Would you like to live with cockroaches? If so, then one North Carolina pest control company may just have the deal for you!
The Pest Informer, a Raleigh-based company, is offering homeowners $2,000 to allow about 100 American cockroaches into their home for a pest control treatment study.
“As technology advances, we’re always looking for the newest and greatest ways to get rid of pests (cockroaches specifically),” The Pest Informer said in an advertisement for the study.
The company explained it is looking for 5-7 home-owning volunteers to “test out a specific pest control technique.” Those who sign up for the study would be paid to admit hundreds of disgusting new tenants into their homes for a period of 30 days. The Pest Informer will then use its new technique to attempt to eradicate the roaches and “gauge how effective this treatment is.”
David Floyd, founder of The Pest Informer, told NBC News Monday that the company has received more than 2,200 applications for the study.
Participants would be required to allow The Pest Informer to film the treatment and are not permitted to use any other cockroach treatments for the duration of the study. Applicants must be at least 21 years or older and must either own the home or have written permission from the owner.
If the new pest control treatment doesn’t work, the company is offering to get rid of the cockroaches using traditional methods at no additional cost.
Floyd said there are about 10 new treatments he wants to try, which “are designed to be more DIY treatments with materials and ingredients that someone can purchase themselves and that are safe to family and pets.”
American cockroaches are the largest of the house-infesting roach species in the United States, growing as big as 3 inches long, or about the size of a human thumb. They have wings and can fly, but do so rarely. They are commonly called water bugs and sometimes misidentified as palmetto bugs.
This cockroach species is commonly found in basements, crawl spaces, and any warm damp areas, according to Orkin. While they prefer to live outdoors, they can enter homes in search of food and water and are commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms.
Fortunately, American cockroaches reproduce at slower rates than other cockroach species, but a female will still lay about 16 eggs in a protective capsule.
Unfortunately, they are a major pest. Their odorous secretions can alter the taste of food in the home and they can pick up and spread disease-causing bacteria.
To prevent a cockroach infestation, The Pest Informer says homeowners should use caulk to seal any and all cracks and crevices around cabinets, sinks, countertops, baseboards, and anywhere else roaches may enter the home. Clean frequently, and eliminate clutter around the home to deprive roaches of a place to breed and live.
When an infestation does occur, pest control services will typically use traps or poison bait to get rid of the infestation.