Batzner Pest Management Prepares for Annual Roach Races

NEW BERLAIN, Wis. —  They’re baaaaaack!  Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, that is. And they’re getting ready to race again in New Berlin, Wisc.

What the heck are they and why are they going race? Batzner Pest Management in New Berlin has the answers.

According to Jerry Batzner, president of the 59-year-old company bearing his name, he has a collection of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches that he keeps in his headquarters as pets and for training purposes. The “hisser” is a large, wingless cockroach from Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa. “The Madagascar cockroach is a fascinating insect because of its unusual ability to produce its hissing sound,” says Batzner. “It even makes a nice pet.”

Batzner Pest Management will be hosting its fifth annual Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Race at the company's headquarters, 16948 W. Victor Rd., New Berlin, on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. It's part of the company's celebration of Customer Service Week, which runs from October 3 to Oct. 7.

On October 6, Batzner employees will comprise six teams and each team will choose their racing roach from the Batzner collection. “The roaches will speed along a customized track built especially for the race," Batzner says. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team.

Customer Service Week allows the company to recognize the important contributions made by their customer service professionals. The schedule of events for the occasion will also include Customer Service Bingo, Customer Service Word Search, Fun House Photos and Silly Show N Tell.

"This event is not just an excuse for us to throw a party," Batzner explains. "Customer Service week, which began in 1988, is a national event recognizing the importance of customer service and honoring the people who practice it. We’re proud of our own customer service people and are happy to recognize them for their contributions to our organization. "