How Dirty Roaches Get Clean

Cockroaches are constantly grooming themselves, says entomologist Coby Schal, of North Carolina State University. To clean its antenna, a cockroach will grab ahold of it with its front leg, bring the antenna to its mouth, and run the antenna from base to tip through its mandibles like a piece of floss. Publishing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Schal and colleagues investigate the benefits of clean antennae.

Meet the Producer

About Flora Lichtman

Flora Lichtman was the host of the podcast Every Little Thing. She’s a former Science Friday multimedia producer.

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