What If Pests Could Claim Their Own Taylor Swift Eras? – Part 1

Every living being, human or not, has different phases in life that are marked by changing and growing relationships, interests, purposes, and homes. These phases — eras, if you will — are often heavily-influenced by the age and life experience of the living being. Pests even have their own eras that are distinguishable by their life stages, habitats, and diets. For instance, it is easy to see that a mosquito egg has a different experience and purpose than an adult mosquito, whose purpose and relationship to their fellow mosquitoes is now much more complex. 

The topic of eras has been at the forefront of pop culture conversations for months now, thanks to Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour. This international tour is all about celebrating and revisiting the eras in her career as an artist, and dedicated fans (aka Swifties) everywhere have made a habit of “claiming” an era for themselves. The loose guidelines are essentially that you just have to feel represented by that era and its songs, aesthetic, and style. This phenomenon leads us to ask the question: what if pests could be in their own Taylor Swift eras? This is what we are going to tackle in this special 2-part blog series, where we determine which pests would fit in the most with each of Swift’s ten eras. Grab your cardigans and your sequined guitars because we’re diving into the Taylor Swift eras of pests!

The Taylor Swift Era – Ants

The first era of Swift’s musical journey is defined by youth, country life, and first loves. While this album has a nostalgic charm to it all these years later, the themes are anything but simple. The sweetness that lies within many of these songs will also pull back to reveal a hidden edge on certain feisty tracks, and this exact switch is why we believe that ants would love this first era. These pests may seem extremely docile at first (well, except for fire ants), but they are quick to defend themselves if they perceive any kind of threat to their nest or colony. Each species has its own defense mechanism of sharp mandibles or stingers, but the general concept of an ant army swarming out of their nest is a surprising enough defense to fight back against any kind of threat. Most ants are workers, so they spend their days gathering food, helping the queen, and protecting the nest. They are busy with their own roles that leave them immersed in the crowd of their own colony,  much like how many of the songs on Taylor Swift have allusions to having all of these new experiences amidst the crowded halls of high school. Ants would also love the simple Southern charm of the references to being out in nature on these songs, since most species like to keep their nests in lawns, plant soil, or dirt underneath idle objects. As for their favorite song, ants would love “The Outside.” The title would obviously be an appeal for them, but they would also relate to the lyrics about staying on the outside looking in; in their case, the “in” would be our homes and the plethora of food the ants would love to steal!

The Fearless Era – Wasps

This era is when Swift’s career began to really pick up steam, as she released even more award-winning songs all about the temporary invincibility and tough heartbreak that comes with young love. The passionate themes and summery vibes are exactly why this era would be immediately claimed by wasps. These fiery insects are sweet with each other, as their colonies function much like those of ants. Wasps spend their days completing their tasks that help the colony and themselves, such as caring for the young wasps, building out the hive, and foraging for food. Fearless has a whimsical golden aesthetic that is tinged with honesty and reflection, and wasps (with their typically gold-black striped pattern) would feel seen by this era. They are caring with one another, but if anyone disturbs their nest, they are truly fearless in rushing to defend their colony by releasing “attack” pheromones that alert the rest of their fellow workers to swarm out of the nest and target the threat to their colony. In general, wasps have an impressively short lifespan compared to the amount of aggression and energy they show. The workers will usually live for only 12 to 22 days, while the queen can live for up to year if she finds a secure place to overwinter. The youth of the worker wasps can also contribute to their attachment to this era, as they will be able to relate with the themes of having new, intense feelings at a younger age (remember high school?). All of the angst and hope in this era would certainly apply to every wasp while they continue tending to their nest to help the next generation of wasps. A wasp’s favorite song would likely be “Forever & Always” because they would heavily relate to the anger that comes with betrayal, particularly when they have been enjoying a normal day until their nest is suddenly knocked down by a random mammal.

The Speak Now Era – Crickets

The third album has re-entered conversations and the music charts in recent weeks due to Swift releasing Speak Now: Taylor’s Version and reminding us all why this album was such a major success upon its original release. It is a self-written journey into the yearning for true love, wishing that fairytales could come true, and regretting some of the most impactful choices that led to this moment. Most of all, it is all about being brave enough to say what is on your mind in that moment, and there is no pest that encapsulates this idea so well as the cricket. Why? Because they really do “speak now!” Crickets are known for their chirping that begins every summer evening, and you may be surprised to learn that they don’t do it just for fun. Male crickets chirp primarily to attract mates because female crickets will follow the sound of the chirps that they like, which usually belong to the loudest and fastest crickets. These pests are nocturnal and emerge from hiding when the sun goes down, which fits with some of the nighttime themes of Speak Now. It is also pretty romantic that crickets use their chirping ability to find their true mate, which leads us to believe that they would heavily relate to this era’s focus on elaborate storytelling and whimsical love. The cricket’s favorite song would be “Enchanted” because the story of a sparkling night where the narrator is hoping that her newfound crush was also swept off their feet is exactly what we imagine crickets to experience every time they begin their chorus of chirps. 

The Red Era – Spiders

The Red: Taylor’s Version album is ultimately an autumnal-themed look into major heartbreak that leaves you feeling broken long after the fact, as well as some glimpses of light through sporadic songs about new love and nostalgic reflection. It does have some major pop moments on the track list — á la “I Knew You Were Trouble” — but this era has the general vibes of spending a cool autumn day thinking about life while watching the amber leaves fall from the trees. If spiders could talk, we almost guarantee that they would say that the Red era is theirs. Spiders are independent pests, meaning they don’t live in colonies or with other spiders once their eggs hatch and the tiny spiders scurry away. Since they spend so much time alone, crouched in dark corners or perched on their webs, spiders would relate to the amount of time spent in reflection on this album. They are also some of the most common pests in fall and winter because they invade our homes to stay warm and dry, so they would definitely enjoy the cool-weather aesthetic of Red. Spiders prefer to stay hidden from humans and most species will just run away if they feel threatened, but some kinds will choose to attack and bite their predator. The brown recluse and black widow are the two most dangerous U.S. spiders, due to their venomous bites (they would probably like “I Bet You Think About Me” the most). The lengthy album has something for everyone, but we would have to say that a typical spider’s favorite song would be “Treacherous.” They would truly feel the lyrics that discuss feeling like you’re on a steep slope and not taking the easy way out. Swift may be talking about a relationship, but spiders would relate it to how they literally walk in treacherous places daily just to hunt their next meal or get to a more secure hiding place. 

The 1989 Era – Bed Bugs

This was the first truly Pop album in Swift’s catalog, and with that came a renowned track list all about living in the big city, wishing that love lasted, and shaking off the hate. This era is famous among Swifties for its combination of urban themes and vintage aesthetic highlighted in the use of Polaroid photos. With the notable themes of wanting to isolate after tough experiences in love while also enjoying the time of being a young adult and surrounded by  friends, we think that bed bugs would enjoy this era the most. These bloodsucking pests are always with their friends (aka other bed bugs) because they start laying eggs as soon as they feed at 6 weeks old. Bed bugs would love the “city nightlife” aspect of the 1989 era because they are nocturnal and far more common in cities (especially in hotels), so it’s the perfect combination! The nightlife in particular is a major theme, as many of these songs reference night and spending time watching headlights pass by the window, like in the underrated hit “I Wish You Would.” Bed bugs would love listening to this album at night and would enjoy its upbeat sound because these songs easily get people dancing, thus getting their blood pumping and attracting the bed bugs for their next meal. It would be tough for the bed bug to choose a favorite, but they would probably land on “Bad Blood.” The song not only has the perfect title for a group of music-loving bed bugs, it also has plenty of lyrics about unhealed wounds, which the pests would assume is alluding to bed bug bites since, frustratingly, those do last a little while.  

Green Pest Services is in Our Pest-Eliminating Era

Make sure to return next week for part 2 to this blog series! It’s fun to explore and revisit the different musical eras of your favorite artist, but do you know what isn’t a good time? Finding a pest infestation somewhere in your home. The specific frustration and general feeling of unease are just two of the effects that come with having a pest invasion. It’s essential to not only treat and eliminate the current pests, but to prevent any pests from invading your home in the future and starting the nightmare all over again. We at Green Pest Services understand the importance of feeling secure in your own home all too well, and our experienced technicians are dedicated to solving each pest problem with the care and efficiency that they deserve. Between our thorough inspections and personalized treatment plans, any pests in your home don’t stand a chance. Our products are also all eco-friendly and completely safe for your family and pets, so you can enjoy the results of our tailored treatments without worrying about toxic chemicals. Don’t allow yourself to be “Haunted” by your pest worries any longer! Contact us for a free quote on the most reliable pest control services around.

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Citations

Hahn, J. (2020). Ants. University of Minnesota Extension. Available at (Accessed on July 18, 2023).

How long do wasps live?. (2017, May 2). Ehrlich. Retrieved July 18, 2023, from https://www.jcehrlich.com/help-and-advice/blog/stinging-insects/how-long-do-wasps-live