Why Can’t You Squish a Cockroach?

Cockroaches have hard exoskeletons and it takes a considerable amount of force to kill them. However, if you do not use the correct amount of force, you may end up killing it and spreading its disease. Fortunately, there are many effective and humane ways to eliminate cockroaches.

First, don’t crush them. Oftentimes, people may feel hesitant to squish a cockroach for fear that it will release eggs or pheromones. However, if you are able to avoid squishable cockroaches, you won’t need to worry about spreading their eggs.

If you step on a cockroach with the intention of killing it, you will cause the roach’s exoskeleton to crack, exposing its internal organs. The cracks can even pierce the roach’s soft guts. Eventually, the force of the foot will crush the insides of the roach. Despite the obvious hazard of crushing the cockroach, you should never try this method unless you’re sure that it’s completely dead.

The other method to kill cockroaches is to use insecticides or fumigation. While the latter may seem like a good option, it may not be the best choice. Cockroaches are extremely resistant to pesticides. Some species can survive 900 times their body weight without being killed.

Cockroaches are great runners. They can survive being squashed by a paper slap. And new research has revealed the reasons for this remarkable ability. Knowing why they are so resilient will help us build better robots.