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August 26, 1996

Mostly women put their foot down on creepy bugs

Forget chivalry. Today's women aren't waiting for the man of the house to protect them from bugs.

According to a recent survey conducted for Orkin exterminators by Opinion Research Corp., women are twice as likely as men to be grossed out by bugs, but females are more likely to take matters into their own hands.

"Bugs stir our emotions -- from fear to fascination," says Orkin spokeswoman Susan Kirkpatrick. "But it's a fact these tiny creatures can cause some very real damage."

Carpenter ants, for example, have been known to eat electrical wire insulation, which could lead to shorts and even fires. Brown recluse spiders have a poisonous, sometimes deadly bite. Fire ants can leave multiple painful stings in seconds.

Here's a look at more of the survey:

* Killing bugs in the house is a unisex job, according to 60 percent of men and women respondents, but a third of the men polled still believe it's "a man's job" to eliminate household pests.

* More men than women report they would return a bug invading their house to nature (24 percent vs. 15 percent).

* Most fascinating insect: butterfly

* Most embarrassing insect: cockroach

* More men than women (20 percent vs. 12 percent) report they would rather visit in-laws than touch a bug.

* Americans are more afraid of bees and wasps (34 percent) than of spiders (25 percent), ticks (13 percent), roaches (12 percent) and termites (4 percent).

For a free Orkin Pest ID Guide featuring 50 color pictures of bugs with detailed descriptions of their appearance and habits, call (800) 563-HOUSE. Or visit its website at http:// www.orkin.com.

Copyright 1996, The Detroit News

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