Cockroaches grind jaws five times stronger than humans, says research

Insect can bite with 50 times more force than its body weight, helping it to chew through tough materials such as wood

The cockroach packs a powerful bite, thanks to jaws that can grind five times stronger than a human, or with 50 times more force than its body weight, researchers said.

Faced with tough materials such as wood, they activate muscle fibres in their jaw to boost their bite to cope with repetitive, heavy-duty tasks, a study in the journal Plos One said on Wednesday.