Terminix Names Bed Bugs the 2017 Pest of the Year as Part of Its Inaugural Entomologists Almanac

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Business Wire 6-Dec-2017 6:06 AM
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Research reveals that U.S.-based online searches for bed bugs outnumber nearest runner-up, scorpions, by a ratio of nearly 3 to 1
MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Terminix, a leading provider of termite and pest control services in the United States and a ServiceMaster(NYSE:SERV) company, today named the 2017 pest of the year: bed bugs. The pest of the year was determined by Terminix based on its research of the highest per capita online search volume of any pest this year. Americans searched for information about bed bugs more than 7.3 million times during 2017. This announcement is accompanied by the release of the first edition of the Entomologists Almanac, which also features the top pests mentioned in social media posts and the 17 pest-iest states of 2017.
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The almanac details internet search and social media data for 52 common pests, including critters from cockroaches to weevils, to determine which pests Americans had a bug for this year. Bed bugs were followed by scorpions, spiders and silverfish at the top of the list, demonstrating their massive infestation of Americans collective curiosity.
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Pest Total U.S. search volume, JanSept
1 Bed Bugs 7,394,580
2 Scorpion 2,528,460
3 Spider 2,199,150
4 Silverfish 1,884,870
5 Hornet 1,576,170
6 Cockroach 1,532,520
7 Centipede 1,393,020
8 Wasp 1,179,900
9 Earwig 1,005,570
10 Ticks 1,000,260

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At Terminix, we have seen a steady increase in bed bug infestations since the 1990s, so we are not surprised bed bugs are the most-searched pest of 2017, said Paul Curtis, director, technical services at Terminix. We are excited to release the first Entomologists Almanac because this data shows something we see every day at Terminix: People are searching for information about pests online. The good news is, Terminix can offer solutions for homeowners concerns.
Terminix also dug into social media data to see which states have people buzzing, or tweeting, about common pests. Virginians outnumbered every other state in the country in social media posts about mosquitoes, while Idahoans post more about bed bugs than any other state in the union. And arachnophobes may want to avoid Washington states social media, as it leads the country in social posts about spiders1.
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Pest State
Mosquitoes Virginia
Bed Bugs Idaho
Flies Nebraska
Spiders Washington
Rats Connecticut
Termites Arizona
Cockroaches Hawaii
Mice DC
Ants Oregon
Hornets Massachusetts

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The Entomologists Almanac also named the top 17 pest-iest states of 2017, determined by analyzing per capita social media chatter about common pests in all 50 states. Among millions of posts analyzed, the highest rates of pest posts were concentrated in the District of Columbia, Texas and New Yorkbut even states with cooler climates, such as Alaska, made their voices heard about pests that creep, buzz and crawl.
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Ranking State/region
1 District of Columbia
2 Texas
3 New York
4 Virginia
5 California
6 Nevada
7 Arizona
8 Oregon
9 Georgia
10 Massachusetts
11 Florida
12 Nebraska
13 Hawaii
14 Washington
15 Alaska
16 Louisiana
17 Oklahoma

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Additional information about bed bugs is available here. If you suspect a case of bed bugs in your home, contact Terminix by visiting Terminix.com or calling your local Terminix branch.
Terminix is the leading provider of termite and pest control services in the United States. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., Terminix services approximately 2.8 million residential and commercial customers in 47 states and 22 countries. Terminix provides pest control services and protection against termites, rodents and other pests. Terminix is a business unit of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services. Terminix is the Official Pest Control Specialist of Minor League BaseballTM. To learn more about Terminix, visit www.Terminix.com.
ServiceMaster (NYSE:SERV) solves the homeowner's dilemma. Every day, we visit more than 75,000 homes and businesses through our extensive service network of expert professionals. Technology powers our trusted experts to engage with customers so they can order, buy and receive services when, where and how they want them. Our well-recognized brands include American Home Shield (home warranties), AmeriSpec (home inspections), Furniture Medic (furniture repair), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial and residential floor cleaning), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration) and Terminix (termite and pest control). ServiceMaster is the Official Home Services Provider of Minor League BaseballTM. Like, follow or visit us at facebook.com/ServiceMaster, linkedin.com/ServiceMaster, twitter.com/ServiceMaster, or servicemaster.com.
1 Terminix determined social statistics using social listening software to determine the total number of posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that include reference to one or more of 52 pests and variations of those terms on a per capita basis. Incidental references to pop culture figures, such as Mickey Mouse, have been removed for data set integrity.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171206005326/en/
For TerminixTiffany Matthews, 901-379-6803tiffany.matthews@servicemaster.comorSean Lynch, 320-493-1860sean.lynch@olson.com
Source: Terminix