A pest control company based in North Carolina is offering homeowners $2,500 to release cockroaches into their houses.
The Pest Informer announced that they are seeking one household to allow technicians to unleash about 100 American cockroaches into their house to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific pest control technique.
If selected, you must reside in your home for approximately 30 days, according to simplemost.com.
How to willingly get your home infested with roaches
Participation in the study requires allowing the company to film in your home for 30 days. Homeowners are not allowed to use other pest control methods, per the company’s policy. However, the company assures in their post that they will resort to traditional cockroach treatment options if the new technique fails to eliminate the infestation within 30 days.
To qualify for the study, you need to be 21 years of age or older. You must either be the homeowner or have written approval from the homeowner. Additionally, the home should be located in the continental U.S.
Interested residents have until December 31 to complete a form to be considered. If selected, you can expect to hear from the company in early 2024.
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Didn’t the company try this before?
The Pest Informer had initially planned to conduct this study in 2022. However, they faced issues with their legal team, and the EPA raised concerns regarding the environmental impacts of the study. Therefore, they decided to select only one household at a time to conduct the study this year.
Why are roaches so hard to kill?
Cockroaches possess exoskeletons that are impressively robust and pliable, granting them exceptional resilience against being squashed, according to Holistic Pest Solutions. They are capable of compressing their bodies to fit into even the narrowest of crevices, allowing for effortless escape.
It’s also hard to kill cockroaches because they can move at a speed of 3 mph, equivalent to 50 of their body lengths, per second.
They can also breathe through their bodies, which means they don’t need their heads for breathing. However, they need their mouths for food and water. Without a head, they can only survive for a week, and are most likely to die from dehydration. Cockroaches can survive without food for up to a month.
How to get rid of roaches
- Stop them at the source: cockroaches commonly travel through cracks in walls and pipes.
- Seal up your food containers: Ensure your food is completely sealed to prevent cockroach contamination.
- Suck up the cockroaches—dead or alive: Vacuuming live cockroaches traps and potentially kills them effectively.
- Call the exterminator and set your traps: A professional will know precisely how to target and kill pests.
