tank. It almost looks like Opus, or one of those pom-poms with the sticky feet that people decorate refrigerators with. How I can get both of those out of the same symbol, I do not know.

RATING:

2 out of 5 Termites

Another violent one, but slightly less contained than Orange County's, if you get what I'm saying. The alignment of the giant foot with the "X" is its most distinguishing feature, and the "generic monstrous bug" is fairly decent as far as generic, monstrous bugs go, but there's something about this one that just doesn't jump out at me like it should. I wish that insects grew that large.

RATING:

2 out of 5 Termites

This is a really cool drawing from the "Jones Brothers" on-line ad, with detailed and immediately recognizable insects taking to the streets in search of a new home. The hopelessness in their eyes is most effective, and I especially like the weary weevil in the center. I'd love to see these guys as the stars of a CG insect movie, but there's already like a hundred thousand million (five at the time of this writing) CG insect movies. We wouldn't want the concept to stop being original, would we?

RATING:

4 out of 5 Termites

For the life of me, I can't remember where I found this particular image...but what a scene! An apocalyptic show-down between the world's largest termite and the world's largest...sort of... anthropomorphic baited termite trap. Not sure how this battle is really supposed to work, since the termite is hardly going to eat poisoned wood that a giant nail is throwing at it. I love how the termite has taken an entire house hostage, with a baffled couple screaming at eachother in the windows.

RATING:

5 out of 5 Termites

I've seen this picture advertising more than one unrelated product, so I'm not sure precisely where it originates, but it's definitely the coolest anti-flea insignia I have ever seen! This snaggly-fanged parasite knows you don't want him around, but couldn't possibly be any more indignant about it. "You and what army?", he seems to say. "Kill me, and a thousand more will take my place!". I wish he was available as a stuffed toy. Of honorable mention is another flea displayed on a number of veterinary websites.

RATING:

5 out of 5 Termites

The poorly-resized drawing in this website header is unnecessarily brutal, and not in a fun way like Orange County. Just look at that soulless, nonchalant smile on the exterminator's face as he prepares to fumigate the helpless creature squirming desperately in his steely grip...his dead eyes seeing not a six-foot insect, but perhaps the face of his own abusive father.    Tragic, but not as tragic as the overall composition of this image. The text is too big, and it awkwardly crowds an image that is too small.

RATING:

1 out of 5 Termites

This isn't really a pest control logo, but an illustration off the flea and tick section of "myvetonline.com". Still, it can sort of be considered a part of the pest control industry, and I feel the need to show it for its neat sense of stylization. Though they share roughly the same shape, the tick has four limbs, a single contour indicating a flattened body, and a pointed snout representing the tick's stabbing and drilling mouthparts. The flea, however, is clearly an insect, and its "beak" parallels the facial barbs used by the Siphonaptera to anchor themselves in flesh.

RATING:

3 out of 5 Termites

This, too, is not at all an ad for pest control but an educational poster on the dangers of invasive species. It is also the most wicked-awesome poster I have ever seen, and I'm dying to find out where I can get one. Unfortunately, all I find online are varying scans of it with no indication of where they actually come from. I also have yet to find one large enough to read the additional text.

RATING:

5 out of 5 Termites

This coupon I received in my usual junk mail features a no-good punk gang of delightfully scuzzy little critters in a blatant but well-crafted imitation of the legendary "RAID" mascots. This is actually a very common piece of public-domain stock art, which I've even seen on packages of bug-themed candy. All four bugs are interesting in their own ways, but the one in front is just so incredibly ghastly and maniacal...an awesome mascot all on his own.

RATING:

4 out of 5 Termites

Wow, nice effort. Steal the trademark "RAID" cockroach and add your name in photoshop. Not only is this boring, but the company website is loaded with inaccurate, exaggerated scare tactics about the dangers of un-checked pests. According to Trump, rats and mice will bite your children (oh no! Not the children!) and transmit a variety of dangerous diseases. What they fail to mention is that rodents bite only when physically caught (something few children would be quick enough to pull off) and that there is NO disease a rat or mouse can transmit by biting...no, not even rabies. Rodent-borne illnesses are out there, yes, but you're more likely to bitten by a shark than contract one at all, much less a life-threatening case...and the likelihood is the same whether or not you have rodents in the home. Nice try, Trump, but you're not saving anyone from Hantavirus anytime soon. Now, let's move on to the real deal!

RATING:

1 out of 5 Termites

RRRAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIID?!!

...The company that started it all, Raid has been in business since the late 1950's and invented the very concept of cute-but-creepy pest control mascots. Their earliest "Kills Bugs Dead!" commercials were produced by legendary "Looney Tunes" cartoonist Tex Avery, with bug characters designed by artist Don Pegler. Though the style has evolved heavily over the years, it continues to personify the common layman's view of insect life: a rambunctious, unhygienic underworld of nondescript, hairy little gremlins who feed defiantly on the leftovers of Human society. Household freeloaders of every sort have been given the RAID treatment, but my personal favorite would have to be the ants in one particular TV spot drawn in the style of egyptian hieroglyphics, complete with a "pharaoh" ant-queen.

RATING:

One giant awesome termite.

Anyhoo, that's all for now...and in fact, all forever. I'm completely sick of this subject, and it wasn't even half as exciting as I thought it would be...but it looks like you've read it, and there's nothing you can do about that, CHUMP.

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