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Cockroaches set for bitter end

The indomitable cockroach has long been considered one of man’s greatest foes. Widely believed to be obstinate enough to survive nuclear war, scientists have now discovered that a some cockroaches have evolved in such a way, that they now know to stay clear of baits, which usually carry a sugared base. Dr. Coby Schal, Entomology Professor at North Carolina State University, explains the revelation: “In this study we documented that there are many populations of cockroaches that have evolved a resistance or an aversion to glucose, and we determined the neuro-mechanism that underlies this behaviour. From a practical perspective it tell us that we need to modify the baits that we use to control cockroaches and to vary the nutriment composition of the bait.” Schal went on to give his personal opinion on where things stand: “We’ve had this arms race with cockroaches for as long as humans have been on Earth. Cockroaches have had this arms race with plants for millions of years before us, and this is just one chapter in that arms race. At this point it looks like the cockroaches are winning by developing this glucose aversion, but manufacturers will respond to that by having products that target this glucose aversion.” Determined to bring about the downfall of this seemingly immortal enemy, scientists look set to work alongside manufacturers to develop a new poison, light on glucose. Eitherway, the cockroach community better brace itself for a bitter end, sooner or later.