Pest Control Company Offering $2,000 to People Willing to Let 100 Cockroaches into Their Homes

Alexandra Schonfeld
·2 min read
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Cockroach crawling on white tile wall
Cockroach crawling on white tile wall

Getty Cockroach

A pest company in North Carolina has a unique offer for those willing to house a few extra roommates.

The Pest Informer — a pest control service based out of Raleigh, North Carolina — shared on its website that the company is looking for five to seven households willing to accept $2,000 to allow the business to release approximately 100 American cockroaches into their homes. After the cockroaches are released, The Pest Informer will perform a study, testing out new pest-fighting techniques in the participating homes.

"We have over 20 years in the industry working as pest control technicians and owning our own pest control companies, so we know a thing or two about getting rid of pests," the company wrote on their website. "That being said, as technology advances, we're always looking for the newest and greatest ways to get rid of pests (cockroaches specifically)."

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According to pestworld.org, ​​the American cockroach is commonly known as a water bug and is "the largest of the house-infesting roaches and a major pest in the United States."

The Pest Informer added more details about its new offer online, sharing that the company will pay participants $2,000 for the study, which will take 30 days to complete. The company will also ask for the participants' permission to film the cockroach treatment testing sessions conducted in their homes.

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Those looking for $2,000 and a few dozen six-legged friends can apply at The Pest Informer's website. The company claims that if the cockroaches are still lingering after the study, they will use "traditional cockroach treatment options" to eliminate the insects at no cost to the participant.

The Pest Informer says that applicants must live in the continental United States and that all treatments will be "family and pet safe."

A representative from the Pest Informer told PEOPLE that as of Monday they had around 2,200 applicants for the study and would be keeping the form open until July 31.

"The overall goal of this study is to find DIY cockroach treatment options for those who don't have the financial means to pay a professional for service," the representative said. "We believe that living pest-free should be a basic human right, so if we can help provide factual data on how anyone can get rid of roaches on their own."