History Main / PestController

* In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'', the spell Gnaw and its stronger version Dorhys' Gnawing throw swarms of insects at the enemy that cause [[StandardStatusEffects bleeding]].

When you think of AttackAnimal, you'll probably think of something big and/or badass, such as wolves, or tigers, or even dragons. Some people, however, have a kick with using... [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal a certain creepier kind of creature.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Maggie creates [[{{Pun}} quite a buzz,]] don't you think?]]

This trope is a StockSuperpower of manipulating pest animals like insects, [[SpidersAreScary arachnids]], and [[YouDirtyRat rodents]]. The pest in question could be from little tiny life-eating bugs to [[BigCreepyCrawlies more gigantic ones the size of buildings.]] Those who have this ability will often be portrayed as creepy themselves -- they may be wicked, but they may just as often be just a decent, if quirky, fellow. Expect TheSwarm and ZergRush to be their standard tactic.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' "Side Effects": While redeveloping a dilapidated residential area, the workers run afoul of Clancy, homeless man who can control bugs who taken up residence in one of the buildings to be demolished. When the building is destroyed in a fight with Ben, he vows revenge. He then tries to causie a nuclear meltdown, planning to survive the blast with an armor made of cockroaches.[[spoiler: He is eventually defeated after being frozen by Heatblast (who was turned AnIcePerson due to a cold) and his control over insects was disrupted by Max's homemade medicine. He later shows up as part of the Negative 10, somehow becoming an insect-human hybrid.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ChipAndDaleRescueRangers'': In in "Chocolate Chips", the confectioner Heinrich von Sugarbottom uses mind control juice injected via intelligent mosquitos to compel the local wildlife, including the visiting Rangers, to transplant cacao trees closer to his Incan temple ''cum'' secret base.

* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' has a two Sheng Gong Wu capable of facilitating this ability: the Tongue of Saiping, which allows the user to talk to animals and somewhat control them; and the Ju-Ju Flytrap, which allows the user to sic a swarm of flies or bees upon their opponent.

* In one Homer Price story, the town hires a pied piper type who uses a mechanical contraption to play the music in order to lead mice out of town. Homer and his friends decide to follow along and see what happens, but since Homer has all the kids stuff cotton in their ears so they won't hear the music. Despite this, when the adults see the piper with a gaggle of kids following behind they fear the worst.

* ''Webcomic/{{Erma}}:[[spoiler: Sidney can control small, non-sapient rats mentally]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Erma}}:[[spoiler: Sidney can control small, non-sapient rats mentally.

[[caption-width-right:350:Maggie's spells are just generating [[{{Pun}} quite the buzz.]]]]

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[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Confectioner Heinrich von Sugarbottom uses mind control juice injected via intelligent mosquitos to compel the local wildlife, including the visiting ''WesternAnimation/ChipAndDaleRescueRangers'', to transplant cacao trees closer to his Incan temple ''cum'' secret base in the CDRR episode "Chocolate Chips."

* One of the first monsters ''Anime/OnePunchMan'' faces is a mosquito woman with the power to control a swarm of mosquitos. She powers herself up on blood and uses the swarm to suck every living thing around her dry.

* In Creator/PCHodgell's ''Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath'', a dozen or so of the students at Tentir, the military college, can "bind" animals. One (Gari) can control insects, another can control small rodents (mice and rats).

* ''VideoGame/BioShock'': Using the Insect Swarm plasmid, you yourself can pull this off.

* One of the more iconic abilities that Corvo from the game ''Videogame/{{Dishonored}}'' can use is the ability to summon a swarm of rats to attack enemies.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'': The Pain has the ability to control bees, using them to create copies of himself, deliver grenades, even assemble a gun ''out of bees''.

* In ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheFracturedButWhole'', Clyde Donovan's superhero alter ego Mosquito has the power to control, you guessed it, mosquitoes, via his LimitBreak, "Pandemic Pestilence".

* In ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'', this is explicitly Wriggle Nightbug's ability. Somewhat justified, since Wriggle is a firefly youkai, and thus an insect herself.

This trope is a StockSuperpower of manipulating pest animals like insects, [[SpidersAreScary arachnids]], and [[YouDirtyRat rodents]]. The pest in question could be from little tiny life-eating bugs to [[BigCreepyCrawlies more gigantic ones the size of buildings.]] Those who have this ability will often be portrayed as creepy themselves - they may be wicked, but they may just as often be just a decent, if quirky, fellow. Expect TheSwarm and ZergRush to be their standard tactic.

* ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS'': Lutecia Alpine can control insects on muliple levels, and even summon one as large as Kaiju monsters.

* ''Manga/BlackCat'': The Taoist Shiki uses multiple insect-related attacks, such as with moths, bees, and he can even ride on a giant dragonfly.

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': The Godhand member Conrad is capable of using plague-carrying rats.

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademiaVigilantes'', the spin-off {{Prequel}} to the original ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', gives us [[BitchInSheepsClothing Kuin]] [[EyepatchOfPower Hachisuka]]. Her Quirk allows her to control a swarm of special bees that nest behind her eyepatch. However, if even a single one of them is injured/killed, she will get hit by a backlash. [[spoiler: They're also [[EvilIsEasy convenient]] for spreading the [[PsychoSerum Trigger]] at large.]] It is thanks to this ability that she manages to survive when Stendhal/[[spoiler: Stain]] [[EvenEvilHasStandards finally gets sick and tired of her and tries to kill her]].
* ''LightNovel/{{Overlord}}'': There are two characters with this power, the [[NinjaMaid Pleiades Maid]] Entoma Vasilissa Zeta and Kyouhukou. The former has a wide variety of insect-related abilities, which include using insects as weapons, summoning giant spiders as support, and vomiting a giant swarm of flies to devour her foes, the latter mostly just controls an endless swarm of cockroaches. Both are also anthropoids themselves, Kyouhukou being a tiny humanoid roach, while Entoma is a [[SpiderPeople spider person]] that uses other miscellaneous bugs to make herself appear human.
* One of the first monsters ''Anime/OnePunchMan'' faces is a mosquito woman with the power to control a swarm of mosquitos. She powers herself up on blood and uses the swarm to suck every living thing around her dry.

%%* Old Franchise/DCUniverse covers on ''Website/{{Superdickery}}''.
%%** [[http://superdickery.com/images/stories/other/1027_4_054.jpg Jimmy Olson is the King of the Giant Ants!]]
%%** [[http://superdickery.com/images/stories/other/superboyv1n127.jpg Lana Lang becomes the Insect Queen!]]
%%** [[http://superdickery.com/images/stories/dick/216_4_237.jpg Superman and his giant grasshopper friends!]]
%%** [[http://superdickery.com/images/stories/dick/97_4_0000296.jpg Superman leads giant soldier ants to capture Lois so they can make her their queen!]]
%% All links broken.

* ''ComicBook/TheMovement'': Jayden Revell aka the Mouse showed a closeness with rodents even as a baby, his parents were once horrified to find him sleeping soundly in his crib with rats. As he grew older, his learned to talk and control rats and mice.
* The Franchise/{{Batman}} villain Ratcatcher, who trains and controls rats.
* ''ComicBook/{{PS238}}'' has The Flea, who can talk to, [[AnimalEyeSpy see and hear through]], and control insects. He's also extremely good at it. If he weren't FunPersonified he'd probably be absolutely terrifying.
* In ''Comicbook/RedRobin'' the Council of Spiders member "Sac" is covered in spiders which he can effortlessly control by the thousands to bite people or ''lay eggs inside of them'' to use for [[PuppeteerParasite control of their host]]. Eggs which he can control to hatch at anytime before having the resulting spiders [[EatenAlive eat]] their way [[ChestBurster out of their host en mass]].

* ''Film/BruceAlmighty'' has the eponymous character use his newly acquired [[JerkassGods "God-hood"]] to [[LaserGuidedKarma get revenge]] on a group of gang members who jumped him earlier in the film. When they refuse to apologize, he [[spoiler: [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor makes a monkey come out of the lead gang member's butt]]]] and spews a swarm of flies from his mouth, sending the others [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCf_t9aRgXc running away in panic.]]
* ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'': Count Orlok brings a cargo of plague rats with him to the hero's hometown. For extra creepiness, the rats are all packed into several coffins, just like their master travels in a coffin.
* The Amazon priestess in ''Film/FrankensteinIsland'' is able to control spiders and snakes. She uses a pair of spiders to destroy a zombie during the final battle. Exactly how a pair of tarantulas could harm a zombie that--according to its creator--could only be stopped by being cut in half with a machine gun is not explained.

* In the Literature/MarlaMason series, Somerset -- a former chief sorcerer of Felport -- had the power to control hordes of rats and pigeons. Marla calls this "[[{{Whatevermancy}} vermomancy]]".

* ''Literature/VillainsCode'': The aptly-named Pest Control, who can summon and control any species of insect, whether normal or meta, as long as he has studied them in at least some way. He has found some creative uses for regular insects, but with meta ones, he can do some real damage.
* In ''Literature/{{Renegades}}'' Honey/Queen Bee has the ability to command various species of bees, wasps and hornets.
* ''Literature/{{Coraline}}'' has Mr Bobo and his mice. He claims to be training them to perform, and he can apparently even command them to send messages to Coraline. His BizarroUniverse counterpart uses rats instead, and [[spoiler:turns out to be [[TheWormThatWalks made of rats]]]].

* ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' has a MonsterOfTheWeek with the ability to control rats, as a WholePlotReference to the Pied Piper of Hamelin. (

* ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'' features Jane Prentiss, who [[spoiler:emerges as the BigBad of season 1]]. She (or the being using her body) commands masses of strange silver worms which infest more people and thus kill or enslave them. It is hinted that she may also control be able to control ordinary insects, spiders and other creepy-crawlies.

* ''Franchise/TheWorldOfDarkness'': In the both the [[TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness Old]] and TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness game lines, many of the splats have powers that can allow them to control vermin. Vampires have the Animalism Discipline, werewolves and other shifters have Gifts, mages can use the Life Sphere, etc. Some of the splats even have a more intimate relationship with vermin, like the Nosferatu and Baali vampires, Ratkin wererats, Black Spiral Dancers werewolves, Fomors and Nephandi mages.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'', this is explicitly Wriggle Nightbug's ability. Somewhat justified, since Wriggle is a firefly youkai, and thus an insect herself.
* ''VideoGame/GhostMaster'': Buck was an OldDog who have died along with his giant swarms of fleas. In the afterlife, they have reunited once again as ghosts, making ghostly Buck able to call for his ghostly fleas to swarm upon people to scare them.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' has Odalwa, the boss of the Woodfall Temple. Among his many abilities, he can summon [[ZergRush swarms of]] [[GoddamnBats moths]] and beetles to attack Link.
* One of the more iconic abilities that Corvo from the game ''Videogame/{{Dishonored}}'' can use is the ability to summon a swarm of rats to attack enemies.
* ''Videogame/MortalKombatX'': D'vorah is a woman whose body is infested with symbiotic insect minions, mostly maggots. She is unharmed by them, but she can command them to [[DeadlyEuphemism take temporary residence]] [[FinishHim in her defeated opponents]]. Also, they make [[KissOfDeath kissing her]] very, very inadvisable.
* ''Videogame/{{Dofus}}'': This is a power that the [[CatPeople ecaflip race]] and especially ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'' have. They can [[LifeDrain siphon HP]] from enemies using [[MixAndMatchCritters "fleeces"]]that can be [[BigCreepyCrawlies as big as a hand.]]
* ''VideoGame/DontStarve'': Webber can control a very large number of spiders, and he is also a spider himself!
* ''VideoGame/BioShock'': Using the Insect Swarm plasmid, you yourself can pull this off.
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil7Biohazard'': Marguerite Baker can generate and control swarms of mutated insects.
* In ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheFracturedButWhole'', Clyde Donovan's superhero alter ego Mosquito has the power to control, you guessed it, mosquitoes, via his LimitBreak, "Pandemic Pestilence".
* In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'', the spell Gnaw and its stronger version Dorhys' Gnawing throw swarms of insects at the enemy that cause [[StandardStatusEffects bleeding]].
* In ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', self-styled "Bug Princess" Agitha can summon her insect friends to assist her in battle.
* In the later part of ''VideoGame/APlagueTaleInnocence'', [[spoiler:Hugo gains the ability to control the rats. This causes an UnexpectedGameplayChange, as from this point, instead of trying to keep away from the rats, you can use them to your advantage. In the FinalBoss battle, the BigBad Grand Inquisitor Vitalis controls the white rats.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' has several items that allow you to employ vermins, from the Spider Staff which makes a number of spiders follow you and attack your enemies to the Honey Comb which summons bees to sting back at your enemies when you take damage.
* Likewise, ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' has many consumables and powerups dedicated to summoning and controlling spiders and flies.
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' has Arakune, a black blob that WasOnceAMan. Since he's mostly TheWormThatWalks, his attacks usually involve a lot of bugs, even including a mechanic that fills up a gauge with certian attacks, and once it's full, he can temporarily summon ''even more bugs'' with his normal attacks.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' episode "Insect Inside". The villain Roach Coach can control an army of cockroaches. Played with since Roach Coach is revealed [[spoiler: to be a roach himself, controlling a [[MobileSuitHuman robotic suit made to look like a man]] ([[SpoilerTitle the episode title is a bit of a give-away]]). His ability to control roaches has less to do with being a superpower, and more to do with being a charismatic leader.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' has a two Sheng Gong Wu capable of facilitating this ability: the Tongue of Saiping, which allows the user to talk to animals and somewhat control them; and the Ju-Ju Flytrap, which allows the user to sic a swarm of flies or bees upon their opponent.
* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'': The fake monster in "[[Recap/ScoobyDooMysteryIncS1E13WhenTheCicadaCalls When The Cicada Calls]]" is able to control cicadas and is covered in a swarm as their disguise.

* The Rat King from ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' tends to be depicted as having control over rats in some adaptations. In [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 the first cartoon]], he is initially capable of doing so via a flute ala ''Literature/ThePiedPiperOfHamelin'', and in later episodes he can do it psychically. In [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the 2003]] and [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 the 2012]] cartoons, he is able to do so mentally from the start.
* From an episode of ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeGhostbusters'', there is the Piper, an homage to ''Literature/ThePiedPiperOfHamelin'', who is capable of controlling pesky ghosts via his music. Subverted however though since he is actually a ghost himself who was scamming people, and the pesky ghosts he was controlling were actually a part of him.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' has Patrick Poundstone aka [[http://dcanimated.wikia.com/wiki/Ratboy Ratboy]] from the episode, "[[Recap/BatmanBeyondS2E9Rats Rats]]", who can control the giant rats that live below Gotham. He is a StalkerWithACrush to Dana Tan, Terry's LoveInterest and kidnaps her. When she rebuffs him, he orders his rats [[IfICantHaveYou to kill her]] but Batman manages to save her. [[spoiler: Other people were not so lucky.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Grossology}}'' has two villains with this theme: Insectiva, who controls bugs of all kinds, and her sister-slash-bitter rival Arachnidia, who controls spiders.

** Moths have also been proposed for this purpose-- specifically sphinx moths, which have possibly the most acute sense of smell in the entire animal kingdom.
* So-called "roborats" - laboratory rodents with implants that stimulate their brains' reward-centers to control their movements - have been developed for the purpose of exploring rubble of collapsed buildings after disasters. Equipped with remote cameras, such animals can probe through narrow crevices and scramble over debris to locate trapped survivors, guided by an operator/trainer like a living drone.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman2011'': Milan controls large swarms of flies, most of which live inside his body and are expelled through his mouth and empty eye sockets.

[[caption-width-right:350:Maggie's spells are just ''[[VisualPun fly!]]'']]

* In the both the [[TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness Old]] and TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness game lines, many of the splats have powers that can allow them to control vermin. Vampires have the Animalism Discipline, werewolves and other shifters have Gifts, mages can use the Life Sphere, etc. Some of the splats even have a more intimate relationship with vermin, like the Nosferatu and Baali vampires, Ratkin wererats, Black Spiral Dancers werewolves, Fomors and Nephandi mages.
* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'': Drycha Hamadreth is able to command the swarms of centipede-esque squirmling spites that nest in her body to attack her enemies. She can also play host to the ravenous, beetle-like flitterfury spites that will attack anything, friend or foe, on their mistresses command.

* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' has the Sheng Gong Wu, the Tongue of Saping, which allows the user to talk to insects and somewhat control them. Sometimes, it can work too well...

Sometimes the controller doesn't only control insects but is also ''made of them'', in which case this overlaps with TheWormThatWalks. They may also be FriendToBugs (especially for the insects version), but not always. It can also overlap with SpeaksFluentAnimal, if the controller is capable of not only commanding the animals but also communicating with them in their own language.