PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - On February 4, 2005, The Towering Termite Tour began its 22-city journey, descending upon a host of cities nationwide for a second year. The tour’s 2005 swarm will continue through August, on a mission to showcase the good, the bad, and the just plain strange sides of these hungry, destructive pests. The tour got the national media talking about termites in 2004, and in turn, put the professional pest control industry in the minds of consumers.
This year, the tour will visit a different set of markets, to continue spreading the importance of professional pest control nationwide. “Last year, the termite made lasting impressions with everyone from homeowners and children, to pest control professionals and the media. Receiving coverage from outlets like the Washington Post, Scholastic News for Kids, National Public Radio, and Fox News Channel, the tour helped to garner over 100 million media impressions for Termidor,” said Karl Kisner, Senior Marketing Manager for BASF Professional Pest Control. “Whether actually visiting the termite, reading about it in the newspaper, watching it on television, or hearing about it on the radio, the tour helped to raise awareness about termites and prompt homeowners to take an active role in defending their homes from termites.”
Media and attendance successes, homeowner interaction, and interest from curious kids in the tour’s first stops of 2005, set this year off on a positive note. Within the belly of this 20-foot-high, 60-foot-long bug that is 69,000 times the size of a real termite, families will find colorful science exhibits and interactive games aimed at educating children — and their parents — about termite biology and the newest methods being used to protect homes from the dramatic damage termites can cause.
“Our goals this year, similar to last, are to educate children about termites, inform adults about the severe damage caused by these destructive pests, and to support the industry by growing the market for professional pest control and termite control services,” said Kisner. “We exceeded our expectations for each of these goals last year, and intend to keep this same momentum strong in 2005,” he concluded.
More information can be found online at www.ToweringTermiteTour.comor by contacting Abby Urofsky at 610-941-0395; a complete schedule follows.
Miami, FL (2/4-2/6) - Miami Metro Zoo
Jacksonville, FL (2/11-2/13) – Jacksonville Zoo
New Orleans, LA (2/18-2/20) – Audubon Zoo
Baton Rouge, LA (2/25-2/27) – Baton Rouge Zoo
Jackson, MS (3/4-3/6) - Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
Austin, TX (3/11-3/13) – Austin Zoo
Little Rock, AR (3/18-3/20) --- Little Rock Zoo
Tulsa, OK (4/1-4/3) – Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum
Nashville, TN (4/8-4/10) – Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
Memphis, TN (4/15-4/17) -- Children's Museum of Memphis
Charleston, SC (4/22-4/24) – South Carolina Aquarium
Columbia, SC (4/29-5/1) – EdVenture Children’s Museum
Louisville, KY (5/6-5/8) – Louisville Zoo
Washington, D.C. (5/13) – Guppy Gala at the National Zoo
Virginia Beach, VA (5/20-5/22) – VA Aquarium and Marine Science Center
Indianapolis, IN (5/26-5/28) – Indianapolis Zoo
Phoenix, AZ (7/15-7/17) -- Arizona Home & Builder Expo at the Phoenix Civic Plaza
Raleigh, NC (8/13) -- Bugfest at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Check out www.toweringtermitetour.com for updated information on our June dates and venues.