"The jelly contains lots of glucose and the peanut butter has a much smaller amount, " explained Dr Schal.

BBC: Cockroaches lose their 'sweet tooth' to evade traps

Dr Coby Schal explained in the journal Science that this new study had revealed the "neural mechanism" behind this refusal.

BBC: Cockroaches lose their 'sweet tooth' to evade traps

"It behaves like a baby that rejects spinach, " explained Dr Schal.

BBC: Cockroaches lose their 'sweet tooth' to evade traps