Arizona Pest Control launches NFTs for 75th anniversary

Tucson, Ariz.-based Arizona Pest Control is celebrating 75 years in business by launching a new digital collector’s project of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The company’s goal is to tie real-world usage of these digital collectibles and to provide a tangible service to its respective owners. Owners of the NFT collectibles will never have to worry about paying for pest, termite or rodent control services again, according to a news release.

The collection is composed of 11 separate tokens, with four tokens being strictly collectible and the other seven NFTs having real-world utility.

The Arizona Pest Control collection is available on the NFT marketplace called OpenSea.

The four collectible NFT’s include the $1 Million Dollar Roach, the $50,000 Roach, Arnold Roachenegger, and Pests Playing Poker.

• The Million Dollar Roach is a collectible commemorating The Million Dollar Cockroach Contest that was created by Arizona Pest Control in 2000. Arizona Pest Control attached barcodes to cockroaches and released them across the country, offering $1 Million for the correct barcoded cockroach if it was returned.
• The $50,000 Dollar Roach is a collectible commemorating the $50,000 Cockroach Contest that was created by Arizona Pest Control in 1998. Arizona Pest Control attached barcodes to a cockroach and released it, offering $50,000 if the correct barcoded cockroach was found.
• Arnold Roachenegger is a collectible commemorating “The World’s Largest Cockroach Contest” that was created by Arizona Pest Control in 1996. Arizona Pest Control offered cash prizes for the person who turned in the largest cockroach.
• Pests Playing Poker is a collectible to commemorate the Arizona Pest Control thirty second poker commercial. The commercial features the Arizona Pest Control characters from the fifteen second commercials including Roachman, Ray the Rat, Susie the Spider, Terry the Termite, Steve the Scorpion and Anthony the Ant.

The collection also includes seven verifiable tokens on the blockchain that provide real-world utility. The collectibles are based on the animated characters in the Arizona Pest Control TV commercials.

• Anthony the Ant, Steve the Scorpion, and Susie the Spider all provide their owners with a complimentary general pest control service every other month for all holders that reside within the Arizona Pest Control service area.
• Terry the Termite is a verifiable token that provides complimentary termite control services for holders that reside within the Arizona Pest Control service area.
• Wendy the Wasp is a verifiable token that provides free bee control and wasp control for the holder of the verifiable token.
• Ray the Rat is verifiable for complimentary rodent control services for mice and rats for any holder that resides within the Arizona Pest Control service area.
• Roachman is a verifiable token for complimentary pest control services, termite control, rodent control (mice and rats), and bee/wasp control services for any holder that resides within the Arizona Pest Control service area.

“I wanted us to be the first pest control company to enter the NFT space, but I wanted to make sure the collection had real world utility,” Caleb Tennenbaum, marketing director at Arizona Pest Control, said. “Once a user purchases one of our utility NFT’s, they get access to an unlockable item which allows them to claim their service from us. The blockchain is going to transform many industries over the next three years, and the pest control industry is no exception. I encourage other pest control operator’s to get involved and learn about the possibilities with the blockchain. The implications of the blockchain are greater or equal to that of the printing press.”

The tokens can be purchased or sold by their respective owners at any time, and Arizona Pest Control has pledged that 10 percent of all royalty (secondary) sales on the four commemorative collectible tokens will be donated to local school districts in the greater Tucson region to further develop the local community.