In the long and seemingly futile quest to build a better roach trap, researchers have finally identified the come-hither chemical of the female German cockroach and produced a synthetic version that makes males come running in less than nine seconds.
The search for the sex pheromone has been a top priority for cockroach scientists, but it has been an arduous process because the compound is emitted in very small quantities and is so fragile that it easily degrades during laboratory analysis.
The new synthetic version appears to work at least as well as the original, giving scientists hope that they may shift the balance of power in the age-old contest between humans and cockroaches -- creatures widely believed to be capable of surviving nuclear war.
"Chemists have been trying to get this pheromone for decades," said Wendell Roelofs, a professor of insect biochemistry at Cornell University and one of the study's authors.
The compound that lures males to their potential mates is so powerful that cockroaches near death from starvation will forgo peanut butter for a chance to copulate, said Coby Schal, a professor of entomology at North Carolina State University and coauthor of the study, published today in the journal Science.
"Invariably, the male will choose the sex pheromone over the food, even though he may die on the way," Schal said.
German cockroaches -- half-inch long light brown bugs with dark brown stripes -- are the most prevalent roach species in the world.
Widely reviled, they are responsible for spreading food poisoning, dysentery, cholera and other disease and for triggering asthma in children.
U.S. consumers spend more than $1 billion each year to rid their homes of roaches and other pests, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. They barely make a dent in the cockroach population.
Fossil records indicate that cockroaches have inhabited Earth for at least 200 million years.
They are low-maintenance creatures and can survive in a wide range of environments. They can eat almost anything, including linens, cardboard, leather and bookbindings.
Almost any building will become infested after a certain amount of time.
"Whether it's a restaurant or a warehouse or a farm, cockroaches will somehow find it," Schal said.
"Once they do, it's very difficult to get rid of them."
