Rhode Island’s Most Famous Insect: The Big Blue Bug
Above is a picture of one of the most recognizable and popular icons in all of Rhode Island. No, I am not kidding. This large, odd structure is the famous “Big Blue Bug,” a mascot for a pest control company (named Big Blue Bug Solutions) located in Providence, Rhode Island. One of the main reasons as to why the structure is so instantly recognizable for Rhode Islanders is that it overlooks a busy section of the I-95 highway. Another reason is that it is absolutely huge (more specific dimensions included below). Another reason is that it is just…strange? Or at the very least, it is a unique attraction and certainly stands out from the crowd. Today, let’s put on our hazmat suits and learn about this truly interesting insect!
The History
Once again, the Big Blue Bug is the mascot for a pest services company. Big Blue Bug Solutions is a company that was established in 1935 in Rhode Island as a local service. Today, however, the company has expanded to becoming a successful pest control company with many locations in the New England area. The iconic mascot in question, though, is located at the original city where the company was founded, Providence, albeit at a different location.
It was not until 1980 when the appropriately named “Big Blue Bug” structure was built. The bug was constructed using steel that was then covered by fiberglass and was performed by Avenia Sign Company. Many have confused the bug for being a cockroach, but it is meant to be a termite, more specifically an Eastern Subterranean Termite (Reticulitermes flavipes). The original color of the bug was purple because this is the actual color of this termite under a microscope, however — as its name suggests — it didn’t take long for it to turn more of a light blue color. Today the bug is still sitting as grand and popular as it was when it quickly rose to local popularity in the 1980s.
Fun Facts
The first word of the site may be a bit of an understatement and I think that pictures honestly don’t do justice to how big this bug actually is. The bug is measured at 9 feet tall, 58 feet long, and weighs over 4,000 pounds.
The bug has been altered in many ways over the years. For instance, in the picture at the very top, the bug was wearing a mask for many months during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also been decorated for various holidays and collaborated with other iconic Rhode Island themed establishments. It has donned a patriotic top hat for Independence, a bright red nose and bright lights for Christmas, and a baseball cap for the local Pawtucket Red Sox minor league team, which has since relocated to Worcester, MA.
The Big Blue Bug has a name, besides “Big Blue Bug.” In 1990, a contest was held by the company to give its mascot a name. Local resident, Geraldine Perry, submitted the name “Nibbles Woodaway” and the name has stuck ever since! The name is a clever one since the bug is a termite and termites are known for eating wood. While Nibbles Woodaway is the official name of the bug, most still simply refer to it as “the Big Blue Bug.”
The attraction has been featured in many forms of media over the years, including both the original and sequel versions of Dumb and Dumber. It has also been parodied in the popular sitcom Family Guy, which has actually spoofed many popular Rhode Island sites over the years.
Simon Says
The Big Blue Bug is one of my favorite sights to see in all of Rhode Island, even though I usually only see it for 20 seconds or so as I drive quickly past it on the highway. Rhode Islanders take pride in certain attractions or sites that people from outside the state likely don’t know about. It makes me feel like I’m in some sort of inside joke or secret, exclusive club. If you ask pretty much any non-Rhode Islander about “the Big Blue Bug” or “Del’s Lemonade” for example (I could write another entire blog about this), they likely give you a puzzled look, meanwhile anyone from the state would know immediately what you’re talking about. Rhode Island is a small state, but those who are from it have many tight-knit bonds and connections in unique ways.
I have never needed Big Blue Bug Solutions’ services and therefore have never actually visited its building nor its massive attraction that sits on its roof. However, I’ve probably seen it more than any other site that I could talk about just based on the sheer number of times I’ve been in a car driving past it. So while my experience with this place is a bit different than all the others I’ve discussed on this blog, I’m still going to count it. I would surprisingly rate the Big Blue Bug a 9.5/10. Almost nothing else gives me such a strong sense of state pride and overall its bizarre and unique nature is something that I think is unparalleled in all of Rhode Island, and maybe even the rest of the country.
References
Big Blue Bug Solutions Staff. “A Local Icon.” Big Blue Bug Solutions, n.d. https://www.bigbluebug.com/the-big-blue-bug
Silvia, Kasey. “Famous ‘Big Blue Bug’ Actually Has a Name and We Just Never Knew.” Fun 107, 4 December 2020. https://fun107.com/famous-big-blue-bug-actually-has-a-name-and-we-just-never-knew/