Big Blue Bug
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Big Blue Bug, also known as Nibbles Woodaway, is the giant termite mascot of New England Pest Control, located along I-95 in Providence, Rhode Island. The Bug is 928 times the size of an actual termite, standing at 9 feet (2.7 m) tall and 58 feet (17 m) long, and weighing 4,000 pounds (1800 kg). It was constructed over a four day period from wire mesh and fiberglass in late 1980 at a cost of $30,000.
The Bug was originally painted purple (the color of an actual swarming termite when observed under a microscope), but the paint soon faded to a pale blue and the landmark became so well known in that condition that it was never repainted purple. The Bug has made numerous media appearances, including the film Dumb and Dumber, the television programs The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Daily Show, and Family Guy, the comic strips Zippy the Pinhead and Bosquet, and the books Providence by Geoffrey Wolff, Roadside America by Mike Wilkins, Ken Smith and Doug Kirby, and Weird New England by Joseph Citro.
The Bug was originally known only as the "Big Blue Bug," a name coined by Providence traffic reporter Mike Sheridan, until it received the name Nibbles Woodaway in a contest in 1990. Geraldine Perry of Tiverton, Rhode Island submitted the winning name.
The Big Blue Bug has also been featured on scratch-off lottery tickets, and was officially pardoned by Mayor Buddy Cianci for drinking Del's Lemonade (competitors of Del's claimed that the cup of lemonade was an impermissible billboard).
The Bug left its home on June 20, 2002 for a 5 stop tour. It was refurbished and painted a brighter blue before being returned to the roof of New England Pest Control.
| Species | Subterranean Termite (Reticulitermes flavipes) |
|---|---|
| Height | 9 feet |
| Length | 58 feet |
| Diameter | 6 feet |
| Body Length | 32 feet |
| Four Wings |
40 feet (folded over in pairs) |
| Antennae | 7 feet |
| Legs | 11 feet |
| Weight | 4000 lb |
| Stands | 30 feet above ground |
