US pest company says it will pay homeowners $2K to release 100 cockroaches in their home for a study

15 June 2022| 14 Dhul Qadha 1443

A pest company based out of North Carolina is offering to pay $2,000 for homeowners to allow it to release cockroaches into their house.

The company, The Pest Informer, said on its website that it is looking for about five to seven households that will allow the pest technicians to put about 100 American cockroaches into the house.

The company spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication.

The company said the process will allow it to study a “specific pest control technique.” The study will take about 30 days and will require technicians to film the process.

The cockroach study only has a few stipulations: it requires the written approval of the homeowner, who must be at least 21 years of age, and the house must be located somewhere in the continental US. 

During the 30-day process, homeowners are forbidden from using other pest-control techniques. Though, the company promises in its post that it will use traditional cockroach treatment options if the new technique does not clear out the infestation by the end of the 30-day period.

There are over 4,000 different types of cockroaches in the world, but American cockroaches are among the most common in the US. The pests are difficult to get rid of due to their hard shell and resiliency, as well as the speed at which they reproduce. One female American cockroach at her peak can produce two egg cases a week. Each case contains about 16 eggs that take between 24 to 38 days to hatch, according to Pestech, a New York pest management company.

While it is unclear what approach The Pest Informer will use in the study, pest-control professionals often use gel bait insecticides or dust, which they put in heavy traffic areas for the roaches, as per the pest control blog, Insect Cop.

The Pest company says it has been around for 26 years and has been continually developing technology for pet-friendly extermination techniques.

What do you think about this? Would you sign up?