Pest company will pay you $2,000 to let 100 cockroaches loose in your home for 30 days

[Demovictory9]

Pest Company Makes 'Creepy, Crawly' $2K Offer to Homeowners
The Pest Informer will pay you to let 100 cockroaches loose in your home for 30 days

Looking for "100 creepy, crawly new roommates"? That's how WREG frames a rather unusual call for homeowners (or those who have explicit written permission from the homeowner) who are willing to allow 100 cockroaches to be released in their homes as part of a North Carolina pest company's study. The Pest Informer is that company, and it says it's looking for between five and seven residences in the continental US to use as makeshift labs so that 100 American cockroaches can roam around for 30 days while the company tests what it says is a "family and pet safe" treatment.

The Pest Informer notes that technicians will be filming the entire process, for those who live by the "pictures or didn't happen" mantra. Those willing to endure the roach infestation won't come away empty-handed for their bravery—the company says if you make it through the month, you'll get $2,000 for your efforts. Participants aren't permitted to use any other kind of insect treatment during the trial period.

https://www.newser.com/story/321638/cool-with-100-roaches-in-your-home-2k-awaits.html

25 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes, I want the $2000
	1 (4%)
	no
	24 (96%)
	Other
	0 (0%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[hlthe2b]

1. Other: HELL NO!!!!

[jimfields33]

2. No way. Cockroaches and rats are a big no!

I hate both. Never understood the need for cockroaches to begin with!

[meadowlander]

3. Would you let strangers spray experimental insecticides all over every surface of your house

for 30 days is the actual question.

If you think you don't already have cockroaches, you're deluding yourself.

[JI7]

8. But this is asking to let 100 more into the home

I might let them try the experimental treatment for money but without bringing in roaches.

[alphafemale]

39. I don't have roaches.

I know for a fact I do not have roaches.

I have had roaches and would know if I had roaches.

I can smell if there is even one the same way I can smell a mouse or rat.

[JI7]

4. Fuck no and 2k is nothing for something like that

[Demovictory9]

5. what is your price?

[Dorian Gray]

9. 25 million dollars

[JI7]

10. Yup , would have to be in double digit millions at least

but even then if it requires me living there during that time I might still not do it .

[Dorian Gray]

19. Agree

it's too horrible to think about.

[Polybius]

29. Why?

Just take a million and then get a bigger house.

[JI7]

32. If I didn't have to live in the house then I would easily do it

But I think this one requires people to be living in the home during those 30 days and if you see a roach you can't get rid of it .

[Demovictory9]

38. for a million dollars, I could suffer through 30 sleepless nights.. then sell the home and move

to a much nicer one. or bring in heavy duty pest control and bank that million.

[PoliticAverse]

6. So, like my apartment in New York City then? n/t

[lpbk2713]

7. Not a chance in hell.

They would get in dresser drawers, medicine cabinets, food pantries
and I couldn't touch them for thirty days? Definitely not.

[LuckyCharms]

11. Nope. n/t

[enid602]

12. Hoarder

Can hoarders who live in a roach infested house apply?

[Demovictory9]

59. Their experiment would be ruined by pre existing roaches

[Raine]

13. ABSOLUTELY NO!!!! nt

[Hekate]

14. Hell no. I grew up in Hawai'i & ingested more DDT & Raid than you can imagine while my poor Mom

… did her damndest to eradicate them from our home. My dad even tried Chlordane outside, and to this day I can remember the smell. As an adult I had my turn. Gaah. Every damn one carried an egg sac.

Then to have a pesticide company offer to drop off these pests. No no no.

[LeftInTX]

15. Hell no!!!

I'm always fighting American cockroaches. I'm scared to death of them.

[cloudbase]

16. My cats would take them out within a day. n/t

[Demovictory9]

23. Hearing cat chase prey at night is disturbing

[roamer65]

24. Two cats.

They’d last no more than a week.

[LeftInTX]

27. Roaches live inside your walls

As soon as they turn them loose they will run up the ceiling, into the vents, under the the baseboards inside little cracks etc etc.

The American cockroach is one of the fastest moving animals in the world. They run 5 feet in 1 sec.

if a roach was human size and could still move as easily, they could reach top speeds of 200 mph.

[Demovictory9]

37. they are fast! by the time one gets the bug spray... where are they? lol

[LeftInTX]

40. I have little holes drilled in my walls

That's where the spray goes.
I buy professional stuff.

The exterminator did nothing but spray insecticide here and there.

I used to keep a can of Raid within reach at all time. (A can in like every room) But since I've been doing the wall stuff, I can now keep the Raid in the utility room.

[ecstatic]

17. I would never feel safe in my home again, so no.

I went through a horrific period where waterbugs were somehow appearing in my home. I don't have any gaps that allow for entry. Finally I figured it out when I saw a humongous one crawling its fat ass out of my AC vent. I layered a fabric softener sheet over every vent grill in my home and the problem was resolved. I don a full bee suit to swap out the fabric softener sheets, but luckily nothing has ever fallen out. lol

[Demovictory9]

22. Hoa sprays community.outside.sends huge bugs running..i had to use painters tape on front door crack

To keep them out

[LeftInTX]

30. My bathroom has painters tape all along the baseboards

[Demovictory9]

34. Painters tape equals universal tool

[LeftInTX]

28. But those suckers are living and breeding in there!

[ecstatic]

33. What should I do? Seems kind of dangerous to have pesticide fumes

infused into my AC ducts or whatever it's called. 😥

[LeftInTX]

41. You can put a bait station in the return ducts, I haven't had problems with the actual supply ducts

The returns sit on the floor and close to the central unit. The AC filter sits just above the return. The supply ducts are on the ceiling and there is usually one in each room.

If you take the grating off a return duct, it's pretty appalling what's in one. They are filthy as hell. All the dirt and dust get sucked into them. Take the grating off. Put one of those large bait stations in there. Put the grating back on.

https://ourcloverhouse.blogspot.com/2014/05/how-to-clean-your-return-air-vent.html

If they are coming from the supply vents, you might have some type of duct leakage. Well even in the return vents, they may be coming from another source. https://pestcemetery.com/treat-air-vents-bugs/

Our return ducts are huge and they can hide in the back corners. (Ours are about 2 by 4 feet each)

[ecstatic]

53. Thank you! I didn't know what to search for

or what to do first. They were mostly coming out of supply vents but I saw 1 try to come out of a return vent a few months after I blocked the supply vents. They haven't been able to come inside for about 2 or 3 years but it bothers me to think I could be breathing their carcasses or something. Based on the article and your advice I will hire a company to inspect, clean and place bait stations in the ducts. I know that will cost a fortune but my return vents are either too high or too awkwardly placed for me to DIY this time. I think I also need to have my AC unit outside sealed up somehow. uggh. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

[LeftInTX]

55. Roaches shouldn't be in the actual unit or coming out of the unit

However, there is piping which carries air from your home and often a separate outdoor water condensation line. The area in the slab/foundation/wall which surrounds the pipes can become a conduit for insects. (Not in the pipes, but around the pipes similar to an outside water faucet pipe) Roaches can travel through the slab or along these pipes. From there, they can then get in the unit's closet, which often harbors moisture.

Don't feel bad. I had a rash of roaches which were hatching in my bathroom every night. I could not get rid of them. A few months later, I needed the lever on my tub replaced. The plumber said, "I can't replace it. The pipe is no longer connect to the sewer drain". He fixed it for $800. Best decision ever! Roaches that were living in the city sewer were literally coming in my house. The tub pan was a breeding ground!

[ecstatic]

57. omg!! I'm glad your situation was cleared up!

Honestly this is getting too overwhelming. I see some pipes outside but I think it might be related to my water supply. I'm about to put on my beekeeper suit, goggles and mask and spray the hell out of everything except my unit. The pipes and everything around it. Slab. Everything. Maybe I can put a mesh over the faucet as well, in case they're going in from the faucet. That's if I can even identify it. lol

[LeftInTX]

61. Yes, areas around pipes can be conduits for insects.

Plug with steel wool



You know where they really live? The freak'n water main! Holy cow. My water main is in an underground hole in the dirt. I don't dare open the lid anymore. I don't know how the meter man does his job.

They hop out of there at night and run all over. Then, they get in my garage. Then my house. Oh they also live in tree bark!! Under my deck. In leaf litter, in mulch...

OK...I feel an roach panic episode coming..LOL

[Torchlight]

46. Look into boric acid. It's one very efficient method

it doesn't affect any eggs, and isn't a preventative, but it does a very good job at killing almost all living roaches currently inside. This past winter new neighbors brought an infestation with them when they moved in upstairs. Using boric acid plus a modest amount of bait traps and one bottle of spray and we had the problem resolved within a week.

There are some key safety measures to take if you use it, and that's why I suggest doing a little bit of research on it to see if it's something you'd be comfortable with.

[ecstatic]

54. I'm going to look into whether it can

be used outside around my unit. Safely. Maybe in glue format. Thanks!

[SergeStorms]

18. Then charge you $5,000 to get rid of them.

No thanks. Anyone who'd agree to that has rocks in their head.

[3catwoman3]

20. When I was stationed in Sn Antonio, I had them...

…for free.

There is not enough money…

[Norbert]

21. Absolutely not.

Cockroaches are very difficult to get rid of.

[Meowmee]

25. Is this a joke?

No sane person would introduce cockroaches into their abode.

[Iggo]

50. Don't forget: People are stupid.

[Meowmee]

51. No one is that stupid

[Dysfunctional]

60. I live in North Carolina; they will not have any problem finding enough people.

[Norbert]

62. My neighbor still thinks Hillary is going to jail. They are that stupid around here.

[LakeArenal]

26. Mr Lake asks: would we have to evict these here?

I’d rather let a cow poop in the house.

[demtenjeep]

31. 2 million maybe

but 2,000

fuck no

[Sympthsical]

35. If I were a neighbor, I'd be pissed

Yeah, they might start in your house, but they won't stay there.

[Desert grandma]

36. OMG! NO! NO! NO!

When we had our present house built 8 years ago, our builder was one of the very few to build homes that were certified "Gold" green built. One of the most wonderful things that they did is install a TAEXX pest control system which is serviced quarterly by Home Defense Team. The system is comprised of tubing inside the walls which connects to a port on the outside wall. Material is injected quarterly into the port to keep any pests that might be trying to hide in the walls out. These homes are so well insulated that I do not think there is a way for the pest control material they use to make it inside our home. We Have not had any roaches at all inside the house. I will occasionally see a spider that managed to run in through the door, but it is such a wonderful relief to be rid of roaches of any type. The things we love about this house are the low utility bills ($35 highest gas bill), refrigerated air ($125 month) and the TAEXX Pest Control System!

[LeftInTX]

42. I drilled holes just above my baseboards!

My house is 45 years old.

But obviously TAEXX is superior and it works on exterior walls and goes deeper than my little holes. Insects nest in wall voids, especially large American cock roaches. They really don't like being in our living space. They wanna go back in the dark cozy walls, but sometimes wander in our homes when their populations get large.

[Kid Berwyn]

43. Too late.

They’re here.



Creepy. And Crawley.

[Emile]

64. LOL +1

[Vinca]

44. If they were paying $2,000 per roach, I'd consider it.

[TheBlackAdder]

45. No way. You'd have to seal the home w/ multiple ozone machines and spread diatomaceous earth.

.

The ozone machines will kill every living organism, but you have to be extremely cautious using it. That would have to run for 1.5-2 days. These are the same machines that car dealerships use to remove the smell of cigarette and cigar smoke from a car when they tell you it's never been smoked in. The ozone machines will also kill their eggs. A couple $100 units should do most homes.

The DE, awesome shit that I buy for family and friends. It is dusted in crevices, wall outlets, anywhere hidden. They are the skeletons of microorganisms that literally cut soft-bodied insects and get in joints and mandibles of hard-exoskeleton insects like spiders and ants. It is extremely effective for house centipedes, spiders, ants, bedbugs and all other insects.

.

[Victor_c3]

47. I'd do it with little hesitation

My landlord and the tenants below me might have a different opinion.

I live above a very popular restaurant. I suspect patrons would rather not know about 100 roaches being loose upstairs from their dinner!

[Aristus]

48. Roaches are one of the most important reasons I left Texas and have never gone back.

I think I have an actual phobia of them. Show me a roach and I will likely scream and burst into tears. No lie. I'm terrified of them.

[LeftInTX]

52. I tried to get professional help for my phobia

I wasn't taken seriously

I eventually learned to keep a can of Raid within arms reach at all times. It helped.

[Demovictory9]

58. Can of raid and small broom to corral them

I cant sleep until bug is.disposed of

[Iggo]

49. My neighbors would probably sue me for more than that.

[Elessar Zappa]

56. Add three more zeros and then we'll talk.

[Emile]

63. Hell no! Hardest bug in the world to get rid of.