# Popping Cockraoches **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 2, 2000, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popping-cockraoches/24339 "2000-07-02T06:08:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![argyle87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90ced4/32.png) [@argyle87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/argyle87)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2000, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popping-cockraoches/24339/1 "2000-07-02T06:08:19Z")
I just Had the weirdest thing happen to me a minute ago. I stepped on a large Florida cockroach, and it popped. Not crunched or squished, popped. It was an unusually deafening sound, given the relative size of the animal. I have heard the familiar arthropod “crunch” that occurs when you step on a bug, but this was different. I sounded like on of those poppers you buy at the fireworks stores, that is like a little packet of powder you throw at the ground. Maybe you had to be here to understand, but has anybody else had this happen to them. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2000, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popping-cockraoches/24339/2 "2000-07-02T06:12:04Z")
> [@](#): > > … has anybody else had this happen to them? I’ve never popped after someone stepped on me. ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2000, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popping-cockraoches/24339/3 "2000-07-02T06:22:39Z")
One of my teachers in high school kept a South American Hissing Cockroach in class. Horrible, HORRRRRIBLE looking thing. Had to be over three inches long. Waguuuugh! Would give H.R. Giger the willies. Anyway, I vaguley remember him mentioning that some cockroaches hiss to scare off predators using a air chamber in their gut, maybe you popped that. Eeeew, I don’t even wanna’ think about it anymore… ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2000, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popping-cockraoches/24339/4 "2000-07-02T09:51:34Z")
The only time I’ve heard them pop is in the microwave. For best results, take the bag of roaches out when popping sounds are 5-10 seconds apart. ---
**Author:** ![JBurton99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@JBurton99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBurton99)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2000, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popping-cockraoches/24339/5 "2000-07-02T09:59:05Z")
LMAO Smeg, that was good… Can’t say i’ve ever had the chance to step on one, the only time i’ve ever seen one, was in a jar someplace. Those big Hissing Roaches are pretty cool, at least i think so. 😃 I saw a show on HBO tonight that had something to do with TV from other countries which had mostly sex shows on it, but they did show this one show something like 20/20. The guest was a bug exterminator but he never used chemicals to kill the poor things, he just reached down, picked up the helpless thing and ATE IT!!! uuggghhh :: turning green just remembering it :: ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2000, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popping-cockraoches/24339/6 "2000-07-02T11:58:58Z")
Lordy Lou! This is gross even for me! I’m glad I kill bugs with chemicals in the Northeast! Feh! ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2000, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popping-cockraoches/24339/7 "2000-07-02T13:02:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > > I saw a show on HBO tonight that had something to do with TV from other countries which had mostly sex shows on it, but they did show this one show something like 20/20. The guest was a bug exterminator but he never used chemicals to kill the poor things, he just reached down, picked up the helpless thing and ATE IT!!! uuggghhh > :: turning green just remembering it :: > \*\* I think that’s next week on Survivor… ---
**Author:** ![JBurton99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@JBurton99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBurton99)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2000, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popping-cockraoches/24339/8 "2000-07-02T13:26:07Z")
I haven’t Survivor yet. My work schedule won’t allow it. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popping-cockraoches/24339/9 "2000-07-03T22:23:55Z")
Sure, I’ve stepped on “poppers.” The bigger, the poppier. It’s really freaky when you do it accidentally… walking along… POP… huh?.. look down: 2-dimensional bug. Doesn’t happen often, but I’ve done it.